The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1891-03-03
FLORENCES FREAK.
She Wants TO be With Her Lover
and Becomes an incendiary.

New York, Feb. %. Florence
Birch, the pretty milliner. vino is &C,
cused of setting fire to her store in
Smiths block, Isl'p, n. Y, Jan. q F.,
was arrested in New York yesterday
by Private Detective l.. A. Newcome,
and taken to Isiip. Deputy Sheriff
Howlsnd had hal warrant sworn out
by j. Il. Smith before Justice Clock.
The deputy sheriff and the town com.
mittee met Detective Newcome AMI
Miss Birch at the depot and were
driven TO the town hall, where pre-
liminary hearing was held.
The justice sent for the girls par
entS, and in a few minutes Thomas
Birch her old father, and Lizzie Birch
her sister, entered the hail.
The old man tottered to where his
daughter sat, and said: "My God,
Flo, is this truey"
The girl bowed her head and Ie-
piled, YES"
Then Lizzie whispered few words,
and Florence said, 81 cid it.
The poor hesrtbroken father left
his daughters side and sat few feet
distant, where be bowed his head
and sobbed. Lizzie Birch also wept,
but there was not a tear in the eyes
of Florence, not a culver on her lips.
She was apparently the most uncon-
cerned per.o in the room. Lawyer
Elliott Smith told the Justice that he
had ju.t been retained and had no OPP
portunity to consult with his Client,
and wished an adjournment until
Monday morning. 1t was granted.
There is no Jail in IsIip and the Sher-
i'll was at a quandry wat to do with
his pretty prisoner. Finally it was
decided that she should be allowed to
sleep under her parents roof under
the guard of Deputy Sheriff Rowland.
Florence arose AM cslmly va ked
out of the hall, never finchiOg from
the gaze of The men and boys who had
known her all her life
Before leaving New Yolk Florence
made a confession of her crime to De-
tective NewcOme, in which she said
she was extremely anxious TO get
away from lslip and was desiIous of
obtaining he S400 insurance ON her
stock. She added that she was infst-
usted with young mn WhO lives lii
Freepori, about iwenty-One miles from
het' che had hal queer spells in
the head, but had got better and then
Tell IN lCre W tn the Freeport youth,
so much 81 that she wished to be near
him at all tiEIos Tbs was Almost I'M
u"s lis "i in s sssiGss' Wa He }" would T
to 90 to hI@. to Is Hjgg d fla accompanied
him to New York, and they had put
up at the Old Bowery Hotel. She
had been in New York three DAYS
tae last trip. and Detective Newcome,
by very clever work, succeeded in
seek!nk her ous and then
obtaining her confession. On |
the tip home Florence
re'alued perfect composure and told
the detective tat When she saw him
at work In lslIp Ae momentarily ex-
pected to have him arrest her. Not
withstanding this however, she never
to fear arrest, and when she
was questioned by the Town Com
nittee made apparently CONSTANT de
mas OF all accusations aud a fairly
satisfactory exploration of her doings
IN the evening of Jan. 20. from the
line she closed the store until the fire
vas discovered. This she did so cIev-
,rly as to disarm suspicion, but The
detective never lost trace Of her, and
worked the case up so well that f.
lally she realized that further denial ,
vas useless.
Her counsel last night said he be- {
Ieved the girl to be of unsound mind, {
I'D be will defend her act OH the
round CT insanity.