St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-29
ARE THEY FIREBUGS?
Detectives and Lawyers Testify
in the MichaeEs Case.


Yesterdays proceedings in the Michael
arson case were interesting, especially
to spectators, and the jurors listened
with craned necks. The day was taken
up with the Swedish detective and At
torney Fauntleroy on the stand and
with arguments on the admiSsibility of
testimony The objections offered by
Mr.. Willis for the defendant werefre-
quent, and indicated that he is contest
ing every inch Of the way in the inter-
est of his client.
II. H. Forbes, the Swede detective,
told how he came here from Chicago as
special agent of Thiel'S Detective
agency and grew into the confidence of
the MichaelS for the purpose of ascer-
tanning whether or not they were instru-
mental in burning the house OF Marks
Michael on the night of Oct.
q for the purpose of securing
$500 insurance on household effects.
played cards, drank with them and
discussed Russian politics, claiming to-
be a nihilist. He paid $50 to them in
small sums in return for which they
were to burn the house he rented and
lived III on the West side. and for the
attempted buring of which the menwere
arrested by police officers and detect
ives. This was planned for the purpose
of ascertaining their alleged method of
burning the Marks Michael house in
October preceding. A memorandum of
bet made between the MichaelS was
introduced in evidence. Forbes stated
that they bet IS that they would sue
coed i'll burning the house in which
Forbes lived on the night of the arrest.
1t was stated that Marks Michael took a
blanket and some other articles from
the house that hight before the fire was
started to prevent their being de-
Stroyed.
On cross-examination Forbes said lie
had gone under assumed names when
doing detective work. He gave an ac-
count of his life. He lived five years in
Sweden and spent eighteen years at
sea, after which he became a detective.
He went by the name of Ham Floyd
when working up the present case. He
frankly admitted that he had lied to the
MichaelS about several matters. He
testified that the defendant had told
him that he had set fire to houses be-
fore the arrest.
L. L. Fauntleroy testified that he was
i'll Chief Clark'S room at the police sta
ton the night of the arrests when the
county attorney and he questioned the
defendant as TO burning his house the
| night of Oct. ~. The defendant had at
first repeatedly denied having fired his
house. The county attorney and he
told the defendant repeatedly that he
had burned the house, and that they
knew as much about the matter
as the defendant did and described how
they claimed he had used punk, paper,
matches, kerosene, ETC.. for starting a
slow fire, and then would go to dance
or visiting so that the fire would ignite
in bis absence and thus enable him to
prove all alibi. The defendant pro-
tested at first that he had not fired the
building, and asserted that his heart
| might be cut out and there would still
be no evidence of guilt forthcoming.
| Later he would reply to questions, oh!
did 1?' and finally admitted his guilt.
Mr.. Willis insisted repeatedly that
the witness should detail converse
tons had and not give conclusions.
| The court instructed that such course
| should be pursued. The witness then
began detailed statement of the evil
dence, and as the witness was about to
say that the defendant made state
ment relative TO his guilt, Mr.. Willis
| made the objection that the evidence is
| not admissible because the confession
was eXtorted by dureSs and was not vol
untary. He cited authorities in sup
port Of this proposition. The hour of
adjournment having arrived the court
reserved decision on the point until
this morning.