Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-01-09
CRIMES & CASUALTIES.
AN INTERVIEW WITH AN ALLEGED MURDERER.
Especial Telegram to the Globe.

AN INTERVIEW WITH AN ALLEGED MURDERER.
Especial Telegram to the Globe.I
WAUPACA, Wis, Jan. S.-Your CORE
spondent made successful visit to the
county jail and interviewed Alfred Vande-
car, alias Charles Reed, alias Foxy, who
was brought here on the charge of being
one of the men who murdered H. G. Mead,
the banker, on the evening of Oct. 7 last
Vandecar is the hu sband of Rosa O'Brien
living at Oconomowoc. He is a hard citi-
zen in every sense of the word, and depends
upon the earnings of his wife to keep him
in victuals and drink. He told your cor
respondent that he was here on the charge
of numbering a certain banker in this
city somtime last fall, but the officers were
on the wrong track, as he was in Chicago
from the 1st to the 18th of October. He
says it is a put up job on the part of the
detectives to fasten this murder on him,
as the $4,000 reward is what they are work
ing for. In answer to the question whether
he had ever been arrested before or not, he
said:
Il am sorry to say that have. Ibegan
my criminal career young. My father was
Baptist minister, but trying to be too strict
with me he spoiled me. In my youth Twas
always a great hand for ladies'
society and was always one of crowd of
boys who made night hideous with their
drunken and icentious talk. Before I
was twenty years old was forced to skip
out west, and have lived here ever since,
earning my living by gambling and steal
ing. 1t has always been my principle to
stay until the last dog was dead, and when
they bring in proof enough to convict
s'Old Foxeyn of the murder scrape, they
will have to get up early in the morning.
1 know my business, and when 1 do a job
I intend to leave no clue that will result in
my capture. am no dove, and if I had
the desire could put you on to some raekets
that would make your eyes look like
bung holes in barrel"
When asked if he apprehended con-
viotion, he said: NO. and challenged the
detectives to bring in evidence enough
to bind him over. He admitted that he
belonged to a gang; that he had done a
good deal of business in Wisconsin, and
said that they had bagged as much swag
as any small gang IN the country. AS to
the mysteries of the Mead murderer, he
would not divulge a word, and said that he
would admit as fast as the state proved.
He expressed his contempt of the report
srs that had visited him during the day.
LIGHTNING JERKERs IN DANGHR.
DETROIT, Mich, Jan. S.-A fire in Tele-
graph block this evening commenced at
the foot of the elevator, and almost in
stantly spread to the two upper stories,
which, with the roof, burned out The
night force of operators found escape by
the stairway cut off, but all were rescued
with fre-escape ladders, N. s. Corbett,
night chief operator, being quite severely
burned about the waist. The large operat-
ing room of the telegraph Office, with the
book-keeper's room, battery room and
superintendent Office were destroyed.
This misfortune temporarily obstructs
work on the Western Uuion wires, but
men are already at work to secure new
quarters and restore communication. The
loss cannot now be estimated. The fire
was an exceedingly ugly one for an hour
or so, and taxed the energy OF the fire de-
partment in the central part of the city to
get it under control.
The fire threatened at one time 10 be
terribly destructive. 1t began at the foot
of the elevator and rushed with instant and
almost incomprehensible force to the top
of the roof, by the stairway leading from
the street to the operating room. The
Western Union Telegraph from the second
story runs by the side of the elevator,
from which it is separated only
by heavy wire screen, and
SO fierce were the flames that egress was at
once cut off from the top story. Fortu-
nately the operating room is separated
from the other half of top floors by brick
wall. AS soon as the alarm reached the OPP
orators, they rushed for ladder and scut-
tie in the ROOT, but so fierce were the flames
already rushing up the elevator that
only one man. NJ. S. Corbett, night chief
operator, succeeded in reaching the roof,
and light coat which he wore in the Office
was all ablaze and his hands, arms and
face ute severely burned. The balance
of the operators, some twenty in num-
Der, with great GOODNESS returned to their
room, shut the door tightly, and awaited
Developments, while steamers rapidly got
to work pouring food water into the build
ing. Soon ladder was set to
work to rescue the imprisoned operators,
their efforts greatly impeded by the null
titude of wires crossing the street in every
direction, but with some difficulty ladder
was raised, reaching to the story next be-
low the operating room, and the operators
started to drop from the window above
and catch the ladder as best they could.
This, however, they refused to do, and the
firemen rsdoubled their energy and put
up larger fire escape, which they
fortunately succeeded in doing, and reach
ing the top story, tho operators were all
safely taken out from their prison, their
situation becoming more critical every
moment, with flames roaring on the other
side of the partition wall, pour
ing through the roof and casting
red glare for blocks around. The descent
of the men was greeted with tremendous
cheers by an excited crowds which filed
the streets below. The GOODNESS Of the
operators under their trying situation, with
admirable effort was then concentrated on
subduing the flames. After an hours hard
battle this accomplished. The two upper
stories of the roof were pretty much
DESTROYED. The lower tories were flooded