Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-07-26
YOUTHFUL CULPRiTs DISCOVERED.
Three Little Boys whO Burned the
Eight Barns; Discharged With
go and Sin no More

The mystery of the numerous re-
cent fires has been unearthed ard
the incendiaries prove to be three
little boys, the oldest 13 years Ci
age and the youngest niue, as fol-
lows: Tommy Townsend, aged II,
son of Thos. Townsend, 342 Sum-
mer street; Walter Tasker, aged
l3, son of William Tasker. 335 Sum-
mer street; Dick Eley, aged 8, son of
Hiram Eley, 397 Summer street.
The first clew to the identity of
the lad was obtained by Henry
Price, driver Of Capital engine team
Friday night of last week when
Martin Rowley's barn was started
but failed 10 burn. Chat evening
little Dick Eley ran up to Capital en-
gine house and told Jack Burke, who
was there while MIR PT'Ce was TO
supper, to have the team in readiness,
that there was going to be fire in a
few minutes. Burke did not know
the boy and failed to get his name,
but told Price Oh his return. Mrs.
Price being at the engine house that
evening and hearing the description
of the boy recognized that it was
Dick, and during the same evening
the lad came around again and asked
Price if he had got the team ready,
saying in reply to questioning, that
the fire didn't 90 Of"
Very little could be obtained FROM
the lad, so Price concluded to keep
the matter quieG until positive facts
could be learned, being convinced
that the little fellow knew all about
theI racket. Yesterday morning he
was fercibly convinced of the fact.
Dick came to the engine house and
commenced talking admiringly Of
the way the horses ran 10 the fire of
Thursday night, asking Mr.. Price IL
1t wasn't lots of fun. Price said no,
1t wasn't, and he would give $40 to
know who were setting the fires.
Dick said he would tel! for that sum,
and by slow process the whole
story was obtained.
This was reported by Price to
Marshal Ross, who had his suspi-
cions of the Tasker boy for some
time, end he proceeded to the beigh-
borhood, where he met with Don
Truitt and boy named Quinn, from
whom, by shrewd movement, he
obtained more positive information
and then found the Tasker boy,
whom he caused to believe that the
whole thing was known and the lad
confessed.
The facts IL developed from the
different sources seem to be that
young Tasker fired the Mrs. Pla-
mondon barn, where two others
were also burned, Dick EIey set the
McFadden barn, which also took
d. McAfee's, sad Tasket SET ha
Shitev barp which took thpt of
M;sS Wai,ous. They also set IT,
3ctcheor barn. In III OF thcs-,
Tommy Townsend !! given as to
actuating influence. While i, is 70
stated that he assisted ip lightinC
the fires, he was 90 ply The other
boys for doing it, len cents each !
one case, twenty cents in another
and a white rabbit in another.
The boys were taken by Marsha.
Ross before Recorder Conn and
District Attorney Bingham's ser
vices invoked. WhGt to do with
them, became the most delicate
question ever brought before these
conservators of the peace and aecu-
ity Of property. The lads are too
young to undergo the penalty Of the
law In the absence of a state ref rm
school, and yet it seemed ques,o.,I
able proceeding in the minds of the
officers to let them loose on the
commul.. again. But this Wa
the only apparent alternative and
the parents OF the culpriis, who are
law-abiding citizens, having pied ,eG
strict discipline in the luture, the
lads were discharged with n solemn
lecture on the awful road they had
entered, and an admonItion to the r
10 adminis.er the requisite ,
wood-shed interviews 10 The offend
,rs.