Canton Register

From the Peoria Transcript.

A SENSATION
AT EL PASO.

Prominent Citizens Arrested and Held to Bail for Arson.

Our readers will remember that some two months ago several barns and other buildings at El Paso were burned, and a number of houses and considerable other property destroyed. One of the barns burned belonged to a Mr. Bigham, the mayor of the city, and the other was attached to the Campbell House. Soon after the fires suspicion was attached to a fellow named Jacob Flogan, generally known as "Whisky Jake," but nothing could be made out of him. Finally one of Pinkerton's detectives from Chicago was engaged to work up the case. He came to El Paso, got acquainted with Jake, and last Wednesday week took him to Bloomington, where, in pursuance of a previously arranged plan both were arrested and lodged in the calaboose. There the detective so worked upon Jake's feelings, that he made a full confession, that he had burned the buildings, having been incited thereto by one Melchior Socks. Socks being arrested also "squealed," and denounced one George Goebel, as the principal in the affair. Goebel is a saloon keeper and has been fined for selling liquor, and Mayor Bigham refused to aid in having the fine remitted. For this reason Goebel was very bitter against Bigham and it appeared on the examination hired Socks, who in turn hired "Whiskey Jake" to fire the wagon stable, and from that the other fires communicated. The examination into the matter lasted from Saturday last until Wednesday, and resulted in the holding of Goebel to bail in the sum of $10,000, and Socks in $6,000 to await the action of the grand jury in the matter. "Jake" was also held to bail as a witness. Being unable to give bail all three of the parties have been sent to jail at Metamora. It also came out on the examination that Goebel last spring hired a fellow named Kelly to steal certain books out of a justice's office which contained a record of proceedings against him. Kelly was detected in the act and compelled to take the books back. The El Paso Journal, from which we condense these facts, gives the following sketch of the parties in the case:

"All the parties are old citizens. Goebel has amassed considerable property, estimated by different persons at from $10,000 to $15,000. He has a family consisting of a wife and three children. Socks had handled considerable money. He owned the livery stable here for a long time. He is passionate and treacherous. He narrowly escaped being shot by Walter Bullock last spring. In dissipation and by his reckless course he lost his money, had difficulty with his family, and finally was making preparations to go to Fairbury and go into the horse business. In spite of him faults he had a great, off-hand way that served to hide his real character, and make people believe that his faults were boasting and great use of his mouth. This idea he encouraged by often saying "I never harmed a soul in El Paso except by my tongue; that's all."

"Whisky Jake" is, as his name implies, a poor drunken fellow, earning a living by doing odd jobs, and sleeping in stables and out-houses—the tool of any one who will use him. He had long worked for Socks."