The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-08-10
CAPTURED THE F|REBUG
Incendiary Caught While
Trying Again to Fire
Weastell's Stables.
HAD SENT THE FREHEN AWAY
He Is an Employe Who Had
Been Notified to
Leave.
lad SENT THE FlREHEN AWAY

The fourth attempt within a month to
burn down the stable. carriage shed,
house and other buildings of former
Street n Water Commissions John H..
Weastell, Nos. 149 and 151 Monticello ave
nue., was made early this morning. The
attempt was frustrated and the firebug
was captured. He is now in the hands OF
the police. He is John Herbert, twenty
three years old, of No. 34S East Forty
third street. New York, who was en-
ployed by Mr.. Weastell as a driver on one
of his milk routes.
His plans for destroying the buildings
were carefully laid, and it was only BY
| chance that they were discovered in time
to prevent a terrible catastrophy. MT.
Weastell's family and that of edward
Powell, who occupies the top floor OF MT.
Weastell's house, were asleep when the
fire was kindied. Mr.. Powell had been to
the picnic of the Elks. in Bayonne. He
returned shortly before two o'clock. lie
| has a horse in Mr.. Weastelfs stable In
stead of entering the house by the front
entrance he went through the stable yard
/ to see that everything was all right lie
and all the other members OF the mousse
hold have been -apprehensive of trouble
ever since the series of fires began, over
three weeks ago.
AS Mr.. Powell entered the stable yard
he smelled smoke and at the same time
he noted that one of the horses was max
ing a great racket, as if trying to kick
out the side of it's stall. He hurried into
the stable and found one of the stalls
blazing. In the corner was a bundle of
| blazing cotton waste which had been
soaked with kerosene oil. The horse was
loose in another part of the stable. The
blaze had burned the halter asunder and
released the animal. Mr.. Powell gave an
alarm of fire and reused the ~neighbors.
Fire Engine Company No. Is is located
directly back of Mr.. weastel's property.
In the other cases Of fire the firemen re-
sponded at once and quickly e~xtinguished
the flames. They did not answer Mr..
Powell's calls. The reason for their not
doing so developed later. The irebug had
taken good care that they should be out
of the way. Before firing the stable ne
had sent in a false alarm of fire from box
No. 62. at Cornelison and Fairmount ave-
nues. Engine No. Is had not returned from
that call. Mr.. Powell succeeded in putting
out the fire, which had not gained much
Roadway. A large crowd collected at the
scene of the fire. Among others h were
attracted by the cries were Patrolman
Bracken. of the Communipaw avenue sta
ton. and Private Waterman Hennessy,
who is employed by residents of Belmont
and Summit avenues and Aston place to
guard their houses.
AS the two officers approached the
building a man dartei out of The stable
yard. Powell was after him. shouting,
There he goes. catch Tim. They put af-
ter the man. who was Herbert, and cap
tured him in Gardner avenue after chas-
ing him nearly two blocks. Herbert pro-
tested tina he knew nothing of the fire. At
the C~ommunipaw avenue station he at
tempted to prove an alibi, and in doing
so. in the opinion of the police, estab-
lished his guilt. He declared that he was
sleeping in a building on Cornelison ave-
nue. last night and was only awakened
by the noise of the fire engines. The fact
that he was in Cornelison avenue at the
time that the false alarm was sent in
and was at Weastell's a quarter of an
hour later would seem to confirm the sus-
picion of Mr.. Weastell and the police that
he sent in the false alarm in order to get
the frernen away from the vicinity of the
buildings he intended to burn. The po-
lice do not know whether Herbert set the
other fires or not. but certain it is that
they were all made in the same manner,
with cotton waste saturated with oil.
Herbert had a grievance against Mr.
Weastell. He had been notified two days
ago that he would be discharged as soon
as a new man could be broken into a
knowledge of his route. Herbert was to
take the new man out at eleven O'Clock
last night, to show him the route. Eleven
O'clock came and he did not appear Mr..
Weastell waited a short time and was
forced to take the new man around him
self. In consequence of his having to do
Herbert's work. he was away when the
stable was fired. He got back with the
wagon Just in time to see Herbert arrest
ed. The whole thing was carefully plan
ned so that there could be no miscarriage
Of the plans of the frebug. Mr.. Weastell
was away from home, the fremen were
not within call, and apparently there was
no one to interfere.
Luckily Mr.. Powell arrived just in time.
He probably entered the yard just as Her
bert attempted to escape. The firebug hid
in the shadow of a wagon and attempted
to make his way out in the excitement
which followed the discovery of his crime.
When searched a key to the stable was
found in his pocket.
Herbert was %arraigned in the Second
Criminal Court this morning, but the case
was laid over until today week.