The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-08-29
1OLL- GRAFT AppRg-GsoGo
er AUTHORITIES LAST
" MONT.
That Ne 10 Facing Charge
o. Firing South Side pisnt-se
erecy Surrounds Case.

~sffsnt isseed ~ Jostce o.
Peace " .. Wiesham. this city,
charging him sith being reepon-
stbie foe the many lneendlsn
fres which have puEied tire ef.y
and state s~vthortiss Tor the pas,
several weeks Craft ~ss arrested
~ the bei-irs orielsis and vas
later brought 20 this city and
lodged In tire county lsit.
secrecy surrounded the arrest
o. crsft ard 20 Information could
could Be gotten from police head
a~uartsrs or any officials
% Nth tire case. However. 10 10
vnderstood that the evidence
sesinst the former fireman 10
serp strong. and eircumstaneea
surrounding the origin Of the
hres are such that the authorities
believe they have spprehended
the guilty person.
The only reason advanced ~ tho
~authortres for the malicious acts OF
Craft n the fact that he wished 20
rejoin the FIRE department II g. said
that be would start the fires. and
AFTER the arrival % thu department
would assist IN every way 90 eKtin.
Fuieh them. n a. aid tina he has
been out Of employment for some
time. and IN his eaEerness 20 again
become n member % n Are depart.
ment he e~ndeavored 20 Impress the
Fire Chief with his ability.
Had Been Swallowed.
IL was learned last niKht that the
police have been Euspecting him for
some time, and that men have been
detailed 90 follow his movements
just Why the arrest was made At this
time is not known. but II H. thought
that he had probably become aware Of
the suspicious OF the authorities aud
was trying 10 make his way out OF
THIS section when he was picked up
near Bellaire.
Al the IRE which threatened the dc.
struction OF the Cooey-Bentz building
some time ago. Il is understood that
the circumstance were such that tho
Officers felt certain that no was the
party responsible for the IRE. II Il
claimed that a number OF girls had
seen him loaflng about the building
tho night OF the IRE
investigation Last Niqht
An Investigation was conducted M
police headquarters last night. lasting
from s o'clock until midnight In ad
dillon 10 the prisoner. there were ir
attendance az this inquiry several DO
lice officers. Deputy State Fire Mar.
shall NJ G. Kindelberger. Fire Chief
Edward T. Rose. Detectives Frazier
and HASTINGS. Chief OF Police Thomas
Leyland, Assistant Prosecuting Attor.
ney ID A Mckee. and Court Steno-
grapher Louis Walters.
Several witnesses were examined.
among them several young girls. who
are said 90 be the ones who saw Craft
o the Cooey-Bentz building pre-.
cedjng the Gre. II g. said that they
Identified him In the county Jail last
night
Information Refused.
What was brought out al last nlght's
inquiry was closely guarded OIL
GERS were stationed at windows and
doors OF police headquarters. and no.
persons were allowed 70 enter. orr.
GERS. when approached after the in
v%esugation had ended. were non-com.
initial. and refused absolutely 10 dis
csss the case. Stenographcr Walters
refused any Information. although 10.
was noted that his toto pad bore
marksRf much usage.
The only reason that has been ad.
vanced Tor his alleged acts is that
when Chief Rose became the head Of.
the fire department. Craft was dis.
missed from the service. Since then
~ Il said, he has spent much Of his.
time about The various fire houses.
and whenever the alarm was given he
was among tho first 90 arrive a. the
fire. Working like a demon. he would
endeavor 90 attract the chiefs atten.
ton 90 his own efficiency. 10 n claim.
ed. In an effort 20 get hack IN the.
service % the department His 40.
lions In this respect aroused the sus
picions 81 the officials.
waived ~EStraditIon Papers
Detaiis % his arrest are very
meagre but u "a said that after his
arrest by the HciIairp a~uthoritIes he
was brought 20 this CITY BY chief
Rose I'm the chiefs automobile he
waived cNtradiuon and returned 10
this city without causing the officials
ms trouble
ne will be arrairned before sguf-e
Wiekham az the county ian. either
this morning or Monday. 30 is under
stood a charge OF arson viii be-
placed against him
The crimes with which ra s
charged are 0f the most malirI1rs
brought % Tho attention OF the local
police On recent years ard The pr0.
ishmcut under ffe state laws is very
severe
Several Fires ALLEGED
The orirn % severai fires fs
charged 90 the actions of fhe o.. Gre
man For The past month or more
residents ~ the South Side have been
terrorized and the authorities have
been greatly puzzled over o. series OF
incondiary fires some were f.a-oy.
cred before the blaze had spread 10
any rreat extent
The most destructive f-o believed
20 BE- the work o. some f-ehrr
was the destruction % fha No
Connel boz factory The No-n.
% ciass works and the local
branch OF the pahst brewery were
fred the same night but 'ha Ores
we're discovered in tImc 90 minimize
the damaEe FrN az the Valley Star
Stove Company All the Cooey Harff
Company's store ~ also attributed fl
his acts. it o. understood
Had hood Reputation.
n man charged with tho crime
has always enjoyed "a GOOD r-epH,afIor
n a. said and was never before .-
trouble His arrest created cons Far
able surprise among those Who knew