National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-04-21

Cohen's Explanation.
EDIToR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN,: When a few
days ago you asked OF the public in your paper
to suspend judgment against me until had q
chance to exonerate myself Of the charge of
artou brought against me, the dismissal OF
said charge in the court yesterday will not
only Justify that course but show TO the public
that you mean to be fair. Now, since this case
has been presented to the public from the
standpoint OF the prosecutors, and since 1t has
been dismissed, IL will be timely for me to
make full statement Of tho same. Mrs.
Brown, who has been so vigorously prosecuted
her house on Missouri avenue, insured the
same for 5000. Three OF four agents tried
their best TO get the insurance, and some OF
them got mad because they didn't, They
were supposed 10 know what they we re
doing and supposed TO be res sonsible to
the companies they represented for what they
DO. Mrs Brown consulting me upon the
subject, advised her to give the insurance TO
Mr.. N. d. Clarke, 6l2 + street being personally
acquainted with him. They were, itappeared,
surance. which Mr.. Clarke did Mrs. Brown,
at the time she did insure, mad her house
largely furnished nom top 70 bottom With new
and costly furniture and still In process of i'm
provements. II will be remembered that I
when described In letter published In your
paper the brutality of the head man putting
s5, oCo worth Of furniture and clothes were then
removed, and that was long before tho fire,
when there was no thought of a fire. Since the
nfe " mas DCen puDllhneu tnhL bne ulu not nave
$500 worth In the house, while she hold. one
bill alone OF w. B. Moses & Son for s6l7.7O,
bought and paid for before the fire. She has
on s sOqa qa 9C Of n Rs G
| Clarke, agent, testified under oath that he,
when he insured the thirgs, had inspected the
premises and the things therein for the pur-
| When Mrs Brown was the second time CON
| victed and filed motion for new trial she sus
pended business until the court could dispose
| ff
| her help and sent some OF her children to New
| York-herself remaining In the house. Before
mq bS WAS 9bP sne as
| and left for New York, leaving me In charge
| of the house, with instructions to get a certain
woman next day and put her in charge of the
| next day but said that while she had promised
Mrs. Brown to take care Of the house IN her
absence she felt not well enough to do so;
| that left the house on my hands. In the
| meantime had opened not fruit stand, but
| a full grown fruit business, TO which / expect
to add first.class confectionery. ice cream;
| &C., at the corner OF Four-and-a-half street and
| Maine avenue. On the day of the fire / alto
dinnera at Mrs. Browns at o'clock: LEFT there
half an hour later, and, as the clerk had en-
gagged failed to- come that afternoon, was
forced to remain at my store. especially as was
doing pretty good business. 1t so happened
that three or four OF the neighbors called AFTER
| Up. m. until H. when the fre.broke out Next
morning about 10 o'clock was attending tony
store when my friends Block and Raj paid me
| q visit. They politely invited me to take q
walk with them and accepted the invitation.
They found their way to the new magnificent
station house OF the seventh precinct, presided
vesting me Of al property on my person they
extended their Invitation TO the rear OF the
building In place not quite 6x6. but before
son why, which in their anxiety they had en-
tirely overlooked. They promised TO let me
know later on, but ms / could not see the point
1politely but positively declined to move ono
inch until they did. Times looked threatening
and dangerous Just then. but finally they
yielded and consented to enter the following
charge: "Isaac Cohen charged, arrested and
imprisoned for violating the Revised Statutes
Of the United states;'' that of course satisfied
me, because 1t showed exactly what had done.
privilege to send for anything l wanted TO eat
providing / pay for 1t, which, Of course
did. assumed that they had then retired to the
district attorneys Office, examined the witnesses
against me- and present my case at once to
the grand jury But as heard nothing from
them all day, about O'Clock drew q note to
It. And while It is not only lawful to do 50.
but the constitution distinctly gives that
right the messenger informed me that Lieut..
sages for me to any counsel, and have since
learned that persons visiting me were not
allowed to see me-. All this while under II
charge Of violating the Revised Statutes of the
United States Next morning was offered a
free ride 10 the police court. There was no at.
tempt made to go to trial, but Block then read
to me an information he had Just then filed
ceipt of the news, only question of bail came
up, which was easily and on all sides saflsfac
torily settled, and the trial set a week later
testified In substance that he was at home
when the alarm sounded, and did not make
the remark that Cohen burnt the house; ~
fact. he became SO violent when counsel init
mated he had that he offered to whip the best
man going, but the court per
suSs about Sn it, n CHIEF Pc c,on 1t S hSs s
department proved a real pleasant witness.
With very. fascinating smile he declared that
here was kindling wood In the Kitchen ani
to scatter II In all directions-of course he did
notpretend TO know whoset II on fire. and beg
geSl0 be excused from 9%,S saying ang more
that itwould have taken the wood found. 4
ignited, aboutfive minutes TO catch. He didn't
see the house until the day after tho fro and
came my stately friend. Lieut. Kelly, who
with a countenance as innocent Us new
born babe, pleased to remark that no did sec
see me in company with Mr., Maltby at the fire
about twenty minutes amer II hal started, and
that he was good enough 70 pnsh,me back SO
as not TO allow me to enter tho house. He did
think the house was set on fire, and no doubt
It would have pleased him ever SO much 70
have been able TO say that Conen did IL. He
is darling; to love him one only has need 70
serve two masters at the same time time pre-
dict he will make a failure of 1t.
rs; Johnston, the landlord, said he was very
not TO Cohen. He did not see Cohen fire 1t
and, therefore, would not like TO say SO,
VIM, Herman testified that Block and Raj
Browns house and appraise the damaged
Re SilRSefy in S deiS nor u fui tSst Mrs
R he did SppT raj IT, but Ran and Bloci
pointed It out. n. b. Clarke, the agent
testified that he insured Mrs. Brown for $1,000
that one company withdrew from business
and he transferred the policy, which he did oil
his own accord. In conclusion Block and RAT
| gave their version OF the case. They die
| neither know nor pretend TO know that Isaa'
Cohen nor anybody else had fired the house
Notwithstanding the fact that before the trial /
warrant had 10 be sworn out, which Bioci
did and which charged me with arson. Blu
oaths is his business, aud he takes them by thu
Wholesale. lie stated that told him that d,
and at All times responsible for my acts, whiGl
some people are not The government theI
closed, whereupon, the court Inquired whethe
Se assistant 9iS!r h attorney thought ne ha,
and promising attorney bashiully but franRl!
replied that that was rather for his homo
TO decide. and his honor did decide |
was ever concocted against a either
will hardly be found on record
but that 1t can DO done in republic or a 50
Goddess of Liberty, without any redress what
ever, because the government is not responsible
and Blocks property, am informed, is In hi
wifes nnme, while Dye and Raft, l am In
formed, are paupers 80 far asrecoyerlng any
thing from them is concerned, would hardly b
believed by any European living under. tn
most despotlc government on the face Of tn
earth.
Mr.. Editor, / ask that Dye aud Kelly, Blocl
and RAN be awarded at the next centennial
brass button for their skill In finding out tn
innocent party but letting skip the guilty part.
setting fire to Mrs Browns house. Yours, DC.
ISAAC COHEN.
SALVATION OIL is the greatest pain destroye
Of any age or CLINE. For the cure Of neuralgia