New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-14
EX-FIRE MARSHAL ARRESTED
MP LEWIS AND HIS ASSISTANT. MR.. RICE.
CHARGED WITH CONSPIRACY.

~ .,rrcrD rrREBUG AND THE OTHER
A FIRE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL IN
CONNECTION WITH THE KLEIN
ARSON CASE.
An indictment was found yesterday aiie'nVo',
bv the Grand Jury against ex-Fire MaiSi',
Reniamn F. Lewis. ex-Assistant FIRE Mals'
Rice. ex-Detective George " Zundt ana Auoip"
Hirschkopf The indictment charges 'he oe-
PENDANTS Jointly with conspiracy IN cohnec'o',
with the Klein arson case, which has peeh s"'u
20 be the biggest case Of the kind ever IN hi"s'
County ,.s,,.
Immediately after the finding or the 'hu'e'-
ments bench warrants were issued for the arrest
Of the defendants, and before evening al eNOep'
tirschkopf. who is in the Tombs In New-i DIX
on another and more serious charge, had oeei'
broueht TO the Dlstrict-Attorney's Office MI
Lewis made his appearance in the once oeioie
he had been served with the warrant. Inc ""
ture of the indictments was explained u l-e".'
md Rice and they went into the county |o"'
where they were arraigned before 'uuse asp
nall and bailed in $1,000 EACH Zunot was a.
rested later in the day, and after waiting III '"e
D,s,r,c, Attornevs office for some hours lur-
nished hail in the sum Of ST. 900 and was released
The charge against Hrschkopf, on which ne ~
now held in the Tombs, IL murder In the hIs' ue
gree, and grows out or the arson case III "'
is alleged he was concerned
The Klein case, which the District-Atlo'"e9
has int,mated will be sensational, concerns pri-
marily Jacob Klein, who was indicted py 'ne
Grand Jurv a short time ago for arson IN the
first degree 1t is alleged that with the assist
ance Of Hirschkopf who is Jointly indicted Win
him he set fire to his taelor-shop at No. "a John-
son-ave on June 80 1894 The fire was MADE 1or
tho nuroose of securing the Insurance. ana Wheh
tho money which the men received was diVloeo
II is alleged that Hirschkopf got the hon shaie'
The fire had number Of suspicious circuni-
stances and Mr.. Lewis. who was FIRE Maisn"''
instituted an investigation. Zundt was d .Na'
time attached to the Office as detective anu nc
and Mr. Lewis's assistant. Mr. Rice lnteres'eo
themselves in the case ir a way that led TO the
charge of conspiracy
II appeared that a halter. DAVID Weihis' hi'o"
much about the fire, but Mr.. Wein'g gave HIS
information to Detectve-Sergeant Ryan ana "o'
to the fire marshal In the mean time hleii hau
d,sanpeared but through the information which
Detective Ryan obtained from We1hlg' lie ""'
discovered in Philadelphia and arrested
The cause is not given positively, although pro-
fessonaI jealousy is limited at; but for some rea-
con Zundt had Weinig arrested on July "a, 1894,
ON charge of extorse". He alleged that on
Julv G. Weinig had told Klein that unless ne
gave him $50 he would go to the authorities
with the information which he had about the
fire When the case was brought on for hearing
before the Police Magistrate, however. Ryan
testified that at the very time when II was al
legged that Weinig was making his demand on
Klein, the prisoner was with the detective wa'ch-
ing the house of IIirschkopf, st No. 81 NorfoiK-
ST Welnig was discharged on his own recogni-
zance and the case was never pressed
Klein was brought from Philadelphia few
DAYS ago and arraignei on the indictment charg-
ing him with arson. He pleaded not guilty ana
was remanded for trial Yesterday morning he
was taken before the Grand Jury and gave tes-
timony before that body for some time
The Indictment for conspiracy is found on the
ground that the defendants conspired to have
Weinig arrested on the charge of extortion.
When Mr.. Lewis had been arraigned and re-
leased on bail, he was asked what his opinion
was regarding the charges against him.
MIR. LEWIS CALLS 1T AN OUTRAGE.
."This whole thing he replied. is the work
Of blacklegs. conspirators and hrebugs. Inc
charge against me is Matched up suppose. De-
cause l discharged my duty faithfully when
/ was In Office. and sent to prison mere hrepugs
than any other officer in the country. MY con-
slant warfare against them has aroused feel
Ing that mas vent III CHdi6e' Ai@'S 10
absolutely no truth whatever in it. 1t is ut
terly false from beginning to end and l shall
prove it so as soon the case can be brought
10 trial. end that will be at the earliest posi-
BILE moment. You may rest assured that some
one will smart for this before l am through.
General Benjamin F. Tracy Is counsei tor Mr..
Lewis 1t is known that the District-Attorneys
Of New-York City and Brooklyn are working
in harmony in these cases, which, IT Is eX-
pected, may be followed by others OF sensa-
tional kind and in which Lewis and MS al
legged co-conspirator may be principals. AS
sistant District-Attorney Miles on THURSDAY
had conference in New-York with Acting DIS
trict-Attorney Vernon NJ. Davis. OF Colonel Eel
lows's office. Mr. Davis had charge OF the
prosecution of firebugs in New-York CITY, ana
now thinks he has evidence that Will be the
means of placing Hirschkopf in the electric
chair Charges Of a conspiracy to BRIDE jurors
were freely circulated in NewYork some months
ago in connection with the f1rebug cases. Inc
experience Of the officials In experimenting inc
alleged firebugs has been that they have intense
loyalty to each other for selfish motives, WIFI
an apparent determination to leave nothing un-
done that would CT se the mouths OF possible
informers. This particular gang or nreDues' IL
is said was in we-organized conspiracy to
commit arson in both Brooklyn and New-York
City, in order to recover insurance money.
A UNITED COURSE OF ACTION.
Messrs Davis and Miles. 1t seems. agreed upor
a. course Of prosecution that would aid in the
conviction Of the guilty men in both cities. and
Mr. Davis consented TO lend some or his Wit
nesses to the Brooklyn officials, to appear
against the alleged frebugs 1t was announced
Yesterday morning that two Of the witnesses wh'
would give valuable testimony are Rosenbaun
and Mich who said to have belonged TO tn
firebug confederacy Of which Hirscnkopt ah'
Klein are alleged to have been the leaders.
District Attorney Backus yesterday Afternoon
told a Tribune reporter that one charge ha'
been made against Lewis Rice. Zundt am
II,rechLonr Jointly indicted for conspiracy, an
that testimony had been given against them .!
Klein, as chief witness with several other VIII
nesses. Mr.. Backus would not say VINO ines
n,hsr witnesses were He said that he hoped Z
bring the arrested men to trial within the month
and that possibly the trial might take week
When asked to say whether or not there wer
Ill IL iatril "A