New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-01
BURNING HELPLESS HORSES
A DASTARDLY CONSPIRACY.
THE AWFUL WORK OF FIVE FIREBUGS
TO GET INSURANCE MONEY.
THEIR PLOT DISCOVERED AFTER TWO YEARS
ONE OF THE CRIMINALS CAUGHT IN THE
ACT-THE STABLE SOAKED ~ KERo-
sENE. AND THE HORSES COVERED
WITH IT-A FULL CONFES
SION MADE.


Safely locked in cells in Police Headquarters are
five men. who have been Systematically burning
stables in this city in the last years. Hundreds
Of poor. broken-iown horses have been burned to
death I'm the stables In order that these men might
grow rich in plunderng the Insurance companies.
Inspector Mclaughlin said last night that they
had all confessed their guilt
The men Patrick Mullins. th!rty-hve years
old. who said he Vas laborer OF No. 6Ol West
Foriy-seventh-st Peter Donney. thirty-hve years
old. "laborer" Also OF no. 20 East Ffty-lirst-st; :;
Timothy Rafferty,. twentyeight years Old 'conirAc-
tor" Of No. 5H West Thirty-sixth-st Bernard Ker-
nan. nfy-three years old. "truckman" Of No. SIS
West Flfty-sxth-st.. and John Sharkey. hfty-three
years old. 'laborer." OF 40. "a West Fiftieth-st
1t was only after the most patient work by De-
tectves Murphy. Nugent and McGnnis that the
gang Of nrclghters captured, for they were
extremely crafty.
MODE or OPERATIONS.
All their plans on the same principle They
would lease a stable and then furnish /. with
number Of carriages hanson cabs and hacks. Some
harnesses would be put in and then would follow
lot of fine horses that al been hired for temporary
use The stable was then ready for the inspection
Of an Insurance agent. and the prompt insurance Of
the property was almost certain as Its subsequent
destruction.
once insured the fine horses disappeared and in
their places would come lot Of poor. brokcndown
mainder OF the scheme simply to fire the stable
and so TO arrange It that any one Of the gang
would be in position to prove an aiibi If neces-
sary.
Tine detectives reaped the fruit OF months OF
patient work last sunday morning. when they
caught Patrick Mullins in the act OF firing stable
at one hundred -and-sxty hrst-st and Elevenh-ave
The stable which had been an ordinary frame barn
almost ready to fall apart. leased by Donneily
as the detectives discovered. last Tuesday morn
inc All the men I'm the conspiracy took an active
part I'm buying the horses--nine all told. Some OF
those intended for sacrifice were purchased at Il
stable IN East Tweniy-fourth-st.. and The Rock
q stable In East Seventy-eghth-st. The stable was
first stocked with good horsehesh in the usual way
and on last Thursday James Shaw. Of the Hartford
Insurance Company. granted policy for 5000 on
the stable AMI contents to Donnclly anl Mullins at
his office. No 9s Thiri-ave. Rafferty,. only twenty
eight years OLD was the actual leader In the
schemes and he 1t was who furnished the bulk OF
the money 10 carry them out
THE Willy RAFFERTY,.
Rnncrty's cunning was shown in that he dis
clriei one ~ tho horses intended for burning be-
cause tho boasts hind legs were swel.ri and the
bones enlarged lie feared that even 4 fire would
no, hide ih" fact that the horse was plug
Detectives McGlnns. Nugcnt and Murphy hid
themselves behind some old trucks alongside the
stone wall incosng the stable yard last Saturday
ulgnf and awaited developments Al % CloNh Oh
sunday mornlng tho waiting detectives 50" Mu,, !,
lins cautiously approach the stable. le ioose l
detectives heard a splash as o, falling water inside,
but as they discovered afierward. Il was kerosene
Mullins oIt In thrc"-luartcrs or an hpur
and WIS al once arrested Detective McG.nnis held
him while Nugent ana Murphy entered the siap,e
They found the floor walls and sides of the stalls
saturated with Kerosene. tn" horses tn"mscIFes
poor animals. wcr" soaked with the same null. In
one corner a hall - a barrel. In the bottom
Kerosene. arI on top % barrel wts block of
wood sith holes bored IN g. to serve As s'ckcts
for two short candles. which were then burning
TlfE FiENuiSH rEECAuTIoNs
From the paper In the bottom OF the barrel fuses
ran 70 all parts ~ n" stable fuse also lei to
k.rosenc-soakcl package of paper In each stall
These packages proved To- contain large amount Of
giant cunpowler. Giant gunpoVler WAS also sprin-
ki.I IN and undor the straw ia the horses stalls
The candles would have burned ont lu less than
twenty minutes.
MUl.ias an nrs. SAID he had f-s' asleep IN the
stable hut finally made full confession oi ms CON
nertion with the whole business ~ "a result. Don
ami Tcnih-avc. Rafferty, was caught Inst night AZ
Forty y-sec0nl-st. and Eighth-ave. and ki"rnan ana
Shark"y were found AZ their homes. i'pnneiy ioi-
lowed Munss example and confessed his quit but
Rafferty, stuck - his innocence until con!ron'ei
Win "A lcttcr signed "P Donnelly" which pracu-
caliv told the story.
fhD destruction Of which I'm the last two years has
been traced 10 this gang West Tewenty-c eighth St.
between Tenth and Eleventh aVes., W cst Ihlrty-
clghfh-st between Eievtnth-av". and the North
River: West -hunIrel-and twenty y-ilfth-st near
fhc %orth River One-hundrei-a thlrty -irsi-st.
and Ianox-ave.. Lerome-ayc AMI one-hundred AMI
y j and another AZ Fairyiew. y. J. In the burn
ING of the IcrOme-aVe. stabl" TWO years ago man
nr,nrl carroll was concerned. He was sentenced
10 two years In Sing Sing for perjury