The record-union., 1897-10-31
THE SUSPECTED FIRE-BUG.
HOW JAMES WOODS CAME TO
BE ARRESTED.
Detective Fisher Worked Up the
Case, but Had Not Completed
His Proofs.

In connection with the paragraph IN
yesterdays ''Record-Union" concern
ing the arrest of a man on suspicion ol
having set a number OF hres receh'iS
some interest ting facts have come 10
light.
Several months ago stable IN tiie
rear Of Sheriff Frank I. Johnson res
idence caught fire in some mysterious
way, and Sheriff Johnson ana Detecllte
Max P. Fisher have since been patent
1v ar worl, irving to ferret out the
supposed incendiary. Repeated a.
tennis have since been made to set ire
10 vacant houses and stables, especlally
in the district bounded by K, w, Sew
enth and Ninth streets no less til1ah
five attempts have been made since
july to set fire to places in the immedl-
ate vicinity in which Detective Flsher
resides. and the latter has spent many
nights endeavoring to catch the hend
in the act of applying the torch
ON Sunday night, the 1lth INST, d
large stable at Eighth and w streets
against which several tons OF loose
flav had been placed, was burned anu
three horses perished in the flames. A
young man who works for man named
Mohrwmkle, and who slept in the barn,
barely escaped with his life. The sta
BILE was the property of Barklay Muir
who lives in the house adjoining.
Fisher at last struck a clew. He
called on Muir and outlined a plan Of
action which, had it been closely fol-
lowed. would not only have established
the identity of the fiend, but likewise
would have proved his guilt beyond
doubt.
The morning after the Muir fire at
Eighth and u streets, Detective Fisher,
in passing Sixteenth street, discovered
a Notwithstanding bundle of paper
partly consumed by fire, fastened IN
one Of the vents in the lower part Of
the English Lutheran Church on the
northwest corner Of Sixteenth and X
streets. Several other papers were
found jammed under the weatherboard-
ing of the outside of the church build
sng. and had there been any wind that
night the structure would have been
reduced to ashes. Fortunately, how
ever, the papers were packed so tight
lv that the fire went out before reach
Ing the woodwork.
Acting on the advise Of Assistant Dis
trict Attorney J. Chas. Jones and Sher-
iff Johnson, Fisher called on Chief
Guthrie of the fire department and
told of his discovery. He also placed
the Chief in possession of all the evi-
dence he had gathered regarding the
identity of the fire fiend. Guthrie ard
Fisher then agreed to work together
each to keep the other posted on what
he might learn.
Late Thursday night Chief Guthrie
was summoned by telephone to place
where he met Fisher and an old man
named Dave Walker, from whom the
detective had previously learned Ger
tain facts which convinced him beyond
all doubt that he was following the
right man. Walker then repeated his
story to Chief Guthrie.
The old man said he had known that
Muir's barn was to be burned on Sun
day night, and told of a number OF
other places that were burned by the
same man-whose name he had given to
Detective Fisher-including barn be-
longing to a man named Burgess, in
which a horse and buggy were burned
Fisher deemed it best to shadow the
suspected man for a while longer. as it
REQUIRED strong proof to establish
case Of arson. and as the evidence at
hand was not considered quite sufli-
cient by the District Attorney to war
rant the arrest of the man who at that
time was believed to be the guilty one
On Friday morning Chief Guthrie
took Walker to the office Of the City
Attorney, where the latter made a
statement Shortly afterward officer
Naghel was instructed to go to a black
smith shop on s street. between Sew
enth and Eighth, with Chief Guthrie,
and arrest one James Woods for the
crime of arson. and shortly before noon
Woods was locked up in the City Prison.
When Sheriff Johnson and Detective
Fisher were seen by "Record-Union'
reporter in regard to the matter they
declined to make any statement as to
why they had not been consulted in
regard to making the arrest. neither
would they say as to whether or not
Woods was the man named by Dave
Walker
James Woods has been running a
blacksmith shop, in partnership with
his father for a number of years on
street. Before moving into their pres
.ent quarters they had wagon shop in
the alley between Eighth and Ninth. K
and L streets, in the rear of the Cen
eral House.
Woods father died in the insane asy-
9um about four years ago. and 1t is
said that he also has been in the asy-
1um at Stockton. It is said the arrest
was premature and for that reason it
may now be impossible to procure the
evidence that was desired and which
snierht he necessary TO make ont a ca Sc