Putnam patriot., 1921-06-24

Bidwell, son OF 6eorge +, Bldweii,
Lamont street, yesterday confessed
to Judge NJ. H. Geissler of the city
court that he had .wiee entered or
helped another TO enter the summer
home of DR. George A. Shepard of
New York City last spring and later
had set fire to the house in order to
destroy whatever evidence there
might be against him. Two other
boys, Antonio Morell. aged Is. and
Theodore Dumas. aged Ia. confessed
TO breaking into She house with the
Bidwell boy. but pleaded not guilty to
the charge of arson.
The boys were arrested by Captain
Of Police John Bulger "Wednesday and
appeared before the city court yes
terday morning The fire. which COM
I pletely destroyed the Shepard home
/ last May with total loss of $4,000.
was thought at the time 20 have been
Of ineendiary origin and when it was
t learned that one of the boys later ae-
cused Of the crime. had rifle, for
merry owned by MIR. Shepard. in his
possession, Investigations were made.
Finally Captain Bulger had the boys
arrested and brought before him and
from them ne obtained written con-
fession of their participation IN the
fre.setting and IN other crimes
According TO Bidwsll's story, the
first entrance into the Shepard home,
which was not occupied last spring.
was made on April %. 1t seems the
Morell boy in talk with the Bidwell
boy told Of desire to own a rifle.
BidWell said, Il know where you can
get some guns for nothing. IL you
will come with me tonight we viii get
a couple.
That night the two boys went up to
the Shepard home, Bidwell knew
there were rifles in the house because
he had seen them there in passing by.
BidweII opened an unfastened win
dow and the two climbed in. Each
took gun. the one boy carrying a
doubled barreled shot gun and the
other taking high powered rifle. The
BOYS hid the shotgun under the steps
of the Episcopal church and the rifle
they secreted near McGuire's store on
Lee street The next morning they
tried 10 sell the guns but didn't re-
ceive "A high enough offer so they kept
them.
RidwelI later told Dumas about the
theft and these two went up TO visit
the house on May /. IL was during
the daytime that this visit was made
and Bidwell says he thought II pretty
dangerous To try and enter the place
nj a time when they might be seen,
and so told Dumas. But his l4-year
companion thought otherwise and at
ter BidweIl had raised the unfastened
window through which the previous
entrance had been made. Dumas en-
tered. He searched about the house,
examining various articles and fiaally
helping himself to 4 Ratchet sheath.
When Dumas came out Bidwell said
he saw him trying to secrete the
sheath in his pocket. II wouldn't TT
in and so the two took the article over
to a nearby wall and hid it there. In
the wall the sheath remained until
Yesterday when Dumas and Officer
Jarvis went to the place together and
got IT,
Ii was not long after that that Bid
we'll said 10 Morell. Lets burn the
house down and then no one will find
out about our stealing the guns" On
the evening Of May 6. Bidwell, and
the other two boys were together and
the Bidwell boy again suggested set
ting fire 10 the house. Dumas, ae-
ar..ing TO Bidwell. went into his house
and got some matches and together
the three went off toward the Shep-
ard home Just as il was beginning TO
grow dark.
On arriving in front Of the house.
the three stopped TO talk while. One
Of the boys idwell thought Il was
. Morell-proteste against setting FIRE
TO the place. Bidwell insisted on go
ing ahead. Finally the cripple liz a
match and Started to apply II 10 some
rubbish under the house. Morell blew
the flame.
Finally when Morell's back was
turned. Bidwell set fire 20 an old mat
tress which was lying with other hub
bish under the house. which was on
stills, and a flame started. All three
boys looked at the fire and then ran
away, Bidwell hobbling through the
fields on his erutches and the other
two taking to the road.
They soon joined each other and
went on down TO the carnival, where
they stayed until they returned with
the FIRE company TO watch the house
burn to the ground.
Morell, who said he had been work
ing for the Manhasset Company and
had known Bidwell for two months,
testified. after the other two had been
taken from the room. Morelfs story
was practically the same a. BidwelFs
except that he claimed neither Dumas
nor he had wished 70 set fire 70 the
building and the subject was not dis
eussed until the party reached the
/ front Of the building.
Then Bidweli had insisted on touch
ing d match 10 the rubbish but finally