New-York tribune., 1912-12-04


nocket Rothenberg agreed to tell MIN
ALL about the fire, Pitcher said, If Horo-
witz refused to pay him 5000. IT was OH
July 15 1911 when Pitcher. Rothehoels
and Kohler met in a restaurant on SIM
avenue. that Rothenberg finally told ABOUT
the fire, Pitcher said
HE started to tell me about the nre'
Pitcher testified, looking straight d.
Rothenberg, who flushed nervously, anu
I said | couldn't remember all that; some
one would have to write 1t down. %
KohIer wrote it down. Rothenoerg 'o'u
MS that three weeks before the hre ne
had been approached by lsidor Horo"l'%'
the brother of Charles, who asked MN
how much he would ask to set fire TO the
store at No. 142 Fulton street. Ro'heh-
berg asked him how much the place was
insured for, and Horowitz told him W.
OO0 Then Rothenberg said that NoO was
his price. a.
"Then Horowitz gave him the key 10
the store and three alarm CLOCKS.
DAYS before the fire he asked lsi'o'
Horowitz, who had told him he was dc'-
ing for Charles, for SO to get some sup
Mics Isidor refused, and he went over
TO Newark and got hve gallons OF gaso-
lene, which he put In a spring ""'e'
bottle. and quantities Of three cheinicalS'
Of the names Of which he didn't seem "
no quite sure, except that he knew ohe
Of them was sulphur and that comous-
tion ensued when they came together.
AT $50 o'clock the night OF the nre ne
hf
LET himself into the store win MS he'
One alarm clock he put down cellar anu
two on the main floor. He had set each
~ them TO go off at 1890. quantity OF
one OF the chemicals he placed IN re-
ceptacles resting on the alarm Keys vi
the clocks. Quantities OF the other two
chemicals were placed beside the CLOCKS
en- that when the alarm went OIL the
first chemical would be upset upon 'he
other two and a fire would follow. lhirly
minutes after he had entered the store he
went out and loked the door behind him.
Went Back for Fuses.
"he went back few days iater' DC
cause he had forgotten bundle oi tusee'
He had led tine fuses from the coihous-
,ion centres TO inflammable materials, out
had not used them all. He passed the
fire patrolman at the door by saying ne
wanted to see about a picture he had left
,bere and recovered and destroyed MS
fuses.
"He said that a few days after the hre
he had met Isldor Horowitz In l2oth
street, and that Horowitz had saiu W
him: The deal is closed and we VIII nave
plenty Of money for the summer.
Pitcher then told Of a trip he had made
to Newark with Rothenberg trying 70 hhu
where he had bought the chemicals ana
their proper names. Rothenbers had IN
sisted. he said, that they were sulphur
"clorig of medic" and early" Pitcher
produced scrap of paper. on which, ne
said Rothenberg had written those
names. and II was admitted. In evidence.
Pitcher said drug store clerk hao tolu
him that "clorig of medic was prooaols
chlorate OF potash, but that no one recos-
nized early"
on cross-examination II was brought
ont that Kohler had told Pitcher OF tour
or five other fires set by Rotnenpers'
among them two In stores owned py
Isidor Horowitz
|. Samuel Weyman, formerly salesman
for the New York Frame and Picture
Company, identified five paintings whlch
were found in Rothenberg's home when
he was arrested. These paintings Wey-
man said, had been in the store the day
before the fire. They were placed IN evil
dence. Weyman also said that before
leaving the store the night of the fire ne
placed several picture frames, at th'
direction Of Charles Horowitz, at the
head of the stairs. 1t was there that fire.
men found a spring water bottle which
smelled of gasolene.