The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1905-04-21
HELPED SET ONE FIRE
EARL FAIRBANKS ADMITS HE
WAS IN THE GANG.
NAMES YOUTH WHO DID DEED

The Latter Has Left Town and Po.
lioemen are Now Hot on His Trait.
Tells How They Got Out OF the Po.
liceman's Way and liz a Barn.
The case against Earl Fairbanks
was brought up In Justice Esclcy's
court this morning and was continued,
on request of Attorney KocnlgstcIn,
untll Thursday afternoon at . o'clock
Fairbanks was released on $500 bnil
last night and is now at liberty.
Oniccrs pilgcr and Livingstone. who
searched stanton yesterday for the
missing and much wanted youth al.
legged to have set the fire, returned
last night, no trace OF the boy having
been found. The officer found that
there Is no suspicion nt stanton re-.
gardlng the setting of the fire by II
Norfolk man. Ms II is practically known
nt stanton who Is responsible for the
fire there.
Chief of Police Larl,in left this
morning for the east In search of the
lad. He tclophoncd to Bccmcr last
night and a search for the boy nj that
place was made, but he was not 10.
Gated. The officer went on to Omaha
where II Is thought the fellow Is locat-
ed and where a search Is being made
today.
Earl Fairbanks. u South Norfolk
youth of eighteen years, was arrested
A
city Jail, charged with setting fire to
the barn at South Norfolk which
burned week ago. He has admitted
that he saw the act of setting the
fire, and has named to the police an.
other young man who, Fairbanks says,
did the deed. Two others, in fact,
are implicated In the work. the one
| who Is alleged to have set the fire
now having disappeared from the city.
Two policemen left town at noon in
an EFFORT to locate him, and II Is pos
sible that he may be arrested before
night.
"Yes. saw the fire being set.
which destroyed that barn OF Beed's
at the Junction last week." said young
Fairbanks to News representative
today. "The three of MS had been west
on the passenger train at night. At
cord and the train stopped. While
the trainmen were looking around for
an accident, we hoped off and re.
turned on freight train. out Of the
| journal Of freight car we got waste
which, ignted, was the direct cause
of the fire In the barn. After we had
located Policeman Livingstone so that
we knew he was not in the way. we
went to the barn. The fellow lit II
and the barn burned. The boy who
! lit 1t ran home and the other two OF
! MS got n hose cart to fight fire"
"a viii XIII You Both.
"If YOU squeal on me-" said the feI
/ low who did II. 81 shall shoot both
| your heads on" This. according to
| Fairbanks. is the threat that was
made by the youth who started the
| fire. And so saying, he grabbed the
third OF the party by the neck and
choked him. Nor did either Of the
other two give out any information
until the offer OF $500 reward, con
templated. was published in Friday
| News. Then both were eager TO tell
what they knew, and the one alleged
! to have done II got out OF town.
The police think that the Christoph
drug store fire, the TrOcadero fire and
the fire in the Shaw house were all
set by the same crowd. Chief I.arkin
| gave Fairbanks several cross exam
| nations today. Fairbanks says he
| thinks the other fellow Is in Omaha
What was the motive for setting
/ the fire." was asked
Mere devilment." replied Fair
banks. "The kid who did 1t said that
he would have a devil OF time be.
! fore he got out OF town-and he said
that he would burn several other build
| ings, including the Junction church
and the Junction schoolhouse."
81 am sure will get out OF here all
! right" said Fairbanks. "Ill tell all
| know about the fellow who did set
the fire but didn't do II myself"