Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-10-13

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HE remarkable death In
~ Jersey City Of a fire
- bug" who was killed
~ y through his own clumsi-
VA III ness while setting fire to
6Gf IN a building which he had
mJ W been hired to burn down
W-0r-N has not often been sur
3E4& passed as an example Of
I'M prompt retributive jus
~ tice- Hoist with his
own petard" is such a
worn old phrase that one hesitates TO
use II now, but Frank Walsh. burglar
and incendiary. must have felt just
that way when the can Of gasoline
which he brought with him to ignite
the once Of the Long Dock Milling
company suddenly exploded and
wrapped him In deadly flames His
agonised yslls brought help sufficient
20 save the building but not to save
his life. He had been hired for SO 70
do the job in order to cover up
fraudulent entries In the cashiers
books. but be dropped his cigarette in
the gasoline can and thus dumped
the fat In the FIRE" with a vengeance.
But however dramatic the fate OF
clumsy Walsh and the consequent ex-
posture Of his acccmplices may be by
themselves. they have deeper signifi-
canoe when viewed In the light OF the
recent discovery that there exists a
countrywide arson trust. with head
quarters in Chicago and representa-
lives In nearly all the large cities. the
members Of which make business Of
setting IRE to buildings skillfully. in
order 20 enable the owners to collect
large sums Of insurance.
Murder as q fine art. the scientific
management Of arson. together with
the proper strategy and conduct of
private warfare. are subjects perhaps
better understood In Chicago than any
where else in the world Lest any Of
her great sister cities should feel en-
vious OF Chicago. let 1t be admitted
that Berlin and Vienna also have their
IRE gangs. Paris exhibits a pretty
taste In Apaches. New York fosters
Paul Kelly associations. Madrid has
It's garroters and Canton its high
binders Yet the following tale shows
that the Chicago savans have rpplied
business principles to crime In man
nsr far excelling the coarse efforts Of
their rivals:
On the fourth floor Of No. 23z South
Market street. In the Windy City. was
situated the goodly clothing establish
ment OF l. Dreyfus & Co.. wholesalers
II was operated by the brothers Leo
pold and Lazard Dreyfus. who had ap-
pareEtly an extensive city trade. The
brothers were extremely liberal buy
ers Of clothing stocks. and the store
was visited by swarms of customers.
Gossip had II that more goods we're
carted In than could ever be disposed
OF. and that many Of the customers,
20 called. carried away fictitious bills
Of sale.
In the spring Of this year a set Of
private investigators began to pry into
the affairs Of Dreyfus & Co. Inquiry
at Dun's and Bradstreet's brought out
the fact that the firm owed its cred
Itors $4,000. An expert who visited
the store in the guise of retailer
Judged that goods valued at $4,000
lay on its shelves and counters. The
Insurance carried totaled $4,000, d.
vided among eleven companies. includ.
Ing the United States Fire. Of New
York AS the result OF further snoop-
Ing around among the clothing trade
It was also discovered that Dreyfus
q Co were slow pay. and the manu-