Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-23
FIRES FOR DOODLE.
How a Local Man Robbed Insurance
Companies With a Cat and Fish.
RISKS WATCHED BY DETECTIVES.
A Scandinavian Child Sick and May Die as
Result Of Neglect.
Mr.. STEWART STILL TAKING EVIDENCE

"Yes, I am detective for large New
York fire insurance company, ana 1t is my
business to look up risks and ferret out the
facts where it is suspected that property was
burned to get the money"
The speaker was an old man at the An
derson yesterday. His upper lip was
smooth, but long, white and pointed
beard hung from his chin and cheeks. He
wore a slouch hat and the old mans
grip, as he shook hands, showed
that he still had plenty of physi-
cal strength left to attend to his
duties. II am located in Pittsburg," he
continued, "and [ can tell you some good
stories about people here who have tried to
beat the insurance companies. The plots
are numerous and ingenious. and reflect
credit on the cunning of the perpetrators.
Some people make regular business OF rob-
bing the insurance men. 1t is always a
difficult matter to prove that fire is put
up job.
An Ingenious System of Arson.
"I know of one man in this city who was
burned out at least II times before his
scheme was discovered, though he was
long suspected, and we gave him plenty
of rope. We finally got onto him
by the third man racket. which
is an old dodge. He was suddenly brought
into the presence of his partner, when, angry
at the supposition that his accomplice had
peached, he told how he had fired the vari-
Gus buildings.
"This man kept clothing store. When
in need of cash he would get rid of the best
of his stock. and then starve a cat for a
week. He would place the animal in box
and suspend fish from the ceiling by a
thread, which hung near hanging lamp.
The old man would loosen little the boards
on the box and go off into the
country, with a pack on his back,
to sell goods. He would give that
starved cat about u hours to work its way
out of the box, and the smell of the fish just
above its head was sufficient incentive to
make it active. Once the cat was released,
his first impulse would be to jump for the
fish. In the collision the lamp was sure to
be knocked over, and the fire always fol-
lowed. The owner could prove an alibi, Of
course, and the evidence of the trickery was
burned up. This is only one of the clever
devices 1 haveunearthed, of making money
without working for it.
Singular Wrinkle About Insurance.
"By the way, things have come to such a
pass that the companies will not take risk
where the name ends in ski or sky They
have reasons of their own for refusing, and
it is not my business to divulge them.
II am always suspicious of the fires where
safe has been broken In bungling man
ner, and the building has been ignited from
the explosion. In such case, the burglar is
generally the owner. l find that only ex-
perts crack safes and they do their work
quietly. There is nothing a robber is more
afraid of than fire, and he takes every pre-
caution to avoid it. He needs at least two
or three hours to do his work, and after
that he wants all the time he
can get to put safe distance between him
self and the place. In case of fire it is
said to be discovered very soon, and the
hue and cry is raised. Never fear, bur-
glar is as careful about his retreat as his
advance, and when fire starts from a safe
breaking, 1 put it down almost as GER
tainty that the proprietor or tenant is re-
sponsible, They are the burglars"