Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-03-26
SAYS ARSON GANG
IS NATION WIDE
Chicago Prosecutor Explains
Its Grimes.
INGENDIARIES GET MILLIONS

Startling Evidence at Hand of How
conspirators Operate on Great Seal
In Many Cities, Sending Agent
Back and Forth. Setting Fires ant
Collecting Insurance Money.
The workings of so called nationa
arson syndicate were explained re
Gently by Charles Furthman deputy
states attorney of Cook county, Ill.
while In New York with extraditlor
papers for John Danies, a roadhouse
keeper in the Bronx, against whom
six indictments for arson are stand
ing In Chicago
DanIes was arrested Feb. % by De
tectiye Flood Of District Attorney
Whtman's STAFF upon representations
from Chicago.
Mr.. Furthman said be had evidence
that Danies was one of the leaders oi
a gang Of incendiaries who have been
operating throughout the country. II
is asserted Danies Is known in other
cities as John Kabizak, the chief
and the captain" He has been ar
rested three times In New York, but
succeeded every time In convincing a
jury he was innocent
Furthman said he could prove that
every time Danles left New York on q
trip a trail Of fires followed him. Big
buzes in Seattle, Chicago st. Louis
Buffalo, San Francisco and Mlnneapo'
lis were colncident with Danies' pres
ence In those cities, the prosecutor
said.
New York Bugs" Look Cheap.
AS described by Furthman the
methods Of the nation wide ring OF
trebugs and the amount Of their earn.
ings make lsidor Stein and the other
members Of the arson ring In New
York look cheap. Where Stein set q
fire in closet for n few hundred dol.
lars insurance 1t is said the so called
Danles crowd would fire a store or
factory and enable the owner to col
lect thousands
"ln every town where the gang oper'
ated," suid Mr.. Furthman, "a repre-
sentative looked out for likely cases
He would go to a manufacturer OF
large storekeeper who was losing mon,
ey. A tire would be suggested as an
easy method Of escaping bankruptcy
If the storekeeper followed the sug'
gestlon he would lay in big stock OF
almost worthless goods.
"Then he would give the key to the
local agent Of the are gang. The
worker who might live in a city a
thousand miles away, would be mott.
fled, He would slip into the town, get
the key to the store or factory. do the
Job in an hour and get out Oh the next
train"
Millions Have Been Reaped.
Furthman said that II the testimony
of the informers could be believed, the
arson syndicate hud got millions OF
dollars from the insurance companies.
Mr.. Furthman and Detective SheehaD
started with Danles for Chicago.
Henry G. Freeman, known as wire,
less" Freeman because OF the rapldity
with which he learned Of 6res OF
which he later became the adjuster,
was placed on trial before Judge
Swami In general sessions charged
With arson I'm the second degree.
Assistant District Attorney Weller
said he would prove that Freeman had
entered into conspiracy With Isldore
Stein and a broker named Goldman,
now fugitive from justice, to 90 into
the business Of lncendlarlsm. Gold.
man was to sell the policies, Stein
was to build the Ores and Freeman
was to adjust the losses.
Stein testified that on Dec. Z, 1911,
at the suggestion of Freeman he built
a dre in the Hat Of man named
Abraham Schlicten in New York.