The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-15
Admitted That They Had Set
SO Fires.
Value Of the Property Destroyed
Amounted to $2,000,000.

F. To Fire Marshal WnltcomD tney .Tee4y
confessed TO having set SO fires in Cam
bridge. waltham. Somerville, Brighton
end Watertown, in fact TO being the
much wanted Cambridge and Somer-
Vile incendiaries. The fires they set
destroyed. so Mr.. Whitcomb estimates,
$4,000, 900 in property. Reid lived at s.
fremont street and Daley at 50 Webster
avenue, Cambridge. They set the fires
because of love Of excitement, they
say.
The great enormity OF their crimes did
not seem to weigh heavily upon them as
they occupied chairs in Marshal Whit
combs private office last evening, but
later. when Inspector McKenna OF Wal
tham snapped a steel bracelet on the
wrist of each and led them away TO con-
finement. the tears trickled down Reid S
checks as he realized where he was go
ing.
Daley, In his confession. has not only
made a clean breast of his recent doings.
but also admits that his was the hand
which applied the match to the Holt &
Bugbee lumber yards In Cambridge two
years ago, which entailed loss of 81, 900, :
000
The other confessions of the firebugs,
signed In the presence OF Marshal Whit
comb, witnessed by Inspector William
McKSnna OF Waltham and James Muir
ray OF Cambridge, set forth the fact that
Daley and Reid have been operating to-
gether since last August.
The Brighton stock yard and abattoir
fires, the destruction OF Places box fac
tory In Cambridge last Tuesday evening
the Woven Hose CO y pany and the Wood
Memorial church fires were all planned
and carried out successfully by the
youthful incendiaries. Every little de-
tail of their origin has been carefully ex-
planned by Daley and substantiated by
Reid.
Reid was the one who entered the
building first. and then admitted Daley,
who set the fires In about every case by
using q candle, first surrounding 1t with
iniammable material. In every case
the plan worked to perfection, and gave
them ample time to escape from the
premises.
Reid never worked alone. being faint
hearted, but Daley, when his fancy ia
vored, embraced every opportunity
which presented itself.
The state fire marshal began his work
of investigation the day after the first
stock yard fire in Brighton, and carried
II on until the capture Of the men yes
terdRy. He rented houses near tho
stock yards and placed therein members
OF his department., with instructions TO
watch night and day. The marshal has
been almost daily importuned by MEM
bers of the press for information regard
ing the doings of his department In the
matter. but on account OF the delicacy
CT the situation and the chances of spoil
ing the game, ne could tell practically
nothing
Two weeks ago the bareof Arthur T.
Lyman In Walfham was FOUND ablaze.
The flre showed unmistakable evidences
Of being of incendiary origin, and two
boys who rode up to the barn on bicycles
Just before the blaze started, inquired of
other boys IL they knew where pigeons
could be purchased. Being told that
there were a number of che birds In the
barn, they entered. and shortly after
they emerged the structure was I'm
flames.
Deputy Stone and Inspector McKenna
OF Waltham were put upon the case and
brought the two boys who lurked near
the barn and directed the cyclists TO
Boston Upon being examined they pro-
tested their innocence and gave excel
lent descriptions OF the riders, saying
In tfeir testimony that one of the boys
war red-headed.
The lads expressed the opinion that
the fire had been set by the men on the
bikes. II was also discovered, and Il
turned out TO be very material, that the
men rode what were known as Iver
johnson wheels. They also narrated
the story about the pigeons. and as re-
suit of the conference with the boys.
C'fficer McKenna was instructed by the
fire marshal 10 look out for the red
headed fellow who rode johnson
wheel.
Officer McKenna yesterday arrested
William T. Reid for stealing pigeons.
and Reid was locked up, I'm Cambridge,
at station 3
He weakened. and implicated Daley.
who was found. and upon being brought
20 Boston made a complete confession
and implicated Reid
The marshal therefore telephoned 10
Cambridge. where Reid was I'm custody.
and Chief Cloyes and Inspector Murray,
who have been diligently assisting the
state department I'm all these incendiary
cases, brought the prisoners TO the state
house.
Reid was with the fire marshal from :
o'clock til $3.50 last night. He corrobo-
Sates all that Daley has said regarding
90 his part In the setting OF the fires
Officer McKenna then took Reid and
Daley 20 Weltham TO answer the charge
bf setting fre 10 the Lyman barn. The
ease will go 10 the grand jury, and then
the great mass OF sensational testimony
,n the possession Of the fire marshal will
Ne presented
The prisoners are interesting studies.
6n the opinion OF the marshal they are
cot pyromaniacs. as they give the time
honored excuse In all cases that they
wanted excitement.
The bicycles upon which they mad,
visits TO different localities were two ~
sIv stolen by them from the store OF
jackson, Caldwell a Co, I'm Union square.
EJmerviiie. Two OF these wheels they
threw over Harvard bridge into the
Charles river
Governor 81. - atkinson OF Georgi'