Los Angeles herald., 1905-10-27
COTTON CHILD
IS PYROMAN|AC
BOY ADMITS
SETTING FIRES
Youthful Incendiary Says He Is Fond
of Excitement and Wanted to
See Real FIames-Burns
Six Barns
Snecial to The Herald.

Special to The Herald.
SAN BERNARDINO, Oct. 26.-The
identity of the Cotton incendiary has
at last been uncovered and it is none
other than eight-year-old Dewey
Fritchett the lad who was suspected
of setting the last fire at the A. d.
Bailey barn but few days ago.
The lad has made a complete con-
fession, which has been taken by the
district attorneys office, telling in de-
tail how he set each of the numerous
barn fires, and especially interesting is
the story of how he managed to set
the last IRE, in face of the statement
of A. D. Bailey, the owner of the barn,
that the boy had been with him at the
time the fire started.
Young Pritchett states that Mr..
Bailey was engaged in talking to IN
old man at the corner of an alley
nearly block away from the barn,
and while Bailey's attention was di-
verted he ran as fast as he could up
the alley, entered the barn, touched a
match to the hay, then returned to Mr..
Railey and moment later CLIMBED in
to wagon with him and rode down
the street, the fire not being discovered
until they were a couple Of blocks
away.
A thirst for excitement is the only
explanation the boy can give for his
acts. He says he and other boys used
to play fire" and this led to a desire
to see the real thing.
The list of fires the town has had
in the past few weeks includes the
barns of Mrs. Kate Treddinick, w. w.
Wilcox, ]. C. Malone, I. w. Brink, Mrs.
Howard B. Smith and A. d. Bailey.
Buildings belonging to George Osborne
We're twice fired but the hey denies
that he had anything to do with that
job. The balance he tells just how he
accomplished firing. With the barns
burned were several rigs, one horse
and a quantity of tools and hay.
The boy IS the son of r. E. Pritchett.
an employe of the cement works, and
what will be done with him il being
now considered by District Attorney
Sprecher.
Criminals Still at Large
So far as known none of the escapes
from the county Jail have been cap
tured. Today Sheriff Ralphs received
telegram from Constable Westerfeld
at Indio, stating that the negro had
been captured there by him bat that
after a hard fight with him the negro
again escaped and had not been re-
captured. Clles of some of the men
going toward Barstow have been found
but so far none of them have been
captured.
W. M. Hoagland, or w. NJ. Brown as
he is now known, has arrived here
from Indiana with his aged father,
who he found in the Hoosier state.
The elder Brown is in feeble health and
will make his home here. 1t is said
the elder Brown years ago learned
that he had a son by the secret mar
riage, and though he had searched the
country over had been unable to To-
cate the boy. The father is said to
be worth fully 100000.
The tansle as to the street Lighting
contract for the coming five years will
probably result in the throwing out
by the council of all the bids sub
mitted Monday night and the calling
for new bids. 1t has been found there
are legal obstacles in the way of
awarding an electric contract, which
must be overcome by the calling for
bids for a fixed number of lights. Then,
too, a sentiment has developed in favor
of a shorter contract becouse of grow
ing municipal plant sentiment which
is expected to crytallize within short
period.
w. ]. Reed, for many years a well
known business man of this city and
later in business in Oakland, died last
night at the Mentone sanitarium at an
advanced age. The remains will be
taken to Oakland for interment.