The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-11-18
THE LYNCHBURG FhRE.BUG.
How lie was Capturcd-Th Evidences
OF His Gutit.

=
lure Of the negro Harrison Crews, whose
incendiary acts have kept that city in
state Of excitement and dread FOR months:
Thursday night about 1880 O'Clock,
while Mr.. Samuel Il. Sutor. who was on
the lookout for the incendiary with Win
chester rifle. and Sergeant johnson, an in
defatigabe officer Of the police force, were
standing M the corner Of Washington and
Church streets. the Sergeant discovered
a small flame creeping up from Nil.
Moses Lacy's stable, on the street
below. He called Mr.. Sutor's attcn-
ton 10 the fire, and burriedly told
him 10 90 around Washington street,
while he Sergeant Johnson) went around
another way. They both set ont on a run
in opposite directions. and when Mr.. SUI
tor reached q fence inclOsirg the vacant lot
i'm the rear 81 MIR. Charles +. lieald's resi-
dence be saw n negro climbing over the
fence. lie ut once rushed 20 the negro.
and. pointing his rifle at him, told him II
he moved no would blow his head Oh. He
allowed the negro 10 get of the fence, and
asked him what he meant by coming
through the Geld in the direction OF the
fire. Z" | um Harrison Crews, a baker at the
Noryell House" replied the negro. give
been 10 church with young lady, ana
after taking her home ] was on my way
home. on the corner. OF Taylor and Four
feentb streets" MI. Sutor thought that
plausible excuse, but concluded TO hold
him for awhile. He went through Crews's
pockets. but found nothing but letters,
which he gave back 10 the negro as Officer
COomes appeared on the scene The Of
ficcr at once took charge OF the prisoner
and went down TO the corner Of Court and
Thirteenth streets, where he was joined by
Officer Seay. The two then started with
their prisoner 10
TIE STAT1ON-H0USE,
followed by large crowd Of people for
some distance. but the officers being in
citizens dress attracted no attention after
they had gotten lid OF the crowd, and
reached the statiOn-hoUse safely with their
prisoner. He was there turned over to
the turnkey, who at once proceeded to
search the person OK the prisoner. His
hands were found 10 smell strongly OF
kerosene, and one OF his pockets was satu-
rated with the fluid. Going on further
with the search, the turnkey found three
wads OF paper underneath his coat on his
back. He said he had split coal-OiI on his
hands while filling his lamps, and had
taken a snack in the paper found on his
back. The officer thinking It entirely too
thin that he went 10 church with "a young
lady" with his hands full Of coal-oil and
a snack IN his pocket, went down to his !
room, over John Cassiday's store, on |
Main street. 10 see il any other traces OF |
his guilt could be discovered. On enter |
Ing his room they found the lamps which |
he had filled and coal-oil can with only a |
little oil in il. HE had purchased quart |
OF oil from CassIday that ailernoOn.l They |
also found a number OF old papers-copIes |
Of the Virgiaidn, Baltimore american, Ga /
zette, and the AdUdnce--wbich added TO the !
chain Of evidence encircling the incendiary, |
as copies Of the papers named have been |
found ~ the fires saturated with kero-
sene. They also learned that Crews had |
purchased three quarts OF kerosene in the |
last few days from different grOcers.
Crews is bright muiatto about thirty /
FIVE years OF age; black, straight hair, |
moustache. aud goatee; Is about five feet /
four inches tall; came TO Lynchburg from
Betetourt Springs about five years ago, and |
has since been employed at the Noryell
House as pastry-cook.
CBEws's CONFESSION.
Chiei-oi-Police Irwin went to the station
house a short tire after CrewS's capture |
ana asked hun where he was when the fire
was discovered.
II was talking with a woman before the
alarm was turned i'm near where the fire oc-
Cured" replied the prisoner.
did YOU see the fire when it broke
out:" asked the Chief.
YES" replied Crews, ~ saw the fire;
bu; ire eXcites me, and fearing / would be
arrested on suspicion | went down by the
branch, crossed over, and took across the
fields"
The Chief went down to where the
prisoner was captured early in the morn
Ing, and found that he had taken another
course-one altogether different from what
lac claimed.
4 private examination OF the case was
held Yesterday morning and afternoon, at
which the Chief told Crews that he had dis,
covered that his story in regard 10 the di-
reciiOn in which he went was untrue; that
the cOal-Oil and papers had been found in
the room, and other evidence which was
almost conclusive OF his guilt, and he might
rs well acknowledge that he was guilty.
IL make YOU no Offer" said the Chief,
"you need tell nothing but what will be in
evidence before the court"
Crews, in only slightly nervous man
ncr, acknowledged that he had fred Mr..
Moses Lacy's stable.
He then went on to say that the first
place be fred was the clubhouse in the rear
of Mr. :. GoOdman's, after which he had
fired Mr.. j. ii. Hunnieutts stable, Mfr.
John IL. seay's stable, and other stables,
Ten in all, in different portions Of the city.
He was then asked II he did not burn the
Noryel-HOuse stable.
"No," be replied; "the only property |
set on fire i'm that neighborhood was the
small frame building belonging to Mr.. Sat
tier, on Church street. | think a white
man must have burned the Norvel-IIouse
stable.v
lie was then asked IL he did not have q
white or colored confederate who had been
helping him in the work.
His reply was vague. He declared most
positively that no one was connected with
him, and that he had only fred ten build
ings, while at the same time he repeatedly
said that he understood" ''heard," or
" thought" a white man was setting fire
to houses.
"What was your objects 2" some ore in
qnired.
lie replied that he had no object what
ever; he had not spite against any one /
that be wasn't i'm his right mind when he
set tire 10 houses. lie said that be did not
get along wCll with bis wife, and left her. I
Whenever be thought Of her his mind
would get mixed mp, and he would go out
and set fire 20 a house.
Late in the afternoon he was taken TO
Jail, where he will be kept until to-day,
when II j. probable preliminary hearing
OF the case will be held in the Mayors !
Court. II
The following * the law for the punish- /