Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-10-02
YOUTHFUL FIRE.BUGs.
SOMETHING ABOUT THE YOUNG MAN
CAPTURED IN THIS CITY.
He Was One of the Ring-Leaders of an
Organized Gang at Napa-One of
Them Confesses.

Mention was made in yesterdays REC
ORD UNION of the arrest in this city of a
youth named Lee Horreli, on charge of
arson. The crime was committed at Napa.
Horrell is but II years of age, but he
gives promise of developing into genuine
prodigy in the criminal line. During the
past two years he has been one of the ring
leaders of gang of youthful fre-bugs at
Napa, whose doings have kept that COM
munity in constant state of dread during
that time. Building after building was
burned in mysterious manner, and the
efforts of the authorities to find out the
miscreants were entirely fruitless.
Finally, however, San Francisco de-
tective. Captain John Curtin, was set
upon the track of the fire bugs. He dis
covered clue and followed it until be had
every member of the gang located. Horrell,
it seems, discovered that he was being
watched and fed. kilograms were sent all
over the State by the police in the hope of
overtaking him, but for time he escaped
detection.
AhCahAiiAS 0CtCCllNC SuItlu LIS
Investigations. and on Monday night
brought the matter to close by arresting a
young man named James Flamant, the 90
year-o son of well known Napa olive
grower, on three charges of arson.
Word reached officer Arlington in this
city that woman, with whom young
Horrell was on intimate terms, had ar
rived here, and he set watch upon her.
The belief that Horrell would come here
to join her proved true. On Tuesday night
the youth was seen moving toward the
place where she was stopping, and the
officer promptly overhauled him. He at
tempted to resist arrest, but the officer soon
convinced him that to submit quietly was
the most sensible mode of procedure On
the way to the police station he attem pied
to escape, but this also was not success.
The Napa authorities were then notified
and an officer arrived yesterday and took
charge of the young fire-bug
Flamant has made complete confess
sion to the officers at Napa, and says that
he and Horrell were the prime movers in
the house-burniDg business. He admitted
that there existed regularly organized
gang of fire-bugs, of which he and Horrell
were the ring-leaders, but he declared that
the others never took any active part in
the business-they were simply onlookers.
Their plan of operations was to place a
pile of straw or rags thoroughly saturated
with kerosene beneath or against the build
ing to be burned; then they would set bit
of lighted candle-about an inch long-on
the top of the pile. They would then
either go home and 60 to bed or make it
point to be some place else when the
candle had burned down to the kerosene
and the doomed house was in flames
This devilish ingenuity was what baff1ed
the officers. Horrell was suspected of
being implicated in the burning of
school.house last July, but investigation
showed that he was in another part of
town at the time of the fire, and $50 the
officers belieyed) could not possibly have
had anything to do with it.
The prospects are that Flamant and Hor-
rell will be dealt severely with.