Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-05-30
ALBERT LITTLE. OF PERRY
FIRED BARNS WHILE UNDER
INFLUENCE OF DRUG
DEPUTY FIRE MARSHAL
TRACY OBTAINS CONFESSION
With Evidence and Signs Affidavit
Of His GuiIt-Authoritiss Believe
Others Were Implicated in Crime
Little Late Knoxville Inmate.

Ferry, May 3V.-When Deputy state
Fire Marshal J. A. Tracy of Des
Moines secured written confession
urday night and then crept into the
alley behind the Osborn barn and set
it afire. he cleared up the mystery
which has been surrounding the recent
fires in Perry. Tracy arrived in Perry
Tuesday noon and with such evidence
as was furnished him he solved the
problem and had the confession by Z
o'clock Tuesday evening. The adn,is-
sions were then reduced to writing ard
Little signed the document.
Little, who is machinists helper
at the Milwaukee roundhouse, broke
down and with sobs and tears stream
ing from his face admitted that ne was
guilty He blames booze and drugs
for the condition of mind when
caused him to commit the crime Of
arson.
The young man at first denied knowl-
ing anything about the matter arc
protested against any though, that he
was connected with the deed How
ever. when the evidence was woven
around him and all his movements u
last Saturday and Saturday evening
disclosed, he broke down with con-
fession.
The confession which was sigred in
duplicate was deposited with the may
TO and with the state fire marshal at
EDS Moines This will be turned over
= ta af a
returns, County Attorney Vinegar he
ing out of the city. Further prosecu-
ton of the case will be in his hands.
Confession Of Fire Bug.
Litte's confession is signed IN a
shaking hand and witnessed by Claude
Mcmahon mad sworn TO by Deputy
State Fire Marshal J. a. Tracy. 1t
contains the statement by Albert Little
that he is q years Of age and lives
with his father in this city, and is en-
ployed at the present at the Milwaukee,
shops as machinist's helper. He stares
that he was committed to the state
hospital for inebriates at Knoxville
and was released only last month. re-
turning to Perry at that time.
On Saturday night, the date OF the
fires. he said he came down town and
attended the show at the Grand ana
left there during the early part OF the
evening Later he secured lot OF CO.
caine, where he does not say, and load
ing up on it, became as crazy man.
He remembers meeting John Bell ana
John Robinson during the evening ana
also remembers creeping into the alley
near Sixth street and setting small
pile Of refuse afire beneath the Fred
Osborn barn. Little states he does not
known why he did it as he held no
grudge against Mr. Osborn. He ex-
plains that he has drank no liquor since
he left the Knoxville institution.
Believe Others Also Guilty.
Deputy Tracy and Mayor Jones
have a number Of other Perry men I'M
der surveillance believing that Little is
not alone in the fires whcih have been
mysteriously started in this city. The
state department has become interested
in the matter by being informed from
a private source
The solution of the Perry fire mys-
terry makes eight confessions which
Deputy Tracy has secured from fire
bugs since the office was created. a
number of other convictions have been
secured but not upon confession. Mr.
Tracy was formerly the deputy United
States marshal from the northern Iowa
district and was a prominent resident
of Sioux City until his appointment by
Governor Carroll to the office he now
holds. His work in Perry has been Of
high merit and his early solution of
the mystery is tribute not only to his
own resources but also to the aid which
was given him by the local authorities.