Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-08-13

ana contains nve uOOre stocked with every
thing that housekeeper or householder
can desire. The furniture for fall has
been received In all the designs which will
be popular during the fall and winter sea-
son. The store is literally crowded with
goods, but on a busy sslesday it is more
crowded with people, who are busy buyers.
They offer odd patterns in furniture loft
over from spring stock at about half price
Square dealing will be found to be one of
the most pleasing features of this firm,
and they guarantee to please at any cost.
WEINBERG BOUND OVER.
The Arson Case to Come Up at
the Next Superior Court Term -
An Ingenious Theory Set Up by
the Defense - Probable Caase
Found - Weinberg Goes to Jail
in Default of $4,000 Bonds.
The trial Of lsadore Weinberg, charged
with setting fire to his tailor shop with the
intent to defraud insurance companies,
came to an end late yesterday afternoon
and resulted in Weinberg being bound
over to the October term of the superior
court under bonds of $4,000.
William Rebman was the first witness
for the prosecution. he testified that he
had seen Weinberg pass G. J. Raban u.s. to-
bacco store, where the witness was en-
ployed, ON the night of the fire about
twenty minutes before the fire alarm
rang.
This was the last witness for the state
and at 1885 O'Clock City Attorney Daley
said 1--WE rest" and the defense COM
menced their side of the case.
The accused, Isadore Weinberg, was
called to the stand and testified that he
lived at IA Warren street and that he car
ried an insurance of 81, 900 on his stock,
which he had carried for a year and half
or more. Attorney Goodhart here asked
the witness how much stock he carried in
the busy season. To this question the CITY
attorney objected, but the court ruled that
the question was admissible in a modified
form and in reply the witness testified
that at the time he took out the insurance
he carried stock of about 81, 900 and that
a month prior to the fire his stock would
have inventoried at 81 500.
The witness, continuing, testified that on
the night of the fire he was in the act of
closing up his store shortly after O'Clock
when another tailor, Max Jacobs, came in
to the store and wanted to purchase q
trousers pattern. At the time witness was
smoking cigar, which he laid down while
showing his stock to Mr. Jacobs. Mr..
Jacobs noticed a strong odor in the store
and remarked upon it, which witness ex-
planned by telling him that he had been
cleaning goods which had become faded
Shortly after this both parties left the
store, but before closing he lighted the
gas and left it burning when he went out.
At this point the defense sprung an in
genious theory for the fire upon the court
This theory is simply that the fire was
caused by the cigar which Weinberg was
smoking. The witness testified that on
the night in question he laid his cigar
down while waiting on Mr.. Jacobs, and
from that time to the present he had never
seen it. Before leaving the store, the wit
ness testified, he had assiduousiy looked
for it, but was unable to find it.
When questioned as to how the odor of
kerosene and alcohol came to be upon the
cloths the witness stated that on the day
previous he had been treating some faded
pieces of cloth with preparation of which
the principal Ingredients were ether and
alcohol. This preparation was put up for
him by Druggist Ford of State street and
Grand avenue. The kerosene was used in
his business for removing grease from the
ends of cloth.
In reference to the amount of his liabil-
tiles the witness swore that at the time of
the fire he did not owe but about $50,
more or less. This closed the direct EXAM
ination and City Attorney Daley took his
turn at CROSS examination.
On cross-examination the witness ac-
knowledged that he kept no books in his
business other than to put down in a
memorandum book the name of any per-
son indebted to him. He also stated that he
did not turn on any gas when he tried the
gas jets while the fire marshal was present
He could not say that the gas Jet which
he found turned on was the one which he
had left burning when he went out of the
store.
It was also brought out during the
course of the Cross examination that a
number of members of clothing clubs had
paid their money to him, but had not re-
ceived their suits.
Max Jacobs was then put upon the stand
and corroborated the testimony given by
Weinberg in reference to the conversation
between him and Weinberg. Fannie Gold
baum, sister-in-law of the accused, also
but brought out no new facts.
Herman Goldbaum then took the stand,
de stated that he was a tailor of thirty
i've years experience, and that all tailors
Used preparation for removing grease
spots, ETC., from clothing. Here the wit
hess produced bottle of this so-called |
preparation and a piece of greasy cloth |
md proceeded to demonstrate to the court /
low the goods were cleansed. The prepar-
'tion, the witness said, was made by him
ell, and was composed of kerosene, alco-
'ol and bensine, the principal ingredient
ne stain the court asked him for a piece
# the cloth. This was given to him and
le put it away very carefully.
Mrs. Weinberg testified that her husband
anne home rather earlier than usual on
he night of the fire and that she noticed
particularly owing to the fact that he
Vas going to be initiated into lodge of
I'D Fellows on that night.
y. j.. Metzger, grocer on State street,
ppos1te Weinberg's, testified that he saw
ne accused going home about $3.50 O'Clock
n the night of the fire.
Sergeant Cowles and Weinberg were
nen called in rebuttal, but practically no
CIV facts were developed. While Vein
erg was on the stand the court asked him
ow long before the fire broke out he had |
ut the preparation on the goods, to which
1e accused replied that it was some three | ,
+ four hours before.
linen followed most unexpected de-
ouement and one which no one in the {
'urt room anticipated. Judge Pickett i
'lmly took the piece of cloth which had | \
zen saturated and cleansed by Witness q
oldbaum but half hour before and ap-
ylng match to 1t tried to set 1t sfire: 1
1t the cloth would not ignite. The Judge )
'ld the fame to the cloth until the entire =
atch had been consumed, but could not | Il
It 1t to burn. This seemed death blow !
the theory set up by the defense that i
70 kerosene on the rolls of cloth in the q
ore which caused them to burn with such r
pidity was due to the cleansing prepara- b
IN put upon them. ii
The arguments Of City Attorney DALEY h
d Attorney Goodhart which followed h
're able and straight to the point and T
cupied the attention Of the court for il
out an hour. At their conclusion the IL
urt stated that from the evidence It was a.
ar that either Weinberg or someone else Il
prepared the store and set IL afire and "
under the circumstances there was y.
thing for him to do but to bind the ac- 81
sed oyer to the superior court. In de- m
uf~of bonds Weinberg cont back to in
e th