New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-21
A WOMANS CONFESSION.
STRANGE STORY OF A FIRE IN WHICH TWO
LIVES WERE LOST
COMING FROM MICHIGAN TO TELL HOW A BUILD.
ING WAS DELIBERATELY BURNED TWO
YEARS. AGO TO GET INSURANCE.
cry AppESTS MADE
SIX ARRESTS MADE.


A conscicncc-stricken young Hungarian woman
who came all the way from Lansing, Micf to tell
her story and relieve her mind of a load that she
has carried for over two years made strange
confession last night to the police of Harrison
The woman in question is Mrs. Augusta Sotz' VINO
formerly lived at No. 6 Middesex-st Harrison,
~ j. with the family of Frederic Wolf. Hun
garan, who was employed in Edison's lamp works.
Augusta at that time was young girl and had
been in this country but four months
The house in which Wolf lived was three-story
frame structure. the second floor feing occupied
by William Bocttger his wife and three children.
and the third floor by Michael Madowslli, James
Barowslli, Lucos Andreas and two other Hum
earians all unmarried Wolf. who indus
trous saved goodly amount of money, and III
August 1887, purchased some fine furniture and
had it placed in his rooms. He then went to an
insurance company and had the furniture heavily
insured.
After furnishing the house, according to the af-
fdavit made to the police yesterday Dy Mrs.
Sotz, the thought struck him that it would be a
good idea to realize on the furniture by removing
it to some other place, firing the house. and then
claiming the insurance. On Saturday, September
II, of that year, he informed Augusta and his
sister, Mrs. Annie Bctz, who also lived with him.
that he had dccidcE to fire the house on the
following night, and the latter agreed to assist
him in the work. On the same night all tie
furniture. together with the valuabes belonging
to the two women. were quietly removed from
the house and cartcd to the home OF VOLTS
brother at New Brighton. S. l. The work OF
removing the goods without arousing suspicion
was an easy matter. as the house was several
hundred feet from any other house, and between
the tracks of the Pennsylvania and Delaware,
Lackawanna and Western railroads.
On the morning of September 13. about
o'clock tn. people Of Harrison were aroused By
the Changing of frebels. Soon the iremen with
their hand-cngincs reached the blazing building,
No. 6 MiddlcseX-st. The entire building, from
top to bottom, was wrapped in flames. Dancing
about on the snow in their bare feet and night
clothes shreking at the top OF their voices, were
Wolf and his family, Boettgcr and his children
and the two women Augusta and Annie. Boett4crs
wife had given birth to Il child the night previous,
and She lay in a woodshcd in the yard where her
husband had carried her.
Simultaneously with the arrival Of the hre-
men the IIungarians on the top floor appeared at
the windows in their nightcothes. Before Il
ladder could be raised Andreas and TWO othcrs
whose names never were asccrtaIned sprang 10 inc
cround and were picked up badly injured. They
w,rc also irishtfully burned about the face. hands
and limbs They were taken 10 ST. Mlchael
Hospital. where one ol them subsequently uieu. %
After the ire had been cAilnsuls thc nle'hoi
made a search or the runs ana lOuHu h""o"SAA
burned 10 crisp. o...
Wolf Was suspected at the time. but sufficient
evidence could not be secured u warrant prosecu
ton so the matter was dropped ana ule ihsui-
ance company settled the claim. a lew nVn14lS
after the lire Augusta went to NicmSan, "heie
She married Sotz and settled down Inc thoush'o
of the crime however, in which she ielt she was
implicated, weighed 50 upon her nilnd that sie
finally diyuged the secret 10 her husoahu,, ne
paid lttlc attention 10 1t at hlsi, Ouu hhaiS nc
saw that the weight of the burden was graduaiiy
telling on his Wlic's constitution, ana he feared
she would become insane If she ana not nave
"a settlement IN some way win the ih"i
At last he decided 10 come Last, ana selling oul
his property about three months ago. removed
with his wife To Harrison, where they TOOK up
their residence at No. 2O5 NlddlcseN n lew
blocks from the scene OF tie IRE. Nolt ilNcd at
No 800 Rairoad-avc within stones throw oi
his former home. The woman was in quandary:
and between her fear of the law and the fear ot
Wolf She SAWS she became almost frantic At
last unable 10 stand the strain any longer, she
went before Justice Lynch. OF Harrison. ana maue
the statement aS herewith pupllSh'd' anu s"vvtc
ont warrants charging Wolf and Annie Betz' MS
sister, with arson. which, where lie Is lost car
rics with II murder. Ill.,.
Officers were at once Scnt 10 BancN livery
s,ahlr i'm Newark where Wolf was at work. anu
hc WAS placcd under arrest and taken 70 the Sec
oud Precinct Station. where he was locked up
The officers then returned 10 Harrison. where
Annie liciH and Noli > tWrlN'-N''i- -oi" "'y1N''.
we're taken into custody and loclcd gp IN liatrl-
SON so as 10 keep them from Wolf. All me
prisoners will say is that nothing can be proved
annie Wolf wife Of Frederick, his brother
William and his brothcr-in-aw. William l'ctH
husband Of Annie lstl, were arrested late last
nieht and were taken at once to Jersey 'ltN'
~ thr Harrison lookup is insecure. and he great
est excitement prevails in the Town. The p9licc
have tclcqraphed To Ncw-Hrighton 10 arrest 'lohn
Wolf another brother of Frederick. who received
Tho furniture Augusta Sotz is a sister-ln-law
~ fine latter She says the house was fired by
horinr holes in the woodwork and inserting iero-
>cnc oil and gunpowdrr in the holes. fr'u'rcN
Vlf LclI a uolicv for $500 on the furniture in
- local company and his uncle. Daniel Nolf held
similar policy in a Ncw-Norl5 company both OF
which were collected. Where the latter Is Is
not known
40 nEEENSLCE P4RTLSiNS WANTED.