New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-19
ADJUSTERS IMPLICATED
BY "F|REBUG' |NFORMER
Whitman Had CleWs That Led
Him to Trail of lnCen-
diary Ring.
ONE BLAZE MELTED S245
District Attorney Told by
"Izzy the Painter" That
Mechanics" Were Cut
ting Rates for Fires.

The arrest yesterday of Abraham
schlichten, who admitted hiring "lzzy
the Painter" to set fire 20 his fiat, marks
the trail which District Attorney Whit
mans inquiry into the larson trust VIII
probably follow for several days. That
trail leads to the public fire adjuster II
may lead further II it does, some ad-
tuster will undoubtedly consider 1t the
part Of wisdom to point the way.
schlichten is charged with arson in the
second degree. Soon after he had been
held by Magistrate Freschi in the Tombs
police court ne announced he had some
thing 20 tell the District Attorney. He
was taken TO the office of Royal II. Wei
Ter. the Assistant District Attorney VINO
has the arson cases in charge. Schlich-
tens story corroborated that already tolo
by "Izzy" Steinkreutzer regarding his
fire.
schlichten, in December. 19ll, was liv-
ing at No. 315 East lost street. HIS
furniture was insured for $500 neigh
Dor introduced him to "Izzy." and for $50
.Tzzy" agreed to make fire for him, he
said.
Bemoaned Their Loss.
While SchHchten and his family were
away "Izzy" came i'm with half pint
flask Of benzine and started fire IN the
clothes closet. Schlichten and his wife
came running down the street behind The
;iro engine, wringing their hands ana
moaning: MY house! My furniture All
that have in the worlds burned ana l
have nowhere 10 lay my head!
Within a short time Schlichten had OBJ
tanned through an adiuster settlement
for S25 with the London and Liverpool
and Globe Insurance Company. although
he said yesterday that the articles burned
were not worth more than $50.
Schlichten's case will be taken up by
the grand Jury tomorrow. and within r
short time Schlichten himself, with 'Izzy'
and hremen who can give corroooratng
testimony. will appear before the grand
Jury as witnesses against the adjuster
who got the S2j for Schlichten
Tho adjusters, among whom were ROD
ert J. Rubin and George Grutz. now under
Indictment are regarded by the District
Attorney as the most important quarry
Among them Rubin has begun to loom
up as one of the chiefs. and when he Is
arraigned tomorrow Mr.. Weller will ask
that his bail be fixed at $4,000.
According TO the story told by 'lzzy.
il is the ambition of every mechanic 10
become a public adjuster. Most of the
eight or ten dishonest adjusters who de
frauded the insurance companies on hres
set by "Jzzy" and his gang are graduates
Of the mechanic" class, according TO
Ivy" The District Attorney believes
that if the crooked adjustcr can be elimi-
mated an important part Of the arson
problem will have been solved. In case
of necessity, '1zzy' says, the adjuster
could dispense with the services Of the
mechanic" and set the fire himself.
Tenants Cannot Escape.
Ivy" In continuing his story, is i'm
plicating more people every day, and
with the certainty that their testimony
will be Invaluable in obtaining indict-
ments against dishonest adjusters, the
District Attorney will permit no guilty
tenant 10 escape As fast as sufficient
evidence can ne obtained against tie"'
the tenants VIII be locked up.
'Izzy" told about more fires yesterday.
Most Of his fires he regarded as salts
factory, but in one case the adjuster told
him that there were not enough charred
clothes about to obtain much insurance,
80 ''Izzy'' and the tenant burned some
old rags TO make the debris more realis-
tic. So generally satisfactory were
"Izzy's" fires, he says, that he was inn
nortuned on all sides: Ivy do me the
favor and make me a fire" Some, too
avaricious. "Izzy" says to pay his modest
fee Of from SO to so. tried to make their
own fires. They generally came TO grief
because. lacking '1zzy's" experience. they
left their windows closed, thus smother
ing the fire; or used kerosene, which left
an odor. or did something else which
aroused the fire msrshal's suspicious.