Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-10-29
TRAPPED AT LAST
: The FiendS Who Burned
liu Points Barns.
HELDIN S45,OOOBAI
Detectives Wiring Confessions
from the Culprits.
DISCHARGED EMPL0YE
Edward Clark, His Wife and Son The
Fire Bugs.
PROTESTING THEIR INNOCENCE
A Dastardly Plot at Last Laid
Bare.
SCENE OF ACTION; COLUMBUS Inn
Edward Clark, His Wife and Son The
Fire Bugs.
PROTESTING THEIR INNOCENCE
A Dastardly Plot at Last Laid
Bare.
SCENE OF ACTION; COLUMBUS INN

The Mystery of Series of Most pastarhiy
Grimes Cleared Up--A Detective Riddles
His Way Into the Confidence of the
Culprits--suspected of Causing the Ter
rible Explosion of a Year Ago--The
Magistrate Holds the Suspects.
The almost impenetrable mystery sur
rounding the wanton destruction of sew
eral big and valuable barns belonging to
the du Pont company has at last been
penetrated. A corps of detectives let
the first light in upon this mystery, and
have trapped the miserable wrctches
who piled the torch to the buildings. 1t
was tedious and almost hopeless task
to capture these fiends, who had so
carefully covered their tracks, but
the owners of the property de-
stroyed determined to have their
enemy unmasked. The lives of the big
community of powder makers were in
constant peril, and the hundreds Of
people employed in the big mills had
cause for great anxiety as long as this
secret enemy was at large. For nearly
two years have the detectives been trying
to secure a clue leading the identifica-
ton of these damnabe firebugs but
time after time have they failed and
given up the task.
People with such villainy on their
conscience schooled themselves to abso-
lutte secrecy and the story of their in
s fernal deeds was tricked out of them by
sharp, shrewd men and women, who
gained their confidence and drew from
them the secret Of the great conhagra-
tions. Scarcely shade Of suspicion rested
against the prisoners at the outset but
they have so multiplied the evidence
against themselves that life in jail
seems the only future for them, least
indeed the rising indignation of the
people of the powder-making commun-
ity reach an uncomfortable pitch.
In addition to the fires there are in
ications that the firebugs applied the
match which year ago killed over
dozen people, wounded a score of
others, and wrecked half hundred
homes. The cause Of this explosion
could never be assigned, and it was
generally believed that it was the CON
summation of part of a diabolical
plot to wreck the firms immense plant.
If the prisoners now in custody can be
directly connected with this crime death
will be their fate.
The story of the trapping and arrest
Vt these villains is told at length,
The prisoners Edward Clark, Mrs
Mary Clark, and Joseph CLARK, their
son, were taken to the office Of Sauire
Sasse for hearing shortly before ii
o'clock Friday morning. They were in the
custody of the Wilkinson Detective
Agency. 1t was hardly ii O'clock when
t,eree double-seated carriages Of the an
Points drove up to the SOURCES office
on Shipley street and detectives ami
prisoners alighted and entered Tho Office
There was Scarcely anyone about the
streets at the time but soon the arrest Of
the accused was made known and the
magistrates office was filled to overflow
ing with spectators.
The first prisoner called to Inc stand
was Edward Clark. and simultaneously
almost tile name of William Wilkinson.
chief Of the detective agency. was called
Attorney-genera Bigrs was present Ia
conduct the prosecution and fiX the
amount of bail under witch each nris-
oner was to be held. There were Nd
details gone into at the preliminary
hearing 1T all. When Clark was called
Detective Wilkinson told of the arrest
and of the prisoners complicity ii the
conspiracy and the prisoner was hald
for the higher court. Bail III tbe sNn
Of $4,000 was demanded, ana I'D the
conclusion Of the arraisument IL this
prisoner another was called.
When the name Of Mrs. Mary CLARK
was called tall, iniddle.aged woman
wearing heavy fur coat stepped iii n
the squire's desk. This was Mrs. EMMY
Noble, the female detective. She detained
the fact that she had fastened the crime