Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-06
THREE GREAT CRIMES.
The Danehower Family Drugged,
Robbed and Then Burned.
WORK OF A BAND OF OUTLAWS.
Terrorizers Of Sharpsburg's Peace Soon to
Pe Arrested.
WILLIAM REESE, A SUSPECT IN CUSTODY

Drugged; robbed and then burned to death
was the probable fate of the Danehowers.
The fire is we'll known, the robbery has been
proven beyond doubt and that drugs were
used is more than theory. For these three
awful crimes an organized band of thieves
and outlaws, which has for several year.
been terrorizing Sharpsburg, will soon be
behind prison bars.
Just two weeks ago the Danehowers'
home in Pleasant Valley, a suburb Of
Sharpsburg, was burned, and with it Mr..
and Mrs Dsnehower and their little
daughter. The people in general then
thought the fire had been caused BY acci-
dent. Mr.. Whired, the father-in-Iaw of
Mr.. Danehower, was one who thought there
were evidences of foul play. He at once
| got County Detective Beltzhoover and the
private officers at work on the case. They
have already discovered enough to nearly
warrant them srresting several parties
A reporter visited the Whited home last
| night and Mr.. and Mrs Whited impaired
much information. This is the story Mrs.
Whited tells:
The True Story of fhe Fire.
'T was one of the first to the house, ar
irving there before my husband. The
Danehowers lived over the hill right back
of Us. The house was a two-story frame,
containing four rooms, with hall running
through it on both first and second floors.
At the southwest end Mr.. Dane
hover had built little green
house so he could cultivate flowers
for his own use Many people claim that
the fire originated in the greenhouse. This
is not so, for the heating apparatus had not
been completed. AS 1 rushed up the hill
| that morning noticed that the fire was
burning the hercest at the southeast corner,
while up near the hot house the flames had
not made much headway. My two little
sons were with me and we ran around to the
back of the house. AS we did exclaimed
we could save them if we could only
get into the house. 1 was some
what surprised to find the door ajar. There
was not much fire in the lower room on the
south side, the ceiling only being In blaze.
There was no fire on the north side of the
house, and it was there the family slept.
Seeing this we started up stairs, hoping to
save our friends. When part way up We
were driven back by smoke.
Impossible to Save the Danehowers.
w
rest of nv family were there and some of
the neighbors. Others tried to go up the stairs
but could not My husband got ladder
placed it under the bedroom window He
broke the sash and with that a cloud of
smoke poured out, but there was no fire in
that room. He called to the Danehowers,
but got no response. We had to give them
up.
1.-THE fire started in the clothes-press of
the second floor room. The chimney run
up along side of the wardrobe, but there
had been no fire in the fue for several
months. That part of the house was only
used in summer. There was nothing stored
IN this recess but clothes and no way
fire could originate there. This, with a
number of other things, proves rather con.
clusively that the house was fred, and that
it was done to conceal other crimes is evil
dent. There was certainly robbery COM
mitted. When arrived saw that the
house was in disorder. Papers were strewn
over the floor, the sewing machine was
wrecked and there were other peculiar con-
itiols.
Every Evidence Of Robbery.
"After the fire there was much missing
that should have been there. The silver
ware was all gone. There was good deal
of canned fruit in the cellar in glass jars
There is not semblance of glass there, and
if they had not been stolen the melted glass
would certainly be visible.
"We think that the Danehowers were
drugged. Our principal reason we cannot
tell you now, as it would interfere with our
clearing the case up. We do know of cases
right in this neighborhood where people
have been drugged in their beds and
robbed. A neighbor who first saw the
fire from his bedroom window, saw the man
come out of the house, jump into the buggy,
and drive away at a rapid rate. They went
in the direction of ,Sharpsburg. An old
lady who lives near the Grace Church, at
this end of Sharpsburg, heard light We
hicle driven past her house q number of
times shortly before the fire. It seemed
to 90 but little farther than her home, and
then return again very quickly. The morn
ing of the fire there were six other rob-
berries in Sharpsburg and O couple of un-
successful attempts. Robbery is a common
thing in this community, and we are posi-
tive that there is an organized gang of
thieves. ... .....
Threats to Burn the House.
"Mr Danehower bad some enemies. He |
was firm believer in temperance princi- |
Piles, and some people did not like him for |
that. There were several men who hated |
him, and one of them is known to have |
said that he would burn them, house and |
and ALL We have the same enemies for the |
same reason, and are constantly afraid we
may meet a fate similar to the Dane |
howers"
Joseph D. Arnold, who keeps little gro
Gerry store opposite Grace Church, adds an
other chapter to the history of the outlaws
Last March his house was entered by |
thieves. The robbers went into mis- room,
drugged him, stole considerable money and
then made their escape. Mr.. Arnold did
not recover from the effects of the drug for
several days The same night someone en-
tered John Gribbins' house, next door to
Mr.. Arnold's home.
Several weeks ago John Kamerer, who
lives under the shadow of Grace Church,
was robbed. This was done just before day
liOht and the rohhers drove off in a lioht |