The Portland daily press., 1889-04-06
BURNED BY ANARCHIST FIREBUGS.
They set Fire to Houses to Get the
Insurance MONEY,
And Then TWO of Them Confess to
Get out Of Jail.
Samples of Red Flag Eioquenc,
Found in Their ProciamatIons.

NEW YORK, April ga band Of IS An
archist firebugs, which has been burning
houses in Brooklyn, Jersey City and New
York for six months past, has been discov-
cred. Five members Of the organization
have been arrested and were committed by
Judge Naeher in the Williamsburg Court
yesterday until further evidence can be OBJ
tanned. 1t is expected that the other II will
be captured today or tomorrow. The scheme
was for one Of the gang to hire small'store
stock it, move in with his family, and then
get the place insured for as large an amount
as possible. When the time was ripe a
broken kerosene lamp would be placed on
table in the store, oil would be sprinkled
about the room, bladders filed with benzine
would be placed on the table, and long,
slow burning fuse would be led up to q can
OF powder set near the lamp. On the night
the house was to be fired the family would
that an alibi could be proved, If necessary,
and another member Of the gang would light
the fuse. Should the fire department put
out the fire before the whole place was
burned the broken lamp would bear evidence
to the fact that the lamp bad exploded.
Dozens Of insurance companies have suf-
fered. One of the gang, Frederick Schwert-
ferger, has confessed to the firing of 81 Pow
ers street, Brooklyn, on December 8, last,
and also 40 Bristol street on February 20.
1t is also believed that they we're the persons
who caused the dozens of mysterious fires in
this vicinity lately, and which have puzzled
the police to explain.
The five men arrested are: Frederick
Dunsinger of 81 Brussels street, Brooklyn; /;
Bernard Blaum, alias Newman, of Chicago.
who was caught at q Porter street, Jersey
City; Ernest j. Hazel, who lived with Dun
singer; Gerge Freund, Sc Walton street.
Brooklyn, and Frank Burkhsrdt, 244 Varet
street, Brooklyn.
a. The workings Of the band came to light
through the arrest Of Frederick Schwert-
against George Schue, saloon keeper at
Walton and Throop streets, Brooklyn. The
Anarchists of Brooklyn rented Schue's hall
as meeting place and became incensed
when he refused to rent it to them any
longer. They held big meeting on Christ
mas night, tore down the American ags fl
which covered the walls andpu up the red
flags OF anarchy instead Busts of the seven
Anarchists tried at Chicago for participating
in the Haymarket riot were put on pedestals
and draped with mourning. Speeches were
made and the 'Marsellaise1 Sung. After
being refused the hall the Anarchists moved
to Schailer's Scheutzen Hall on Adams, be-
tween Evergreen and Bremen streets, where
they now meet.
Schne was informed by Schwertferger that
would be ruined, his place blown up with
bombs and he killed. Minkly told him that
II he endeav0red to escape by moving to
New York he would find that there were
ten times as many Anarchists there as in
Brooklyn. Schue had the two men arrested
on charge of conspiracy, and while in jail
Minkley and Schwertferger, hoping to save
themselves, gave the police the facts about
the band of firebugs.
When Blaum was arrested in Jersey City
fifteen bladders filled with benzine were
found under his bed. OF the Anarchists
known to be members of the band Miller,
Frank Penkert, Nicholas Munday and
Burger have not yet been arrested. The
names Of the other five have not yet been
learned. That they are really Anarchists
there is no doubt.
An official proclamation, issued the day
President Harrison was inaugurated, signed
by Henry Oft, secretary of the order, and
bearing three red seals, each with the letters,
Y. u, and peculiar arrangement Of red
flags, has been captured. 1t is formidable
looking document, seven feet in length,
written on both sides, in English and Ger
man, and while breathing vows of vengeance
on the world in general outlines the policy
to be pursued by the followers of the red
flag. Extracts from it are
I'VE may rot In some unknown grave, but
no matter. The world is the Anarchists
country. 1t matters not whether we live to
see the revolution. Create order out of chaos;
establish full justice and fair play;
pPtnr C Children may live to harvest the blessing.
We are on fhew ewierd, Ss..t.naI.g thrilling melody
burst, cannons roar and shrek and
shake the earth. The dead and slain are all
about. All is picture of blood and strife.
So beyond, on yonder citadel, see the red
flag. A brave band of revolutionists have
stormed the nest of time honored corruption
and m0narchial abuse. Harkl Do you
hear the music and oratorio of the wounded
patriots as, dying, they gasp the last notes
of liberty! 'Tis the glorious Marsellsise.
To armsi to armsl ye brave The aveng-
ing sword unsheathe for liberty or death.
= so
In another part of the pronunciamento the
secretary says:
Whenever we have any important mes
sage to transmit to leaders or friends in the
cause we must avoid the United States mails.
They are no longer safe to US. Our letters
to Chicago have been stolen by the murder
Gus, devilish, cutthroat, robber police of
Chicago, the doomed city with the assist
ance, no doubt. of the postoffice crooks.
The stars and stripes is the emblem of stock
jobbery, fraud, humbug, clerical buncombe,
adulteration, speculation, prejudice and tyr
amy. hate the American flag. Let us not
be afraid. Let us tear down that flag and
replace it with flag of Anarchy. Let us
not be afraid of DEATH We can only die
once. Be not awed by bullets, by the gal
lows, guillotine or prison cell. Men die;
principles live on forever. Bonfeld,
Shack, etc., must march to the guillotine
and atone for their deed of blood. For us to
die for the sake of truth, justice and liberty
is glorious honor"