Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-07-04
"rInEHuev avn sAll-pREAKER.
A club OF BOY Inccndiaries Terrorise
aTonn.
s. tTrlbune.l

The village OF Hampstead. l.. J.. Is In
state oi excitement over number oil incen-
diary fires that have occurred there during
the last two months, and the disclosure that
there Is a uumher OF juvenile frebugs
banded together for the purpose OF burning
some twenty buildings which they have Sc
ected. on Saturday two OF The leaders
were arrested and locked up in iail at the
Town Hall. The two leaders arrested were
William Kane, aged fourteen years. son OF
respectable shoemaker Of the village, aud
! Ebert Bennett, eleven years old. son OF
musicteacher. Six months ago william
kane's brother Daniel, fifteen years old, or
ganized club, a. the youngsters called II.
/ The nightly rendezvous was underneath an
old skatlrg.rink. Al one Of their meetings
they decided 10 set fire 20 sixteen buildings
/ In the village OF one time.
In May the barn OF Peter Gildersleeve.
near the village, was set on fire aud burned
10 the ground with the 1--we stock. The total
loss amounted to over $4,000. The cause OF
the fire was unknown, but IL was supposed
that young Kane knew somethiu9 about II.
After this fire the boys planned to burn two
| buildings each night. Last wednesday they
started a fire III the sch0Ql-bouse, but for
tunatey the flames did not spread and no
damage was done. Later on the same night
The barn OF Treadwen 7. Eldert was dis
! covered on fire. and the flames were eXtin-
guished before the barn was totally con-
sumed. Last Thursday night things came to
a climax when the old skating-rInk was set
on fire aud burned 10 the ground. The
flames spread TO the house adjoining, which
was also destroyed. The total loss OF this
conflagration will be over $1,000.
Thee fires caused the people OF Hemp
4. a nm.
/ mittce was appointed TO investigate into the
extensive ineendisrism. Suspicion pointed
to Kane as the leader. and when Bennett was
arrested he made a clear statement against
| Kane, but would not say anything about The
other members OF the club. Kane was
arrested, but after a couple OF hours I'M
prisonment made his escape. The iuvestiga-
ton wss to take place yesterday. when VIII
| liam Kane Was 10 have an examination before
/ Justice Cloves bad he notFscape1 from The
| jail. Young Bennett was held as a witness
against Kane and was admitted to bail and
| his bond fxed at 81 900.
! The escape OF Kane from the prison oc-
CURED this way: KGne took a bench that
was standing in the corridor, and placing a
/ chair on il stood upon IL aud sounded the
wall. Finding that il would take but little
work 10 bT ak through be took piece OF a
! broOm-hande that was IN the room ana,
| cutting It 10 q point he dug r hole in the
ceiling large enough to admit his body. He
/ then sieppeu upon the sill OF the door and
| drew himself up through the hole. lie
walked acros the top OF the cells
until he re ched the transom windows,
which have 10 g cords running to the floor
Of the mcctiG room below. Grasping the
rope attached 20 one Of the windows he low
cred himself 10 the floor, and, opening a
window, he jumped out. When tae little
fellow jumped from the window he was seen
| by on officer aud at least half dozen men,
who started after hin. He was swift run
ner, add ouirau his pur.uers. He led them
a chase through alleys and barns to the
cemetery. where be hid in the long
grass When he found that the officer was
after him in the cemetery he climbed oveI
| the fence, ana that was the last seen OF him.