The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-12-29

Frederick Cook, alias Frederick Eng
lish, alias r. Locke, was arrested in
Boston yesterday, charged with having
twice set fire to the Tontine hotel. Cook
was arrested by Detective Sergeant
Dennehy of this city, who went to Bos-
ton for that purpose with Watchman
Burton Of the Tontine hotel, who was
taken along to identify the man. The
two went to Boston Monday night.
About o'clock as they We're walking
down Atlantic avenue, near the docks,
scanning closely every man whom they
saw, they met Cook walking down the
street toward the docks Burton, who
saw Cook on his last visit to the hotel,
at once recognized him and said to Ser
geant Dennehy that's the man you
want Cook submitted to arrest quiet
1y. On his person at the time of his
arrest was found 32-calibre seven
shooter revolver, which was loaded
Cook at the Boston police headquar-
tiers under cross examination admitted
having set fire on two occasions to the
Tontine hotel and claimed that five
years ago Manager White of the Ton
tine did an injury to him, and he out
of revenge set the fires. What the in
jury was Cook declined to say, but said
he thought he was justified in setting
fire to this place on that account. He
added: 81 am satisfied now to stand
the punishment for the offence"
Cook consented to come to come to
this city with Sergeant Dennehy with
out requisition and was brought here
last evening, arriving here shortly after
o'clock. He was closeted with Cap
tain Cowles, Superintendent Of Police
Wrinn and others Of the police and de-
tective force in a star chamber session
for over an hour. The result Of this
conference was not made public.
The appearance Of Cook is the result
of one of the shrewdest and most
thorough police investigations ever con-
Quoted in this city. The arrest is not
alone highly creditable to Sergeant
Dennehy, who made it, and the remark
ably sharp eyes of young Burton, who
pointed him out to the officer, but to
the detective force as whole, which
has kept constantly on the mans trail
like sleuth hound, since the last fire
was set in the Tontine on Christmas
morning. Captain Cowles stated last
evening that clews of the man who set
the fire were in the hands of the detec-
tives on the day of the fire. Suspecting
that the firebug had gone to Hudson
Mass, Sergeant Dennehy was sent to
that place on the day of the fire. 1t is
known now that Cook did not go to
Hudson from here. In Hudson Sergeant
Dennehy found several acquaintainces
of Cook, and learned from them that
Cook had been talking for long time
of going either to England or to Jack
sonville. Merigon, the turpentine and
oil dealer, some of whose bill heads
were found in the vest left by the oc-
cupant of room 19 in his hasty flight af-
ter the fire, was seen by the detective
who learned that Cook had been in Mer-
rigon's employ some months before.
With these clues to work with the
detectives at once set about blocking
lid every avenue through which the fu-
gitive could escape to either Jackson
VILE or England. 1t was thought that
he would attempt to ship on board one
of the boats sailing from New York or
Boston. Accordingly Sergeant Denne-
hy was dispatched to Boston Monday
night. Young Burton was taken along
to identify the man as Sergeant Den
nehy had never seen him. Captain
CowIes. who had a first class reco1lec-
ton of the man he wanted, went to
New York to watch the outgoing boats
with Detective Donnelly. The New
York city detective force rendered eff
cient service to Captain COwles and
four detective of the city force were de-
tailed to each outgoing vessel to sean
every man who went on board The fol-
lowing description of Cook was given
to the New York detectives by Captain
Cowles and was printed and placed in
the hands of every man detailed to the