Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-12-06
FIREBUG AT NEW HAMPTON.
Former JanitOr Confesses to Setting
Fire to School Building.
Other Crimes.

Caught by Nightwatch Kruger in
"a questionable situation in the shed
at the rear of the National Clothing
store in the opera block Tuesday
night, Joe Wittenberg was arrested
and placed in Jail. After standing
the inquisition of Sheriff Russell
from 1870 until 400 o'clock We'd
was formerly janitor at the school
house, confessed that he set fire to
that building on Tuesday night of
last week. The confession was put
in writing and signed by Wittenberg
1t was about half past 900 o'clock
Tuesday night when a couple of boys
came along the street and noticed a
fire in the shed behind the clothing
store. They ran into the shed and
pulled out some old sacks that were
on fire. They then reported the mat
ter to Nightwatch Kruger. About
an hour later the nightwatch, who
had been keeping an eye on the
place, surprised Wittenberg by step
ping into the shed just as Witten-
berg was in the act of showing a
bundle of combustibles up into a
convenient place for firing. The
lnightwatch recognized the man
clearly and allowed him to go, re-
naming to look after any fire that
might show itself. Marshal Sher-
wood was called and Wittenberg was
arrested in the hall of a fraternity
order to Which he had a key, and
where he had prepared his shavings,
etc. The officers took him to the
sheriff's office and tried to get him
to tell about the fires. They were
not successful and the sheriff was
summoned from a social gathering
which he and his wife were attend
ing. There did not seem to be a
chance to get much out of Witten-
berg, and the sheriff finally said he
would lock him up until morning.
After Wittenberg had had time to
get quieted down in his cell the
sheriff went after him again with
the result that after the end of
three hours the prisoner gave it all
up.
In his confession W .tenberg said
that he went down into the furnace
room at the school house and took
kindling and papers out of a barrel
that was standing there and piled
them up on top of the metal shield
that is placed as protection be-
tween the furnace and the joists.
He was later at the fire and said
he helped to put it out He abso-
lutely denied any knowledge of the
second fire that caught in the third
story. He said he had.been drinking
of late and reading desperate
stories.
Wittenberg appears to have borne
a grudge against the school of which
he was janitor until last June. He
lost the position, and it said this
fact caused him to harbour i'll feel
ings.
The suspicion that Wittenberg was
responsible for the blaze behind the
National store seems to have had it's
origin in the fact of his having pre-
sented a worthless check to the pro-
prietors of the store in payment OF
an account. The amount was SIS
and Wittenberg gave his check on
the First National bank for $35.00,
receiving $4,000 in change. When
the check was presented at the bank,
payment was refused for the lack OF
funds.
No action has been taken against
Wittenberg for this latter offense,
but it is likely there will be unless
payment of the $40 is made. 1t is
supposed Wittenberg anticipated that
Motulsky & Orms would make him
trouble and that his twisted men
tally saw in the prospect reason
for doing an act of damage to the
firm.
A preliminary hearing was held
in Justice Mobiles court Wednesday
afternoon and the prisoner was put
under bonds of $1,000. He could
not furnish the bond and was sent to
Jail to await a hearing, which will
be held Saturday afternoon.
Wittenberg comes from pretty
good people, but has fallen into hab-
its that have been the cause of much
concern to his relatives. Hamp-
ton Gazette.