The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-10-31
Important Capture.

4mPO2 LcAL &aR1AA(e
One of the most important events to bs
recorded in the history of Ellis H. Parker
as county detective, is his apprehension
; of the incendiary who spread alarm among
farmers in Burlington and Ocean counties
for several weeks, and which may entitle
Parker to the rewards offered for the ar
rest of the culprit.
Rushing to the county jail In his auto
mobile Tuesday morning. the word spread
rapidly that Parker had captured the fire
bug. This took place near the Extonyille
school house after the suspect had been
traced to the farm of Frank Warner In
Chesterfield township, where the man,
John Thomas. was employed huskIng corn.
After handouts had been placed on
Thomas, the party, including Parker, Will
liam II. Armstrong, Of Trenton, and Pear
son Taylor, of Wrightstown, went to Al
lentown for dinner and the handouts were
removed. Here they we're joined by Steve
Bergen. A drive was then made to Red
Valley, and on the return Bergen remain
j.
portant prisoner headed for Mount Holly.
Before reaching Bordentown Thomas gave
evidence of his guilt by making desper-
ate attempt to escape. While putting
piece of tobacco into his pocket he Jump
ed from the machine The car was going
very fast at the time, as Mr.. Armstrong
was anxious to reach Mount Holly in or
der to return home. Rolling on the ground
for a distance OF about twenty feet, the
fugitive, who received no injuries, got
up and ran to a barn on the Norcross
farm, hiding under the hay In the loft.
With pitchforks the occupants Of the au-
tomobile soon dug their man out and
brought him to the county jail.
After Thomas had been placed In a cell
he admitted responsibility for the fires
which occurred on the farms of Elijah
Jones and Clifford Horner, near New
Egypt, and Pearson Taylor. The prisoner
said he had no sccomplice In the commits
sion of these crimes, to which he added
another chapter on Thursday by stating
that he also set fire to the buildings on
the Mary Longstreet farm, at Davis sta
ton on February IA. last.
In connection with his confession, an
other statement made by Thomas brands
him as being cruel horse thief At the
starting Of each fire by Thomas. his VIC
tim always found enough carcasses In the
ruins to correspond with the number of
horses that were In the barn.
This method OF horse stealing was not
suspected until the Pearson Taylor fire,
when Mr.. Taylor found shoes unlike those
which his horses wore, and this was one
of the clues that enabled Parker to clear
up the mystery. In order that there might
be no missing horses after fire, Thomas
would place In the barn an old animal Sc
cured In trading for a much better one he
took from the building before applying |
the match. In this manner he kept him
self supplied with good horses for trad
ing purposes. from which occupation he |
derived considerable money. Thomas has
expressed no regret for the property loss
he incurred, amounting to about 1000,
or for the suffering endured by the many |
horses which he deliberately consigned to
a horrible death.
Ever since the Taylor fire, both Parker
and Deputy Sheriff Joseph B. Fleetwood
have been uncsasing In their efforts to
clear up the mystery, which added other
interesting developments, on Wednesday. |
when they arrested Homer Herbert, who |
Is charged with having been connected
with Thomas In disposing of the horses |
stolen from the barns that were burned, |
and at other places. As yet nothing has
been learned that makes Herbert in any |
way responsible for the fires started by
Thomas, and 1t Is not thought that he Is |
connected with that feature of the case. |
Parker has succeeded in recovering all |
the horses that were stolen from the barns
which Thomas destroyed.
When convinced that these fires were
being started by horse thief. Parker had |
reason to suspect Thomas, whom he ar
rested twelve ago for stealing horse at |
Edgewater Park belonging TO Aaron and |
Budd Shedaker, for which crime he was
sentenced to state prison for eighteen |
months.
While Homer Herbert has never been |
convicted of crime, jury once gave him
the benefit of doubt, and In this way
he escaped punishment. Herbert was in
dicted for highway robbery, the charge
against him being preferred by Henry
Grant, hotel keeper at Cookstown.
In the matter of rewards for clearing
up this matter, Parker has received 500
promised by Walter E. Borden, of ia
cobstown, and the farmers In the vicinity
of Wrightown have expressed their In
tention of raising him q much larger
sum. There was also q reward Of $500
offered by the National Board Of Fire I'M
derwrftora