St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-12-10
PLACED ON The RACK
Alleged Fire Bugs Face the
Music Of the Municipal
Court.
Attorney Fauntleroy Details
Confessions Made to Him
by the Accused.
Owned Up to Firing the Mich
ael Residence for the In
Supance.
The Defense, Backed by w.
w. Erwin, Will Make a
Strenuous Fight.

The municipal court was crowded
yesterday afternoon with persons anx-
iOus to hear the evidence in the case of
the state against Marx and MoritZ
Michael, the alleged fire bugs, who are
under arrest on charges of arson. The
defendants have retained as counsel W.
W. Erwin, who was yesterday in court
and occasionally put question to the
various witnesses, and at times made
suggestions to attorneys Davis and Will
Jams. who conducted the crOSS-eXam-
inatiOn Of the witnesses called by the
state. County Attorney O'Brien, as
sisted by Pierce Butler, appeared to
prosecute.
Capt. Charles Wright, of Hook and
Loddar Company No. D was the first
witness, who testified that on the night
OF Nov. 81 he responded to an alarm,
and found the dwelling house III Ed
wards street on fire. The front room
was all on fire when he entered, and
the flames were also in the kitchen.
The house he found was occupied by
Marx Michael, but none of the family
were home. After tine fire was pat out
he made an examination Of the prem
Uses. and found in the kitchen a guam
THY of straw and old rags. also can Of
Oil on top Of the stuff. The beds in the
sleeping ROOMS were stripped, and he
was very suspicious as 10 the origin of
the fire. He notified Sergeant ZiTkel-
bach that he thought the fire was incen-
diary and that the police should take up
the case.
Lieut.. ferguson gave similar testi-
mOHY.
John c. Mccarthy, an heir of the es-~
tate which owns the house on Edwards
street, gave evidence as to Marx
Michael occupying the lower portion
OF the house with his family.
EHe Was Suspicious.
X. 0. Rice adjuster of fire losses for
the St. Paul German Insurance COM
pany. testified that two days after the
fire he met Marx Michael to make an
inventory of the loss sustained. Marx
told him thai he was at a dance when
the fire occurred. He went to the house
from the dance at 10 O'clock 10 fetch
some grapes for his children" He said
he slept at his mother-in-law'S
claimed that his loss was $500. and
gave witness a list OF the property
he claimed was destroyed. 1t Included
furniture, bedding, books OF prayer
worth $50, church clothes, silk dresses,
plush nantes, a dress suit, carpets,
pictures, lamps. etc. He found abSo-
lutely no trace Of the bulk Of the things
itemized by Marx Michael. lie asked
Michael where the Hebrew books had
been kept, and he answered on top of a
bureau. The bureau was not touched
by fire, and there was no sign of the
books anywhere. except a leaf in Hebrew
wi nd nj
picked up. Books were most difficult 10
burn, and generally there was part of
them left after being burned. Witness
found straw around the place. and he
was suspicious that all was not right
from the manner III which Michael
acted. He was smiling all the time.
Attorney Williams crOSs-eXamined
the witness at great length in order to
show stnat Michael had not OvereSti-
mated the value of each item which ap-
peared in the inventory. Witness, how
ever, stated that he did not see any sign
OF the bulk of the items claimed TO have
been destroyed. Redirect examination
by the county attorney: From what |
saw Of the property in the place either
unlnJured or only traces of it left,
should Judge that it was not worth over
$50. If the other property, which Mich
ael claimed had been totally destroyed,
nad been IN the room during the fire, |
certainly would have found traces of it.
Accused COnfesseS.
Attorney Fauntleroy took the stand
and said:
know The defendants Marx and Moritz
Michael. l am attorney for the st. Paal
German Insurance company. l was present
the night defendants were arrested / spoke
TO Moritz Michael at police headquarters at
his request He had known me for three
years as an attorney. He stated to me that
he was i'll very bad fix. and told him was
sorry TO see him in such trouble. He asked
me if thought he would get off, and l told
him that did not Know. and that he ought
not to have fired houses He said Marx
Michael did it. AS to the fire the night
saw him, he said that he had 10 hand I'm it.
and that he was to get money to keep quiet.
told him that he and Marx and the rest OF
them were members of a gang of fire
bugs burning down houses for insurance
money, and that he hGd fred Marx Michael's
house. He denied the charge. ] then told
nm that II was no use his lying, that we had
evidence 10 procure their conviction, and de
tailed TO him the system they used to seta
mouse on fire. He protested his Innocence
but told him again il was useless to do So
that he had told other people as TO the sys-
tenn or burning down houses. | told him
Marx his uncle was also under arrest and