The morning call., 1893-03-17
MIEHE'S REVENGE.
The Ashbury Heights
Firebug Landed.
HE HAD BEEN DISCHARGED.
Fire Marshal Towe Arrests a Foreman
Carpenter for Firing House on
Wednesday Evening.
HE HAD BEEN DISCHARGED.


and with the present feeling in that region.
caused by the constant succession of disas-
trous f;es recently, lie will be prosecuted
vigorously.
Gustav F. Niche is accused of setting fire
TO the unfinished three-story building which
burned on Thursday evening.
The fellow was looking for revenge and
he got $4,000 worth of it and the glorious
satisfaction Of seeing angry flames enwrap
the handsome structure containing six fats,
which he had been helping to build but
from which ne had been discharged. Niche
denies his guilt. but though the evidence is
circumstantial Fire Marshal Towe is con
WINGED that he has the right man.
Thatlh fires at Ashbury Heights were
not due to accident has been the popular
theory, both with the police and the public,
es acially since the $4,000 fire Tuesday
morning, and this belief became stronger
when the unfinished house belonging to AT
tUTney {. q. Johnston was burned the fol-
lowing night. This was an unfinished build
ing IA which there had been no FIRE The
fire broke out a little after o'clock on
Wednesday evening,
So strong was this belief in the
mind Of Fire Marshal Towe that during the
ire he began making inquiries with that
idea in his mind and secured what he
deemed very strong evidence against Niche
who up TO Monday last was foreman of the
building but was discharged at that time.
HE man has been under surveillance
since few hours after the fire, and last
evening at o. clock he was arrested at his
house at IS Patton street by the marshal
and Officer Shanaaan and booked at the
Seventeenth street police station on
charge of arson.
Tire evidence secured by the officers prc.
vious to tie arrest and the circumstauc,
leading them TO suspect the accused are tod
as follows by Fire Marshal Towe:
E.. al f1.ra, liz
for incendiarism," he said. "One is pyro-
mania. another an attempt TO realize insur-
auce and the third is revenge. Revenge
was plainly the motive in this case
when l visited The ruins of the Johnston
house this morning l became convinced that
arson had been committed. The neghbors
all described the blaze first seen as 'faring
up by which l knew that coal oil or some
similar inhammaDle material had been en-
ployed.
Questioning those concerned in the mat
ter, l learned that the man GustaYe Niche
had been employed as foreman in con-
structing the house, but that last Monday
he had been discharged for cheating by Mr.
Johnston himself, who was employing the
carpenters By the day.
'Iuquiriug further it came to my knnwl-
edge that Niche had been much enraEed by
his d ,ScnaTge and had furthermore been
heard by several persons 10 threaten re-
Yenge.
These suspicious 1 was not willing to
believe too readily, and tried my best
throughout TO clear the man If il were
possible, but evidence Accumulated against
him in such a manner as TO require his
arrest.
"ln order to identify him I went to
James Crawford. the man hired in his
place by Mr.. Johnston, and together we went
to Miehe's place Of residence, Is Patton
street, Holly Park, in the Mission. l asked
10 see Niche, and upon his coming to the
door asked hun TO sep outside, saying
there was somebody wanted to speak with
him. he refused sUilenly and slammed the
door violently in nay face.
After that l got Police Officer Stamina
han to 90 with me and arrest the accused.
In talking 10 NE after the arrest
the prisoner Inadvertently made the
very damaging statement that be had an
ticlpated this, and had already been TO con-
suit lawyer.
immediately after making this 'break' he
corrected himself and denIFd II. The fire
was evidently started in the basement OF tie
house.
Il have the evidence of a certain park Of
fcer whose name 1t gill not be con venieut
10 .dlEulge at present to the effect that
Niche was seen about an hour before the
alarm sounded going in the direction of the
tated house with large bottle under his
arm.
eli anything more were needed for con-
viction, we can prove that Miehe even went
TO Mr.. Johnston's home on Monday night
and Informed him that he was going to get
even with him for discharging him"
Niche stOutlY protests his innocence.
When seen by CALL reporter last evening,
shortly after his arrest, Niche said:
This whole thing is job put up on me
by certain parties, who will be made to sui
fer when the right time comes"
"Why were you discharged from the en-
ploy OF Mr.. JohnstonP"
"Well, a short time ago discharged a
man by the name of Crawford because he
was unable TO perform the work required
a. and Gin ftsar, H.,
talking about ME in a way calculated to in
juTe my standing. l suppose these stories
came to Mr.. Johnston SPEARS and my dis
charge followed. Fritz EIsenrich, VINO lives
with me, was employed as a carpenter un-
der me, and quit when l was discharged.
Where were you at the time the fire.
broke Out?"
81 was home. and went to bed shortly
after the alarm was sounded. l had been
down to call on a friend of mine, Mr.. Lor-
nachs at % Russ place, and came from there
out on the Mission street cars to the end OF
tie road, wnere l stopped at a saloon and
had some beer. ! got home about 80 P. NJ,
and after supper smoked awhile and went
to bed"
why did you call on Attorney Morgan
thorn yesterday"
because there had been things said in the
papers which would lead the ublic to be-
leve that the fire was set by discharged
employees, and as l was one of these / did
not like il and wanted to see what steps !
could take to stop that kind OF talk"
did you expect to be arrested2'
The prisoner made no reply to this cues
tioD, saying he had nothing further to say,
excepting that what he had said was the
truth, and that he could prove that he was
not in the neighbOrhoOd of the burned
building within several hours Of the time of
the fire.
Gustav Niche is a German, 43 years of
age, and speaks brokenly. being somewhat
hard to understand. In stature he is about
, feet inches in height and of rather
heavy build.
He is daTk-complexI ned and wears full
beard. and speaks and acts in a very frank
and open manner. He resides at 13 Patton
street.
Niche is not connected with any of the
preceding fires, which Fire Marshal Towne
thinks were accidental