Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-06-23

OLD MANS NEW STORY.

Vi dill
Police Magistrate Stafford, at the
of the preliminary exami-
nation at O'Clock yesterday after
noon, held Mrs. Mary Osbar to the
grand jury in $500 bonds. charged
with arson. Joseph Kipp. the old
man who contested to Detective Hull
that he set fire to the Alday home
stead at the instigation of Mrs. Os-
bar. was then placed under arrest,
likewise accused of arson. He
waived examination and was also
held to the grand jury in $500
bonds.
Now Kipp says that the confession
that he made to Detective Hull was q
fake and was made in order that he
might regain his liberty, and be ex-
empted from further annoyance in
connection with the Alday affairs.
This, Kipp says, was promised him
by Hull. Kipp says he was ill when
he signed the alleged confession and
that he would have done almost
anything to get out Of Jail.
Kipp was the fest person arrested
after the Investigation of the burn
ing of the Alday homestead was be-
gun. He is an old man who had
worked for the Aldays for q quarter
Of century. He was member Of
the family, so to speak. He came
and went when he pleased. and no
one paid any attention to him. He
said the warrant originally issued for
his arrest for arson was sworn to by
Detective Hull. Hull denied Kipp's
entire story; said that the confession
was made freely. and that Kipp's ar
rest in the first place was caused by
William Alday. who. after the old
man confessed to the crime, with.
drew his complaint.
II lived within four blocks OF Al.
days house for 80 years." said
Kipp. "The first l knew of the burn
ing Of the house was at 5 O'Clock In
the morning when my wife told me
that the firemen had come down from
the hill. was at the Alday house
the day before, and cut down part OF
a partition to put in q door. lef,
about 8 O'Clock in the afternoon.
Will Alday was at the house, Mrs.
Alday having gone away"
Mrs. Osbar's Testimony.
Mrs. Osbar told her story about
the fire. The afternoon before the
burning Of the house, she said, she
went to Davenport and visited over
night with q family of relatives
named Reimers, and that the first
knowledge she had of the fire was
when her son, William, came over
after her in q buggy. Mrs. Osbar
denied most emphatically any know
ledge Of plan to fire the house. and
that the first she knew of there being
suspicion of arson was q few
months ago when her sons started
suit to break their fathers will. Mrs.
Osbar said the house. which was of
brick. had been repaired two years
previously and was in good condition
at the time Of its destruction. She
said all her clothes, except what she
wore, were burned in the fire. The
clock and music box were at the
jewelry store being repaired. Mrs.
Osbar admitted having q dispute
with the insurance company, refus-
ing to accept the proffered 1887,
holding that the house was more
valuable.
J. B. Oaklesf. OF Moline, who rep.
resented the company in which the
Alday property was insured. said
that 1887 was paid over to Alday'e
widow. William Aldsy said he was
present when his mother and Joseph
Kipp planned the burning Of the
rouse
Officers C. A. Shallberg and N. q.
Starofsky and Albin Youngren,
James McQuade, Edward Alday,
Mrs. Amelia Wendell, NJ. De Leu,
Herman Lage and Claus Allen also
testified.
Peter Fries, of this city, and Han.
Osbar, Of Davenport, Mrs. O.bar's
husband, went her bail. Kipp went
10 Jail. Mrs. Osbar has instructed
her attorneys, Haas q Buford and j.
T. Kenworthy. to defend Kipp. Mrs.
Osbar is large woman. She is cool
and determined and does not seem
at all worried over the charge against
her. She is 4s years of age. She
says she lived with Alday IS years
as his mistress, and under the same
roof with his wife. and that Edward
and William Aldsy. her two sons,
aged rs and % years respectively,
we're born out of wedlock, Alday
marrying her Al years ago. shortly
after the demise Of his wife.
Mrs. Osbar scoffed ct the sugges-
ton Of States Attorney Searle that
her husband WAS worth $50, 600.
She said she could not tell exactly
the value Of the property he left her.
She was named % executor In the
viii. which left her everything.
The Inquest - to the cause Of
Adam Alday's death was resumed o,
5 o'clock this afternoon at Coroner
Eckhart's Office.
Just try . 10 cent box Of Cascarets,
the 6uAaf liver and ho~al p<OoIsxov