Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-02
Council Bluffs
Grand Jurors
Will Look Into
Arson Charge
Testimony of Richard Foreman Re-
suits in Holding Of Alexan-
der Sigman.

As a result of the testimony of Richard
Foreman. a horse trader. given at the pre-
liminary hearing before Justice Cooper o.
Council Bluffs yesterday afternoon, Alex.
ander sigman, charged with arson in con.
n~ection with the burning Of his feed barr
at sol East Broadway at an early hou
Sunday morning, was held to await the &C.
tion OF the district court grand jury. His
bond was placed at $500, which he fur
nished.
Sigman was arrested at his home imme-
dlately following the fire by the police and
he spent Sunday in the city jail. On the
case being called in police court yesterday,
Fremont Benjamin, attorney for Sigman,
took a change Of venue to the court OF
Justice Cooper, where the hearing was neld
during the afternoon.
Foreman testified that about two weeks
ago sigman asked him what he knew about
killing horses and whether strychnine
would do the work. sigman said at the
time, 50 the witness testified, that he in
tended burning down his barn and offered
him Foreman) S25 TO do the job. Foreman
refused the offer and straightway told the
police of Sigman's offer and his statement
regarding his intention to burn down the
barn. Sigman, SO Foreman declared, ex-
planned that he intended to place lighted
candles in boxes filled with shavings so
that when the candles burned down to the
shavings the latter would become ignited
and the start the building on fire in a num-
Der Of places.
Foreman said he was at Sigman's barr
Saturday evening about 1880 O'Clock and
saw Sigman lighting matches in the hay
loft The witness hung around the place
a HVaIffnn AaHafaAr,,t At 80
5 O'Clock Sigman left the barn by the back
door and meeting the witness said you
can hike on home, the fire is already lit
ana the place ought TO go up pretty
soon"
Foreman stated that he was a horse
trader by profession and that he lived at
10 Glen street.
When Foreman was called to the wit
ness stand Attorney Benjamin asked him
IL he did not carry a revolver. Foreman
declined to answer and Benjamin started
TO swear out an information charging the
witness with carrying concealed weap-
ons. At this point Assistant County At
torney Ross, after a brief consultation
with the witness said that Foreman was
prepared to admit he carried a revolver
and the weapon was produced. Foreman
stated that on entering the court room he
had offered to turn the weapon over to
officer. Richardson but the latter had
told him to keep II. THE officer corrobo-
rated this statement later. Attorney Ben
tamin insisted that the assistant county
attorney fileAan- information against the
witness for going armed but Mr.. Ross de-
ciined to do so under the circumstances.
Captain Schafer OF the police force testi-
fled to Foreman warning the police de-
partment OF Sigman's alleged intention to
burn down the barn and that in conse-
qpence the place had been watched and
Officer Richardson had been around the
barn until after midnight SATURDAY. eE7
A.'C. Walker. an insurance agent testi-
ffed that Sigman had placed 5000 insur-
ance on twelve horses, eight buggies and
vehicles, harness, feed and, other equip
ment Of the barn. During the hearing
1t was shown that recently Sigman dis
posed Of all his good horses replacing
them with stock, which it was said, were
not worth over SIS a head.
Charles Huber, owner Of the building.
testified that he had notified Slgman
that he wanted the place by February ].
He also testified to finding a t~wo-galIon
Jug Of coal oil In a small room in the
loIt. huDer sald ne TOOK the jug TO a
blacksmith shop adjoining the barn and
told Sigman that he did not want his
place burned down. f4
Slgman denied setting fire to the place
and swore that he had been at him home
from s o'clock Saturday evening, and that
the first intimation he had of the fire
was when the officers came to his place.
His statement as to being home satur-
day evening were corroborated by mem
bers of his family,
Justice Cooper in deciding to hold sig
man to the grand jury said that, in his
opinion the most damaging evidence
against the defendant was that he had
disposed OF the horses upon which he. had
placed insurance of 800 a head and re-
placed them with animals which the ac-
cused himself admitted were not worth
more than SIS a head.