The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-04-24

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Ther Ire was considerable excitement
at Georgetown again on Saturday, by
reason OF the case Of arson at the
house and store OF Solomon Stevens
in that town, last Friday morning.
Stevens and his wife went to New
York on Thursday morning. and
about / o'clock Friday morning the
house was discovered to be on fire, en-
dangering the entire town. Fortu.
natelH, by the energetic work OF the
citizens, the flames were confined to
the building where they originated.
Stevens had In his employ man
named Charles II. Wilson, who assist
ed about the store and drove tho
wagon. He had considerable inhu-
ence over this man, and while the lire
wcs burning Wilson acted In such q
suspicious manner that he was arrest
cd. On Friday evening the accused
was taken before Squire Thompson,
and made the following confession.
I'VE (meaning himself and Stevens)
wentto Laurel last Monday after
noon. He said that he and his wife
were going away the following day,
and That Ii i would do job OF work
he would make me large present.
He told me how easy 1t was to fire q
building and not get caught, and
said, il you will do that work will
stickIby you and set you up In busi-
ness. You can get inside without any,
one seeing you and get away as soon
.iIhe property that he wanted me to
fire Id where he lives and keeps store.
4 and my wife are going away, he
said, and after l am gone l want you
to touch 1t off,
Stevens said, You can find plenty
Of hay and stuff In the old house; put
1t In sacks and put one In each room;
II said, Solomon / am afraid to risk
1t. am afraid will get caught
/ lie said, mo you won't. and next
year will put you out on my farm
and you can take the gray mules and
! will set you up farming
''I1 the morning before he left ht
took me TO the back kitchen window
and said, here is nice handy place
| to put your sacks In without being
SEEM 1 told him then that / wal
afraid and he said, damn 1t, they cam
catch you.' took the sacks upstairs
and then went out. About II O'CLOCK
| went back and crawIed In the win
dow and went upstairs and took ny
knife out and slashed each bag In sew
eral places. Then touched a mattel
i 10 tneIQs Lloh Cdnlo uoWh aht
started to the parlor to light the sacl
| in there, but became frightened ant
left without lighting it.
Il Iever took q thing from the house
I was scared so bad; l was only anx
ious TO get out OF there. He charged
me tp be particular and touch IL 80 Il
/, would all go. He said might take
two bf the hams in the smoke house
/ stopped and got them and slipped
my feet in my shoes, that had left II
the old Clubhouse and hurried righ
down the alley and on homo.
| stevens said, Il want to burn thu
J id book, for have q lot Of charger
I against poor people and 1 don't wan
| to give them any trouble" The bool
was On the desk in the store adjoining
the house. That is about all that / re
member now, but IL there Is any ques
| ton that you want to ask l will an
swerit. 1t was about half an hou
before I went back and touched tn,
sacks of, after having put them In tn,
window. Stevens said, Il can max,
more In the timber business than cal
In the store, and want to get it oil
my hands,
This statement was afterwards reas
to tile prisoner and he signed it. Al
soon as the confesslo became know
the people demanded that Stevens ,wht
had returned home, should also b,
arrested. He was taken in custody b,
Detective Witsii, and had 1t not beer
for Lis tirmness and determination
backed by a dangerous looking revol
yer, the pris ser would have beer
lynched before no reached the squira's
Office. Through his counsel. Charles
w. Cullen, he waived a hearing. ant
with Wilson, was committed without
bail to answer at court a charge oi
arson and attempt to defraud the in
surahce company. $1,000.
Stevens had an insurance of $780,
on the property, which, 1t is claimed
was more than its actual value.
He has not lived in Georgetown ,
great while. and was formerly
farmer, near Bridgeville. His pro
pertH at that place was destroyer
by fire and after he secured the insur
ance, removed to Georgetown. wher
he bought the Chance property, an
engaged In general merchandising
There are those who now believe tina
he fired the Bridgeville property.