Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-05-26
TRIES
TO KILL BLUECOAT
Suspected Firebug Adnits
Turning in False Alarm
in Orange.

Following a desperate attempt 70
shoot Police Sergeant Thomas Riley.
of Orange. early today. after the
policeman. with Lieutenant Samuel j.
Graham. had put him under arrest
for intoxication, Michael ]. Hart, jr..
of 20 Parrow street. Orange. was
jailed He later confessed to sending
In three false fire alarms that kept
the departments of Orange and West
Orange on the jump. "A
fhe arrest was the exciting sequel
to a reign of terror in the Third ward
of Orange and that section of West
Orange in proximity to it. and. while
the police have only as yet his confess
sion that he sent In the three false
alarms today the police and firemen
are satisfied that he can clear up the
many incendiary fires that have &C.
cured since March in both towns.
That the pile of charges piled up
against Hart did pot include MUIR
der is considered miracle. Sergeant
| Riley with Sergeant Samuel Graz
| ham and Patrolman Luke Riley.
| had picked up the suspect and We're
walking in Henry street when Hart
suddenly whipped out hammerless
| revolver and turning suddenly toward
| Riley, who was pushing a bicycle.
with an oath shouted. I'll kin you.
! He pulled the trigger. but the cart
| ridge failed to explode. ah
AS he felt the pressure against his
abdomen Riley, who underwent Sc
rious operation a fewfyears ago after
he had been kicked by a prisoner
! dropped his wheel and yelled to Po-
liceman Harry Kloebei Riley told
Kloebel to get the mans gun, and
with his one hand held the revolver
hand and punched Hart in the face
with his free hand The prisoner,
fighting desperately, was subdued. y
search showed he had, in addition 10
the revolver, heavy wrench He
1 was hustled to the police station.
The revolver was fully loaded and a
slight indentation in the rim Of ono
ball cartridge showed that the trig-
ger had been pulled.
When Chief John Drabell arrived at
headquarters today he took Hart into
a room and closely questioned him.
I The man was plainly in a condition
of nervousness through overindul-
gence in liquor. He refused to adj
nit he was responsible for the in
cendiary fires, but confessed to pull
ing the boxes this morning. Accord
ing to his story he had been at the
house of family in Joyce street.
and after leaving the place pulled
sfBox No AZ, at Glebe and South JEFF
ferson streets.
: He did not await the arrival of
! the apparatus but went to saloon
; in Valley road, West Orange. not far
from fire headquarters. and bought
, drink He then hustled up to Rey-
i nolds terrace and Centre street. and
/. without stopping dashed across the
line to West Orange and called out
the department thereto box. No. l6.
Valley road and Joyce street. not
far from where he had spent tho
night entertaining family with
; piano selections. @&
During the night he confessed he
, entered his fathers house in Henry
street, Orange. and took the revolver
from the room of a boarder, whose
! name he told the police is Mr. Gunn-
He was not far from the section
when Riley and Graham, who had
been sent out by Desk Lieutenant
Timothy Cronen to pick up the man
at all hazards. nabbed him. The
charges filed against Hart this morn
{ ing with Judge Woodman who will
: send the papers to the grand jury,
. include misdeameanor for his attempt
) at murder, sending false alarms and
disorderly action. He is married and
{ a machinist by occupation.