Arizona republican., 1913-01-20

York were furnished by IZZy, the Painter" convict, firebug and infor- mer, made today to the district attor- ney. His real name is Isador Stein. He confessed to setting more than fifty fires, and said more than 1000 persons had asked him to make fires since inc came to New York five years ago. CHICAGO, Jan. 19-With the in dictment of Joseph Clarke, for an all legged attempt to bribe an assistant states attorney not to prosecute an arson case as text. A A. Bach, chief deputy state fire marshal, today told a remarkable story of organized incendiarism.
 Chicago has the highest fire insur- ance rate of any city in the country, and 10 per cent of it's fires are incen- diary, Bach said.
 The firebugs are not banded to- gether as one gang" he said but there are several gangs at work and the rivalry among the different bands is as keen as is the competition be- tween any class of tradcsmen. There are three men in Chicago known as insurance adjustOrs who often get to fires before the firemen. They sleep with their clothes on. have autOmO- piles in readiness and, receiving tips that a fire is about to be started, are on their way almost before an alarm comes in.
 The adjustors do not actually start fires themselves. they employ men to do that-men who actually SO licit the business. The adjustors make their money by adjusting the losses. Detectives and firemen gen. eralIy know the name of the arson firm that is responsible for each fire. It is nothing unusual for a fireman to say this is fire" or MT. - was responsible for this touch- . off"
 Bach said that the firebugs know that we" suspect them, but they are very clever. They offer bribes to de- tectivcs quite frequently, he said but never take d chance of there being d witness to the fact, which leaves II one mans word against anOther's. Their racing to fires in automobiles is only one indication of the keeness of com petition among them, the fire mar shal explained.
 We are often informed days in ad- vance of when fires are to be start ed" continued MT. Bach Tn that way we are able to prevent many hlaZes. Night after night we have had detectives watching buildings witf the basement filled with excelsior, the floor saturated with oil and the stocF hacked in combustible material. Al that we could do was to notify the insurance company and have the ln' surance cancelled. Tn such cases the fires were never started.
 .It is possible for anyone to get | building fired in Chicago. TheTe arc fixed charges for the work and th' man who desired to burn his property will find incendiaries bidding agains each other for the job. For smal fires there is regulation charge o 20 Der cent of the insurance collected Charges vary according to the magni tude of the fire. For large fires tn, charge is 1 per cent and even at tha price the firebugs grow rich. d. not know a single conviction for ar son in Chicago in the last eighteen months
 Clarke was released on SlO,Oo bond signed by his wife.
 States Attorney Hoyne said he ha evidence that Clarke recently gave dinner at his home to almost ever member of the so-called arson trust. Hoyne examined several witnesses to day and he said they gave him val uable information.
 The inquiry, said fIoyne. gradual
 ofTi ia1 . of insurance companies, independer