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

1
looking for this. Every one there knew
that this little woman was detective.
| She pretended to be Miss Noble, but
she Is BarIon's wife, or something else,
! know
"Oh, I'm innocent" the poor woman
cried out, as the reporter passed back
| through the iron door.
Like EVERY EVENINGS famous descent
upon the policy gamblers, on Fridays
move against the parties charged with
firing the dupont barns was coup d'etat
which completely took by surprise every
body except the few people who were en-
gagged in working up the case. Not u sns-
picion had Edward Clark, his wife and
son, that they We're under surveillance
and it was most astounding revelation to
them when Detectives Boughton, Lynch
and Trainor. the men they had for weeks
considered their friends and intimates,
suddenly placed them under arrest aud
whisked them Off for a hearing upon
heinous charge before an officer Of the
law
il is now nearly year since the
last dn Pont barn was burned November
llth, $500 and the intense excitement
created by these repeated acts of incen-
diarism subsidized long since. There was
really hut little more than the mine days
wonder" and then other subjects Of neigh
borhood gossip became paramount, the
fires being relocated to the plane of occa
sional "reminiscences.
This was the state of affairs when the
detectives of the Wilkinson agency came
| here and set themselves to the work of fer
reting out the barn burners Since the ex-
pusure there are lots of people who knew
they were detectives but the actual truth
is that the real mission of the officers was
never suspected until ii was revealed by
FRIDAYS demonstration. To many peo-
pie living in the neighborhood of the
du Pont works, including employees of the
firm, the visit of THE GAzErrEs report
ers to the place on Friday afternoon was
the first Information that any arrests had
boen made in connection with firing the
big barns. Nor were the people in the
neighhorhood of Columbus Inn, including
the regular patrons of that famous resort,
any wiser. All were amazed when they
finally learned what had TRANSFERRED.
A wELL-woRKED PLAN.
Whether the chain of evidence wound
about the prisoners is strong enough to
convict them is a question that only the
trial in court can determine. but the man
ner in which the case was handled stands
forth as clever and startling piece of de-
tectve work. The last of the incendiary
crimes hud not been perpetrated when the
firm of y. |. du Pont de Nenours X Com
pany had laid the matter in the hands of
the Wilkinson Detective Agency of No
A Broadway, New York. In all dozen
detectives We're engaged in the work. under
the lead of William Wilkinson and james
Il. Wilkinson, who are at the head of the
agency 1t was William Wilkinson
who, under the name of Bough-
ton, made himself intimate with Edward
Clark and then purchased the Columbus
Inn, where he Installed Clark as pro-
prietor in partnership with Detective John
w. Lynch. The latter drew the foamy
beer and served the bar customers as
naturally as though that was the only
business he had ever known. The other
detectives mingled with the patrons OF the
place and aroused no suspicion. Miss
Noble captivated Mrs, Clarl, and gained
her entire confidence. This was the con
dition If affairs at the Columbus Inn. and
Edward CLARK sold liquor and cigars, en-.
teriained his friends and customers, made
plenty of money and enjoyed life thor
oughly.
SURPRISING THE EVIDENCE.
Beyond the fact that the detectives sue.
ceeded III Wornng out Of the Clarks u
confidential confession Of their completely
in the du Pont barn fires, the nature and
character Of the evidence in their posses
sion is not known, but the investigations
made by fnE GAzF1rE's reporters, who
went over all the ground Friday after
noon and Friday night, resultedlin much
interesting Information. which is given in
detail Tbe responsible heads of the
du Pont Company, naturally felt deli
cacy about Importing any information
inquiries to the authorities. When
Detective Lynch was seen at the
Columbus Inn, to which he is now
bound by the ties of half ownership, he
declined 20 give an official recital OF the
interesting details that LED the lark's into
the trap 50 cleverly set for them. OF the
direct fact that he was instrumental i'll
securing the arrest, he had no hesitation
| in speaking, am detective he said,
! land have been working on this case for
II year. | am Clarks partner III this bust
ness and | arrested HIM this morning.
But, whom positively pressed for further
particulars, Detective Lynch eourteously
but firmly reinscd
There are many indications, however,
J thai the investigation has been thorough
, and that the entire conspiracy to harass
the din Points BY destroying their property
has been ef1ectually unelrthed,
rliE SCENE or THEIR IAHoRs.
The Columbus Inn, the old hosiery on
the kennett pike, little way outside the
) city stands silent and suggesti0nless. Along
the whole front the shutters are closed.
The hotel door is liermetieally sealed and
, looks like vault entrance, TO be opened
wind of Friday afternoon it looked still
more forl0rn and uninYtiAg There was
no movement but the mstling of the faded
: leaves u the few NAPLES sleitering the old
building.
WalkinG tile rear Of tile inn solitary
e lad was discovered, with a glass mug iii
I hand lahorins hard at a riekety old pump
! in order ntind means to qiieneh his thirst
Withag quick courtesy. the questionable
+ diseeruucAt Of which the visitors are still
Il loss to discover, the youag4ter dropped
! his ming and Immediately led the party tU
a rear door, winch discussing itself as the
, family entrances" whatever that term
j may mean LED directly intothc bar,
& It was all shattered iptno, and the place
I wnttld haze been III perfect darkness but
for the light brought Iii with the open
door. There Was no fire N the stove, but
there WAS plenty Of splritiuns warmth
9 ubtanabe ia the generous array of bottles
and deeanters Of every kind of Liquor
S ranged along the shelves
/. Behind the bar stood n young man as
! nattilv dressed as any bartender at GREEN'S
!, or any Of the swell lunch rooms Of Chest
mi street, Philadelphia. He did MOI
belong to his present surroundings. that
Was apparent al glance He wa.
n altogether tpn quick, alert and sharp-eyec
: for tie Columbus Inn. Strange too, hi.
:. cigars were unusually fine for the price ht
/ asked. He waited with an inpatien
patience for his customers to get through
with their business.
His tiuger tips thrummea, restlessly, Thu
y words oh hurry up and get otit of this
y ! see all through you'll know who yot
d are. And from the corners Of his eyes h,
il glanced with suspicious, critical snap a
e thcmen standlngin front OF the bar. An ole
+ farmer came in and called for some beer
! He was served with the utmost polteness
And then the bartender glanced at hi
e other customers with another hurry up