New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-18
TILE NEWHALL HOUSE CRIME.

FURTHER EVIDENCE AGAINT sCHELLER.
THE PRISONER REMOVED FROM MILWAUKEE, TO
PREVENT LYycHING-, CHARGE THAT HE TRIED
TO DESTROY THE HOTEL ONCE BEFORE.
MILWAUKEE, Jan. l7.-Goorgc Scheller. who
arrested Yesterday on charge of having set fire ia
the Newhall House. has been secretly removed from
the Jail by the authorities for fear that an attempt
would be made to lynch him, and it is believed that
he has been sent to Waukesha.
Northing was done to-day about taking Scbeller
into court for examination, probably because IN
the present inhamed condition of the
public mind it was feared that
violence would be offered to the
prisoner. Scheler has retained Mcssrs Ebbitts and
McKinny his counsel. 1t is not known just where
the police began the investigation which resulted
in Scbellcrs arrest. On Sunday night last iuforna-
ton was lodged with the police concerning
Scbeller's whereabouts on the morning of the fire.
This afternoon W. II. Ebbtts visited Chief OF
Police Wason and the Sheriff. and urged upon them
the necessity of removing soheller to Racine, to
protect him from tho threatened vengeance OF the
Third and Fourth warders. He argued that to
keep the prisoner III jail here would be
to place him at the mercy of a mob Tho Mayor
va then called upon and he visited the Chief. IL
was arranged 10 ascertain the state of feeling in the
lHlIu w diuh anu ilHO w al A'it" iei q
special train to carry Scheller to Racine in case
there were signs of trouble. locomotive was held
III realiness and number of policemen were kept
at Police Headquarters
Scheller came to Milwaukee with Mr.. Antisdel
from Detroit about nine years ago. whom the latter
assumed charge of tho Newhall House. He
had been chief clerk in the Biddle House
in that city when Mr.. Antisdel kept it, The two
men, il is said, have always been warm personal
friends. Scheller learned the printers tTado in his
youth and worked at It in Detroit for six years.
Besides Schellers well-known financial difficulties
and his high insurance, another thing which gave
rise TO the first suspicion was his attempt to blow
up the Newhall House by gas explosion some
two weeks ago.
About this affair, William Hughes. the head porter
at the Newhall House, makes the following state
ment:
81 am in the habit of going to the Lotel about
o'clock in the morning. One morning about two
weeks ago went up the main catrance, and when
l got near the elevator / smelled gas right away.
The smell very strong and seemed to come
from the bar-room. | opened the door and was
nearly knocked down, the odor being 50 over
powering Just as / opened the door the bar
keeper, Henry Mccormick, came in the front way.
| asked him what the trouble was. He said lie
didn't know but thought it was the gas meter.
We both rushed In and looked at the meter but IT
was all right. We came out into the bar-room and
threw open the outside doors. / then noticed a
small blue fame on one of the burners
away back In tho room. ] thea looked up and
found that every Of the sir chandeliers had the
gas turned on full force | could hardly believe
what 1 saw, and said to Mccormick: My God:
what's this forp lie said he did not know, and
that Scheller was In the place when he en. We
then turned all the gas OIL and went up stairs.
told Mr. Autisdc about It and he asked mo If ht q
match. told him | did not and he SAID
| did wrong. Schellcr did not come around next
day nj all. II was three DAYS before he showed up
and said he had been sick. He was asked about the
ga and said: Someone must have had key TO
the door and got III and turned them all onp Hughes
saws that boy known as Little Petc' who worked
in the bar-ro0m, said that he left Scheller in the
place abont 3 O'clock hat morning
The number of workmen at the ruins was re-
duccd to-day. and the work is expected TO be com
pleted on Saturday. Five bodies were recovered to-
day making a total of forty three burned beyond
recognition. There twenty three Identified dead,
and IL is supposed that from fifteen to twenty are
srIll missing The Chief of Police states tonight
that be has learned that OF the clerks started TO
run out of the burning building wi b the register,
but stumbled down stairs and lost the book. The
transfer book has not been heard of yet