The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1895-07-25
A BIG SENSATION.
PERREN AND BLOCH ACCUSED OF
CONSPIRACY.
TO SET THE BEDDING co. FIRE
Seven Men Charged with the Conspiracy
The Man Who Was Arrested Here
at the Time Struck.
the Match.
TO SET THE BEDDING co. FIRE
(From Mondays Daily.)

Did George S. Perren, Barney /.
Bloch, Lewis jacobson, Isaac Robin
son, Frank Schaefer, Abe lie Vine and
Bernard RosenoW conspire, confederate
and agree on June 20, 1895, to burn
down the plant of the Chicago Bed
ding company? That is the first ques-
ton. The next one is: Did they do as
they agreed on June %? There is a
complaint in existence which charges
these things against these seven men,
four of whom are Kenoshaites and three
Chicagoans. The Chicagoans impli-
Gated are Isaac Robinson, Lewis Ja-
cobson and Bernard RosenoW. Rose
now is the man who was arrested the
night Of the fire charged with suspic-
ions. He had his hands badly burned.
Perren is under arrest in Grand Rap
ids, Mich, Schaefer and LIE Vine are in
Jail here, and Bloch was placed under
arrest this morning. The other three
are under close police surveillance.
The story of the big fire is familiar to
most Kenoshaites. 1t will be remem-
bered that at the time of it neighbors
reported that there had been three eX-
blossoms at three different points, and
that when they looked up there ap-
peared to be complete fire covering
every portion Of the building inside.
This circumstance was remarked upon
at the time as looking suspicious, but
in. the general public mind the matter
was treated as merely IL rumOr, such as
is likely to attach to any fire. What
looked still queerer, however, was the
fact that fellow was arrested who had
suspicious burns on the back of his
hands. He was picked up on the road
coming in toward the city and driven
down to Leach & Lambs drug store.
Drs. Meers and Windesheim we're called
in to dress these wounds. They
examined the wounds carefully at
the time and asked the fellow how
he had received the burns. He claimed
they had been received during q slight
explosion. He was walking along the
railroad track and when he saw the
fire he ran down to it and when he
reached it a window blew out and the
flames blew into his face. He had put
his hands over his face to protect his
eyes and the flames had thus
burned his hands. DR.. Winde-
sheim has told the police that there
was q cast difference between a burn
oil n
the way he claimed he got his. He
believed this to have been an oil burn.
That night Rosenow, as he gave his
name, was taken to the Commercial
Officer Feldschau, who had him in
charge, to get him into bed. Rosenow
consented readily enough to his clothes
being taken off until it came to his
shoes. When an attempt was made to
remove them he raised most strenuous
objections. This decided Mr. Field
chau on taking him down to the jail.
This had no more been decided on
than RosenoW began to faint This he
kept up, putting himself from one fit
into another, for ten times.
Mr. Feldschau got a buggy and
drove him to the jail where he was
locked up for the night The first
thing in the morning Mr.. Bloch called
on HIM and they held private confer
ence. A little later a reporter for this
paper called and interviewed him.
He insisted on his innocence.
Chief Stemm went to both Perren
and Bloch and asked them if they
would not swear out a warrant for the
fellow so that he might be given a pre-
liminary hearing. This they refused to
do, alleging that they had no evidence
against the man and it would be useless
to try him without evidence. This nee
essitated letting Rosenow go.
Things were all quiet for about two
weeks. The insurance adjuster APP
peared on the scene and began to work
on the losses. Something must have
appeared peculiar to them for they
sent for D. w. Cowie, the insurance
detective. Mr.. CoWie came here two
W60hS dSU. Nc DoSdH Ny SGdIIluE
Chief of Police"Stemm out after clues
The two worked in conjunction from
that day on. AS matters seemed tC
thicken Detective Alexander, of Chi
cago, was added to the force. They all
worked hard, mostly in the night time
while the citizens Of Kenosha were
sleeping the slumDers of the just. Mr.
Cowie in particular, has been quite
charry of appearing much in the day
time. Traps were laid hither and yon
and gradually one after another of the
victims fell into it, until now the
authorities claim they have chain Of
incontrovertible evidence. They say
| there is no weak link in it. A large