Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-08
BURNED HIS OWN BARN.
Detective Murphy Breaks Up Plan of a
westmoreland County Farmer to Get
Big Insurance Money - Got the Men
After Long Hunt.

Detective Murphy Breaks Up a Plan of a
westmoreland County Farmer to Get
Big Insurance Money - Got the Men
After a Long Hunt.
W. r. Gaut and John W. Hyatt, of
North Huntingdon township, Westmore-
land county, were yesterday arraigned be-
| fore a Greensburg justice for arson, the
crime charged against them being that they
| burned down barn and dwelling on
Gaut's farm in order to get the insurance
money, about S11 ZOO. The buildings were
burned on the night of May Z, 1890, and al
though the case was soon afterward placed
in the hands of Detective P. j. Murphy, of
this city, by the insurance companies inter-
ested, it was not until within few days
that the perpetrators of the crime were
definitely located.
The story of the crime, as narrated by De-
tective Murphy himself, is about as follows:
w. r. Gaut has been prosperous young
farmer, and his property has been handed
down along line of honorable ancestors for
more than a century. Part of the dwelling
burned was built in 1888 by the young
man S great grandfather. Gaut's wife is the
daughter of a well-to-do farmer of Turtle
Creek, this county. They had no children,
and besides Gaut's mother there was no one
else about the farm but couple of farm
hands.
In the spring of 1890, John w. Hyatt,
was one of the laborers. Gaut had been
rather allowing the farm to go as it pleased
and the buildings as well, but in March of
last year he engaged a number of workmen
to repair the barn and dwellings. About
the time the repairs were completed the in
surance on the buildings was suddenly in
creased to S11, 600.
On the 7th of May Mrs. Gaut, Jr., went to
Turtle Creek to visit her father, and on the
same morning Gaut's mother went to Manor
station to visit sister. That night shortly
after midnight the neighbors were aroused
from their beds by the ringing of bell on
the Gaut farm, and on looking out saw the
house and barn in flames. They ran with
all possible speed to the rescue, but before
they arrived the buildings were almost en-
tirely consumed. The stock in the barn
around in the fields, but nothing else had
been saved but a couple of bureau
drawers. These contained the insurance
policies, but nothing else of value. As
Gaut had gone to Turtle Creek with his wife
there was no one about belonging to the
place when the neighbors arrived except
Hyatt, the bired man. The day after the
fire Hyatt went to Turtle Creek and told
Gaut of his loss. Gaut exhibited no great
concern but at once notified the insurance
agent who had taken the risk.
The insurance companies decided not to
pay anything. Gaut entered suit for the
money. Then Detective P J. Murphy was
engaged to ascertain who had set fire to the
buildings. Gaut had made the admission
that the work had been done by some per-
son, but declared that he could have had
nothing to do with it because he was many
miles away when it occurred Gaut even
followed the example of the insurance COM
panies, and offered reward for the arrest
of the incendiary. Murphy found Hyatt,
and talked to him at various times for sew
eral weeks, but he would admit nothing.
After several weeks the detective got Hyatt
and Gaut to tell conflicting stories. Then
he entered suit against both of them.
Gaut got four of his trusted friends Sc
creted in room and fifth man was to
meet Hyatt on the outside, within earshot
of the others, and was to offer him $50 in
cash and at the same time ask him: you'll
swear in court that Gaut was in with setting
fire to the house, won't you?"
The fifth man, who was to pay the money,
was the other hired man on Gaut's farm,
but he had been seen by Murphy, and had
told him the scheme. When it was worked
Murphy was secreteG in q convenient place,
and as the money was placed in Hyatt's
hand and before he had time to reply to the
question, Murphy stepped out and arrested
him. Gaut's object had been to prove with
four witnesses that Hyatt had been paid to
testify against him, but the detective had
nipped the scheme at the critical moment.