The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-02-26
Is He A FIREBUG
Dr.. Albaneslus Arrested and
Charged With Setting
Fire to His House.
HELD IN $4,000 BAIL
Sensational Rumofs About His
Marriage Denied-Extra-
ordiaary Develop
ments.
HELD IN $4,000 BAIL

When on the night of January 2S, Inc
handsome residence of DIR. Otto II. Al
banesius. at Ne. 376 Central avenue. was
gutted by fire, entailing a loss of $l1,0o0
the doctor received the sympathy of hun
dreds of people who believed ne had been
made the victim of an incendiary
They win doubtless be surprised now tc
learn that the good doctor himself is
the alleged incendiary, and that he is
now occupying a cell in the Hudson Coun-
ty Jail awaiting trial on an indictment for
arson.
Yesterday afternoon a bill was found
against him, and an hour later a capias
was issued and he was arrested. His
arrest is accompanied with the most sem
sationa developments. which will doubt
less startle the circles of society i'll
which he moved, and surprise the members
of the several social organizations of
which he was an active and popular men,
ber
The doctor is now resident of Ruther-
ford, N j.. having moved to that pretty
suburb only few days ago. He is a
bridegroom of only five days, and this, too,
will doubtless be q revelation to many
Again, it is alleged that his wife, who
was formerly Miss Tillie Schaub was
eoerced into marrying him to prevent her
from teslifying against him as TO the ar
son Of his home This circumstances,
coupled with other developments, make
the story a peculiarly interesting one.
Dr.. Albanesius was a bachelor. He
was a dentist. and enjoyed a lucrative
practice. He was hail fellow well
met and was reputed to be wealthy. About
= cne year ago police attention was first
attracted to. him. 1t was Oh the oeea-
sion of his reporting that he was almost
daily receiving anonymous letters in
which threats were made that his home
was to be fired. One letter went 50 far
as to convey the unpleasant information
that the incendiaries were going to fire
the house late at night when he was al
home, so that he might be burned to
death. The efforts Of detectives to To-
cate the author of the letters were fruit
less
One month after the first anonymous
letter was received, the doet3r's residence
was discovered to be on fire. The flames
were extinguished before any great amount
of damage was done The fire was in
vestigated and was pronounced 10 have
been clearly of an incendiary origin
Wien the occurrence blew over the doctor
again appeared en- tie -scene il tTie role Of
rec pient OF anonymous threatening
letters.
On July the ili-fated house was again
set on fire and partially destroyed. This
time it was caused by chowder party,
it was said, some of the members Of
whien in Shooting off rockets. directed
one AT the house. The ball entered an
opsn window and a few minutes later
the house was in flames
Last fall the doctor received another
alleged anonymous letter which said that
sure work would be made of the house
the next time it was fred All went well
Until January 23 Then the fire for
which the doctor is now under arrest oc-
Cured.
The flames were first discovered in the
operating room. Firemen responded
quickly The doctor. VINO was in a
neighboring saloon playing billiards, was
suInmoned, and he gave the surprising in
formation that there We're explosives in
that part of 81 house which was in
flames. This did not deter lhe firemen.
Iney We're making their way through the
house and had gust opened the operating
room when there was a terrific explosion
when shattered every window IN the
house Two fIreneH We're cut about the
Wnen the flames were finally extin-
guisned an investigation of the premises
was maze, and secreted in ne parior ii a
closet % pound keg of powder was
found. The doctor did not offer a very
plausible excuse for une presence Of such
z quantity of the explosive and Chief Of
Police Murphy az once set to work on
Little by little information was obtained
which placed the doctor under suspicion
,Ihe aoctor was questioned and quite re-
q c1f1s 7flr.r
letters ne had received. Subsequently, ii
developed that Miss Tillie Schaub had
also been receiving anonymous letters
about the time the doctor was getting
50 many. Miss Schaub's letters all ad-
yssed her TO marry the doctor II was a
Well-known fact in the heignborhood that
the doctor was paying attention to Miss
Schaub and it was also known that his
suit was not regarded with favor.
slowly ths chain of evidence was drawn
about the Doctor and he apparently re-
alizing he was Under suspicion did un-
usual things which convinced the police
g1cre and more that he was not ONLY the
anonymous letters. When Chief Murphy
had collected all the letters he passed
them over to Daniel T. Arnes, an expert
on handwriting and after careful ex-
been written by the same person.
To get specimen OF the doctors hand
writing WAS the next move
The company in which his house had
been insured for $10500. and for which a
partial agreement of settlement for
5000 had been made, was made the me-
dunn of communications The doctor wrote
the company about the Insurance and his
letter was at once turned over to Experi
AnleS. a was compared with the anony-
nous letters and pronounced the same
handwriting. This part of the case was a,
once presented to the Grand Jury
While ali these things were developing
against the doctor he was leaving nc
stone unturned to fortify himself and IN
doing so he pursued an extraordinary
course. Miss Schaub he feared. ii ap-
pears, would prove a damaging witness
against him and to prevent that ne de-
His first step was toAsecure home in
Rutherford, and then he started in te
make Miss Schaub Mrs. Albanesius
Last Thursday night he managed to gel
an audience with his intended by induc-
ing his sister to write a letter to her ask
ing her to call at her house at once. Miss
Schaub complied with the request and
according to the story given out by the
police, as soon as she stepped inside shs
found herself confronted by the doctor
his. brother and sister. At first she was
enHreated to marry him, but upon refus-
ing was coerced intaDdoing IT, She at once
went to Rutherford with him to live.
Her parents upon learning Of the mar
rage were panied and denounced the
whole proceeding.
It is expected there will be further sen
sational developments at the trial
This morning the d1ctcr was arraigned
before Judge Hudspeth to plead to thein-
7icfrnenf for arson. He was accompanied
by his counsel, ex-Judge Hoffman and
Alex mpson Bail was fixed az S. 900,
and Christopher Stork became his bonds
Today Dr.. Albanesius' friends tell !
different story regarding the marriage.