Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-10-29

but who proved very lively ghost Fri
day, III view of the fact that he gave some
damaging evidence against the accused
firebugs, Is man about 80 years old and
resembles crook more than detective
He possesses but one eye and this gives
him anything but an attractive appear
ance.
Police Officer William H. Sherer came
near arresting the detectives some time
ago on suspicion Of being the perpetrators
of the numerous robberics about town.
The detectives tor long time boarded at
the Logan House, the officer says, until
the proprietor refused to allow them 10 re-
main longer and they sought another
boarding house. This time they secured
lodging at n private boarding house short
distance from the Logan House. until they
went to the Columbus Inn to stay.
Still the police officers Swallowed the
New York criminal hunters, and several
times fully intended to unrest them
The detectives seemed to associate with
well-known characters about the neigh
borhood of Columbus Inn and in Forty
Acres, and finally they chose William
Gibbons az u companion which almost
precipitated their arrest. A warrant was
some time ago issued by Squire Monaghan
for the arrest Of Gibbons on the charge of
stealing chickens, and Constable Bowers
has searched for the culprit ever since.
He was last seen in the custody of the
detectives and has not been arrested II
is understood that Gibbons is already con-
nected by the detectives with barn burning
and that this was the cause of their associ-
ating so intimately with him.
A story that finds belief is that when
Clark resided in that part of the city known
as Forty Acres his house was a rcndez-
vous for the parties concerned in the con-
spracy, and that they met there and per-
pt..l
of revenge against the du Points.
The total loss incurred by the burning of
the three company barns and the Seltzer
barn, on the farm owned by William
du Pont, was about SCI 900, Twenty-Five
horses and IS head of cattle were burned
to death by the four fires, and large
amount of hay, straw, feed, wagons and
agricultural implements destroyed.
The penalty for incendiarism of this
character is a fine of from 500 to $500, an
hour in the pillory, 20 lashes and imprison-
| ment for q period not exceeding six wears
| The punishment for conspiracy is fine,
Imprisonment and pillory or by any two
of them, at the discretion of the court.
WHAT CHIEF DETECTIVE WILKINSON SAYS.
A reporter Of THE GAZETTE saw James
Il. Wilkinson, chief of the Wilkin-
son Detective Agency, with headquarters
at No. 40 broadway, New York, shortly
asked as to whether his corps Of men had
| completed the arrest Of the conspirators
| against the du Points, or whether there was
| bigger game to bag vet. The well known
| detective was very discreet in his remarks
to the reporter but very courteonsly agreed
| to answer the leading questions Of his in
| terrogator. Mr.. Wilkinson said
The arrest on Friday was only the be-
| ginning of the ending of the work we pro-
| pose to accomplish. The move was made
| at the instance of the best legal advice I'M
der whose directions our steps are taken"
There seems to be considerable specula-
| ton as to whether the guilty parties have
been apprehended and whether or not the
evidence when presented before Jury will
be sufficient to charge the prisoners with
the crime, suggested the reporter.
In that connection you can announce
| publicly that when the time comes for us
to divulge the chain of evidence we have
woven, after years hard work, there will
be sufficient proof to fasten the crime
where it belongs beyond shadow OF
| Doubt
WAS IT ALL A BLIND?
There is a prevailing suspicion, which
| grows constantly, that the sensational
arrest of the Clarks was merely n
"bluff, designed 10 cover the attack OF
the detectives in another quarter. The
! opinion is that the Clarks, instead of
being culprits, are really working with
the detectives in the task of unearthing
1 the burners, and agreed 10 the
arrest as part of the proceedings
adopted for the discovery Of the crimi-
mails. The manner in which they were
hustled off to New Castle Jail, after a
hearing before the justice at which no
direct convicting testimony was heard,
coupled with the subsequent actions
Of the accused, tends TO strengthen this
suspicion. No attempt was made by
the arrested parties to secure coun-
sci, which they could then have
procured without trouble, and had they
been represented by counsel at the
hearing there would have been de-
mand for the testimony Since then
friends Of the Clarks have been en-
dcayoring to secure counsel, but num-
Der of lawyers who were approached
declined To take the case, fearing that
the result would be as intimated, Which
might leave an attorney in the ridicu-
lous attitude Of defending clients not
accused of any crime. One attorney
interviewed the prisoners at New Castle
Sunday and had his suspicious in.
creased, rather than allaycd, by thu
interview. Two others who have been
requested to act are also making care.
full Investigation before entering upon
the case.