The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1892-08-19
THEY HAVE CONFESSED.
THE THREE MEN WHO BURNED THE R. C.
YOUNG TO RECEIVE THE INSURANCE
ON HER,

On July % the river steamboat r. C.
Young was burned to the waters edge and
became total loss, while tied at Doves
landing, not far from Salem. She was in.
sured in the Firemen's Fund insurance COM
pany and suspicious became aroused that
the fire was the work of an ineendiary.
Detective Thomas Mccarthy was sent by
the board Of underwriters to ferret out the
crime and secure the arrest of the criminals,
which he was successful in doing and he
c'used the arrest of Capt. John Dove,
D.vid Young and Charles Pyburn, after he
had unmistakable evidence of their guilt.
Within short time after his arrival in
Salem Mccarthy ascertaired that some tools
had been taken from the boat shortly before
the fire and hidden by Dave Young and Py-
burn, the fireman. While the men were in
McCarthy's room at the Willamette hotel
Wednesday evening, Mccarthy asked to be
excused moment. He had man secreted
behind some portraits, and this man over
heard their conversation. They then decid-
ed tn 1t they must get the t"n's and sink
them and walk to the spot il it was 1ieces-
sary.
After the interview Mccarthy, with
Sheriff Knight and Deputy Wrightman
hastened to the scene of the fire. They hid
in the brush and had been there but /. short
time when Dove, Pyburn and Young drove
u u, stopped, Dow. mi Pvburn leaving
the carriage and going into the brush wher"
the tools were hidden. On their return
they were arrested and taken to Salem.
After being placed in Jail one at time
they weakened and told the whole history
of their crime. Some tims ago Young and
Dove had decided with Morgan who was
then purser, to burn the boat Morgan con.
sented in order to get S400 that was due
him, but the job fell through. Since that
times several efforts have been made by the
fiien to burn her, but every time their
courage failed until July 22nd, when Chas.
Pyburn, the fireman agreed to do the job
for $500. On that day Dove drove the
engineer to the logging camp te get him out
Of the way. Before going he had long talk
with his wife in the cabin. Pyburn says
they had a stormy time, but she finally left
the boat, but no doubt against her will. This
left Young and Pyburn on the boat. They
then posred oil over the floor and boiler
casing, when Pyburh touched it of: 1t
burned so rapidly that nothing bet the
tools could be secured. Dove admits that
he hid the compass behind tree, just where
it was found by Deputy Wrightman. He
also said: ''I told them I would rather
have Judgment on me than crime. l
don't know how many days or how long
ago; but it must have been two or three weeks
after that before came down to Salem and
bought the supplies. There were some
parties here provoked me and Young, too.
They had accounts against us, aud Young
claimed that it would be ne worse to set
fire to the thing and burn it up than to be
attached: told hin. all right-to 60 ahead
and do it. Dave, Young, Pyburn and my.
self talked it over and we concluded to let
Pyburn fire it. And that day 1 took the
Engineer and went above. About two hours
and a half or three hours after we were gone
my brothers stepson came and told us the
boat had burned up: I went down ahd found
it so.''
Mr. Mccarthy says he will assist the
officers in prosecuting the case through.
He says he does not believe that
The Salem ifon works can collect
their share of the insurance, because Of the
Il'egality Of the entire claim. They will,
however; try to collect the same by law. as
they are innocent parties and will insist on
their rights:
The prisoners were tip before Justice Batch
ellor Saturday land after waiving examina.
lion, were bound over to await the action of
bhe grand jury. Their bail was at first fixed
at $1,000 each. but upon advice of the prose-
cutting attorney and Mr.. Mccarthy it was
put at $500 each.