New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-23
THE STORY TOLD BY MICH.
Confession ON WHICH ARRESTS FOR IN
CENDIARIsM WERE MADE.
An OFFICIAL OF THE Observation-Disclosures OF
r1cp SAID TO BE IMPLICATED THREE AL
LEGGED MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AR
RAlGNED - HOW THE PLOT
WAS CARRIED OUT.

LEGGED MEMBERS OF IIE BOAkD Ait-
RAIGNED HOW THE PLOT
WAS CARRIED OUT.
Before Judge Allison. in The Court Of General
Sessions. there were arraigned yesterday three
men accused Of completely in the work OF in
famous and vlllanous a band of ncendarles
as ever infested this city. Policeman Charles
+. LEM. who formerly detailed
slstant to the Fire Marshal arrested on
Friday on a warrant charging him directly with
perjury George w. Holt an insurance agent
and adiuster. having an Office at No. "a Pine
ST and living at No Cranberry-st. Brook
lyn was arrested Friday evening on
rant charging him with arson Koppel Fried
land formerly member OF a shirt manufacture
ing firm in Whtc-st.. ard lately salesman for
G. s Bates & Co.. who lives at No. East One
hundred a nd-eighteenth-st.. was arrested yeser-
day morning on a warrant charging him with
arson The warrants were issued by Recorder
Goff and there Is another warrant out for c.
Cohen who is said 10 be in Europe. The three
prisoners were held yesterday for further
animation. and they will doubtless be indicted
in few days.
SAMUEL MILCHS CONFESSION.
The arrests have been made in consequence Of
a confession by Samuel Mich member Of the
band of frebugs. who recently was indicted.
arrested and held for trial. and who has been
allowed TO become witness for the State. The
confession discloses the workings of the band
and shows that assistants TO the Fire Marshal.
paid agents of insurance companies. insurance
adjusters and hired incendiares were IN the con-
spiracy TO set fires and collect fire insurance.
The work Of robbing the insurance companies
was carried on without the least regard for
human nfe as fires were set in crowded tene-
h,,;i.l
the owners of insured property in tenements
were willing to pay for having the fires set with
out risk to themselves. The incendiaries appear
to have been entirely devoid of human feeling
and of moral sentiment.
In Milch's confession there is also serious
charge against Of the officials Of the District
Attorneys office. whose name was kept from
the newspaper reporters yesterday. The official
is said TO be a dcputyassistan who has been
the legal adviser of a member Of the band OF
incendiaries and he is accused Of giving informa-
ton Of the indictment of member OF the band.
Mich was indicted some time before he was ar
rested When he made his confession TO Assist
ant District-Attorney Vernon VI. Davis few
DAYS ago he said he knew Of his Indictment as
soon as Mr. Davis did. When Mr.. Davis pressed
Mich for the name Of his informant. Mich
named the official in the Dstrict-Attorney' :.
office Mr. Davis said yesterday that there
would be a searching investigation. but in the
mean time he was not ready to believe M!lchs
charge against the official until it was supported
by some corroborative evidence.
ALLEGED MEMBERS OF THE BAND.
The attention Of the District-Attorney has
been called up to the present time TO the follow
ing alleged members Of the band Of incendiaries:
Max Grauer. a fire insurance adjuster who was
convicted and sent to prison for arson
louis Grauer. his son. indicted for arson and
now a fugitive from justice.
Morris Schoenholz formerly insurance I'D
iuster Of No Jap Lewisst. convicted Of arson, and
now In the Tombs awaiting sentence.
Adolph Hirschkopf a former partner Of Max
Grauer, a self-confessed fncendiary. VINO IS now a
fugitive from justice.
Shire Rosenbaum a hired incendary. me
chanic." who was allowed TO become witness
for the State. and upon whose testimony Grauer
was convicted. His information also led to the
arrest and confession OF Mich.
Jacob Frank who was formerly the Assistant
Fire Marshal and who resigned after he was ac-
cused Of being in league with the ncendiares
He is now said 10 be insane
Policeman Charles +. LEM. who was detailed
10 the Fire Marshals office and worked with
Frank until he was transferred last year to the
East One-hundred- and-fourth-st. police station
and remanded to patrol duty.
Max Glueckman. hired incendiary, who fed TO
Prussia before he was indicted for arson. and VINO
IS still fugitive from justice
1ouis Gordon whose shirt factory at NO. "a
Walker-st was set on fire by GIuecKman last
year An explosion at the fire showed plainly mat
II was the work Of incendiaries. Gordon was ar
rested indicted and held in $4,000 bail for trial.
He Is out on bail.
G. Cohen. a former member OF the shirt manu-
featuring firm OF L. Cohen G. Co. at NO tio
broadway. recently went to Europe. warrant
for his arrest has been issued
Koppe Friedand, former partner OF Coheh'
who was arraigned yesterday
George w Holt, the insurance adJuster VINO
also was arraigned yesterday ~
Samuel Mich. a fire insurance agent, OF NO 10
broadway living at No. PAP Henry-st. upon whose
confession the latest arrests have been made.
Tb.r. are other fire insurance adjusters some
If them in the employ Of insurance companies IN
this CITY. who have been mentioned by MiIch as
being concerned in the conspiracy to swindle the
comnanies and they may be arrested later
LOSSES OF THE INSURANCE COMPANIES
II Is believed that the fire insurance companies
have been robbed Of nearly 81 900 by the opera
lions NJ the drebugs The firm Of which Cohen
and Fr,adland were members got $2S,0oo from the
comnanles on account Of fire In the iiiin 5 lac
tory at No Il White-st., In January. 1894 Cor
don had insurance amounting to $4,000 on MS lac
tory ir Walker-st but the companies nave IT,
fused I, pay any of the money Inc ihcehu'"''
used too much explosive In the fire IN "a'hei-'''
and the windows of the factory were down OUT
The details Of the plot to wreck Gordon iac'o'S
are given fully In Mllchs confession anu '"ey
show how the band operated. Portions Oh ''e
confession read as follows:
In June 1894 about six weeks before ,le -, 80 my
(;ordon's place. Cohen and Friedland am and
I'm. which was then at No l55 Broau"aS 10.
they told me they had made arrsnger me, Them
uhicb could make a lot Of money. inet ~, ~,
thas night al One humid ed and TWEEN
Thtrd-aye We went into saloon there WI,
~ ,ntroduced Louis Gordon 10 me. rciuV ~
inc, nv - q ust Of the companies In which ne