Evening journal., 1915-10-25
maryland Arson
!. TRUST YEARS OLD
Arrest of Trio and Partial
Confession Believed Only
First Steps
SAY CO. WORKER
REVEALED THE PLOT

BALTIMORE, oct. 25.--While no fur
their arrests have been made in the
Arson Trust case. a score Of detec-
tipes are busy following clews which
lead to men higher up sIhe men under
arrest are Gottleb Freud, so years old,
released on $1,000 bail: Harry Miller, "
years old. and Harry Friedman 81 years
old. all charged with ccnspiring to-
commit arson The conspiracy. it is
alleged. was Matched here, though put in
effect in Odcnton. Miller is charged
with assaulting and shooting the State
fire marshal
William Bokel, local insurance
agent Is said by Assistant States Attor-
lncy Nice to have been a party to the
conspiracy. No charge has been pre-
ferred against him Nice would not say
whether a charge would be brought.
at was through the fact that Bokel
/ became conscience stricken that we
caught the men," said Nice yesterday.
"Bokcl was an agent in this city for an
insurance company and he had been
operating with tho two men for two
years. lie made up his mind TO quit
and came in and told Mr. Broening
about H. Mr. Brocning called oil the
men Of his Office into consultation. and
IL was decided that it would be well 20
have some one who was not known
make the deal for catching the men.
Joseph Brocning. nephew of the states
attorney. was selected. lie arranged
with Bokel to issue the fake policy on
the Murray plant and TO get in touch
with the three irebugs.'
II is said that Bokel made signed
confessions TO States Attorney Broen-
ing. In which he admitted his partici
patton in tho scheme.
The police found az tho homes Of
the men under arrest note saying
Here's 10 more money and more
fires" and a pasteboard box with a
moving picture film arranged for
ignition
Assistant States Attorney Nice said
that his Office has information tell
ing specifically OF places fred in the
counties and he expressed the belief
that the Statewide investigation now
IL progress would reveal a large or
gonized conspiracy and elaborate sys-
/ tenn for working the insurance com
panies by firing buildings
The men. according TO Attorney
Nice. were not mere toughs. but we're
z" ~oiliar with the insurance business
Ii had associates who knew how 10
get assurances on places which were
10 be fred. Mr. Nice says that others
may be involved In the Investigations.
) Gottheb Freud says Mr.. Nice, is re-
garded as the brains OF the trio He
was at one time employed as an in
surance adiuster He claims, by the
way. TO he the son Of the president
/ Of the University OF Prague, Bohemia
and TO be himself a graduate OF that
institution.
The trio confessed at a hearing he
fore Police Justice Supplee that they
had been In a conspiracy 10 fire the
Murray canning plant at Odenton. Al
though Mr. Nice thinks the men have
heen working in Baltimore for two
years and that eight of ten cases of
arson can be proved against them
they would not admit anything but
the attempt TO FIRE the Murray plant
Marshal OF Police Carter and Captain
Of Detectives McGovern subjected
them to a rigid examination.
State Fire Marshal Myers. who was
4 shot I'm the eve during the raid. is eX-
netieu 10 IttpNtls nut VIII NtAN fanny
lose the sight Of one eye. He Is at
University Hospital. where he was
taken after the shooting. The bullet
lodged IN his head. but II did not pene
trate the brain. No effort has been
made to remove Il.
In the arrest of Miller the murder
of Annie Gray. Of Eastern avenue, i'
recalled. On the afternoon of Janu
AIRY S. 1911. the woman was fount
. lying across a bed in her home will
, towel bound tightly around he
throat She had been sirangled 4
=, death. A quantity of iewelry an'
4. money which the woman was know
n TO have had disappeared.
n, Miller was known al the time 4
n. have been q friend Of the woman. ant
ls according TO the police, was unde
n. surveillance.