The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-06-11
INCENDIARY AT TEN
Otto Brannstein Confesses
to Starting a Fire in
Mr.. SWeeney's Barn.
FATHER A WALL STREET BROKER
Nervous Disorder and Dime Novels
the Cause-His Life May
Be in Danger.

OF otto Brannstein, a broker at No. 46
Wall street, New York. who lives at
NO. S6 Fairview avenue, was arraigned
before Justice Nevin in the Second
Criminal Court this morning., on the
charge of attempted arson and was pa
rolled in the custody of his father to APP
pear for further examination on We'd
nesday morning next.
Detective Larkins, who arrested the
boy, was the only witness who appear
ed against him this morning. Clarence
r. Sweeney, the man whose barn was
fired, was not in court and does not ap-
pear anxious to press the charge, all
though it was on his complaint that
young Brannstein was arrested. The fa-
ther of the boy interceded for him and
told the justice that he has been i'll
for several months with nervous COM
plant and is not at all times responsible
Brannstein to secure a statement to thar
effect from the doctor who is treating,
the boy and produce it at the hearing or
Wednesday.
It was at about five o'clock yesterday
afternoon that the attempt at arson oc-
CURED. Mr.. Sweeney lives at No. 81
Z diIfiGW avenue, TWO QOOrS from tHG
Brannsteins. He entered the stable al
the rear of his house shortly before five
o'clock. AT the door he met young Brann-
stein. who was just leaving the building,
AS he entered Mr.. Sweeney smelled smoke
and on investigating he discovered pile
of refuse in a blaze in the centre of thu:
floor. He put the fire out with his foot
and then inspected the material that il
was composed Of He was astonished II,
find the wood and paper saturated will,
kerosene oil.
He connected the visit of Brannstein tt,
the stable with the blaze and reported
his suspicious to Captain Farrier. Far
rier instructed Detective Larkins to ar
rest Brannstein. Larkins met the boy OH
the street, returning from an errand The
lad did not deny his guilt At first he told
the detective that he secured the kero-
sene at his own house and then he con-
tradicted that and said he knew nothing
about the OIL Later he made a clear
breast of it to Captain Farrier.
Following in his statement
Il thought 1 would make a little fire
| and then tell Mr.. Sweeney about it.
thought he would give me some money
for telling him, but he didn't / got a Lei
of paper and bits of wood together anl
set fire to them in the middle of tn,
| floor. l got the kerosene in my owl
| house."
Mr.. Brannstein told the police las,
night, that his son has been in the habi
| of reading great many dime novels OF
| the sly. He and Mrs Brannstein hat
| destroyed these whenever they could fint
them and had punished Otto for having
| them in his possession. So great is hi
| passion for them, however, that he hsS
been known to hide them beneath til,
| mattress of his bed and between til,
| sheets. Four weeks ago he built a bon
| fire beneath the kitchen window of TIL
house No. SS Fairview avenue, occupiet
| by Mrs Benedict and nearly set fir
| to the building.
Mrs. Brannstein was seen this morning
| by a reporter for 1.-THE News" At frs
| she was not inclined to say much abou
the matter and credited it to boyisl
prank Later hSweyer sSo she talked freel!
HE has been sick. and in the hand
| of a specialist for four months. Fo
over two. months he lay fiat upon hi
live. 1t is only within the last few
\ weeks that the doctor has permitret
| him to go out He has heart and lunt
trouble and we have often picked hin
| up in an unconscious condition. 1t wa
only two weeks ago that we found hin
unconscious in the bath tub with a BIZ
cash in his head, where he had hi
| against the faucet 1 do not believe Ii
| was wholly accountable for what he dix
| yesterday. He did not realize the grav
| he would not have boasted about it Il
| the other boys as he did. | think hi
| idea was to start the fire and put it OIL
so as to get the credit of being brav
/ boy.
1T has affected him SO that we fear h
| will have relapse. If he does, thels
4 will be little prospect of saving his life
| His father is almost beside himself owe
| the affair." and / have not slept a min
| ute since it occurred. The doctp
/ of Forty-second street, New York, spe
cialist in nervous diseases"