The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-03

full extent of the crimes, She herself tells
the whole, awful story:
81 have been in the arson business for
about five years" she says.
In that time there have been without
exaggeration, 300 fires, which have placed
in peril not only the lives of the dwellers
in the houses consumed but the lives of
the tiremen who have answered the mid
night alarms. Fire Marshal Mitchell and
his assistant, Freel. have been morally
sure that these fires were started by the
incendiary's torch.
The Silbermeister woman has confessed
to Detective Sergeant Charles Jacob of the
Central Office, and also to Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Davis. She says-and this
is perhaps all that she can possibly say
to mitigate her crimes-that she was in
duced, that she was bribed. TO go into this
business of burning houses by Louis Roth
man, who was himself sentenced last Fri
day to fifteen years Imprisonment by the
recorder. He pleaded guilty to arson in
the first degree. She might have been SEN
fenced for life, and had the recorder
known the facts that are here set forth,
it is not improbable that she would have
ended her days in prison,
Here are the confessions of both Roth
man and Mrs. Silbermeister. partners in
the arson business two years-Mrs. SLIDER
meister having carried on her business of
importing lives for three years before
she met her ally.
Nor were they alone. In Rothman's
confession he implicated NJ. H. Grauer.
who nominally was in business as a pub
lie fire adjuster. right in the center of the
pyrotechnic field of action. Grauer at this
moment is in the Tombs, awaiting trial
on a charge of hiring Rothman to set fire
to q. Canal street store
Il want to say. says Rothman, in his
confession. referring to the infammabIe
CT h,aa cd 70, Z, -
the stuff used by me was made of naphtha.
benzine and turpentine. It is manufac-
tured by a woman of this city, who sells
it to the members of this gang"
These confessions were made to Detec-
tive Jacob, soon after the Woman's convic-
ton. The district attorney ordered that
Mrs. Silbermeister and Rothman be held
in the Tombs until the trial of Grauer,
when they viii appear as witnesses They
sent word TO Assistant District Attorney
Davis to-day that they would like to talk
to him. Deputy Sheriffs Burke and Kelly
took them TO Mr.. Davis Office Fire Mar
shall Mitchell was there. The woman and
the man made a clean breast of it, but
neither Mr.. Mitchell nor Mr. Davis would
disclose anything, nor would they permit
the prisoners to talk to the reporter
Nevertheless, the fire marshal could not
conceal his exultation.
Its only question of time" he said
when we will have the entire gang of
firehugs in custody. Besides Grauer, who.
[ believe, is the organizer of this con-
spiracy there are two other men in the
Tombs awaiting trial, who, believe, are
members of this gang. l am quite certain
all the recent tenement house fires have
been started by these people,"
The price paid to Mrs. Silbermeister, she
says, was S25 per fire. 1t costs the city
$50 every time the fire engines answer a
false alarm. Mrs. Silbermeister's price for
CONGREGATIONS was cheap.
She and Rothman were beautifully
caught. Detective Sergeants Jacob and
McManus and Assistant Fire Marshal
Freel were waiting for them. They had
information that Levi Weinberg's clothing
store in Canal street, was to be set on fire
on Oct Is last The store was on the
ground floor OF four story tenement
house. in which lived six families. num-
bering forty people, most of them chill
dren.
The detectives and the marshal watched
that store day and night. relieving each
other. On the night of Oct. IS Mrs. Silber-
meister and Rothman went into Vein
berg's store. In few minutes he and his
clerks walked out. Half an hour later
came Mrs. Silbermeister She carried
black bag in one hand and. big bundle