Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-25
A JUVENILE FIRE-BUG.
A Fourteen Year-OId Girl Sets Fire to
House Ten Times.

A Fourteen ear-OId Girl Sets Fire to
House Ten Times.
San Francisco Special to Ne1o York World.
Some inquiries into the past history of
Annie Hoffman, the little fourteen-year-
/ old girl who set fire to the house of Mrs.
/ II. Schroeder ten times, shows her to be a
/ criminal prodigy.
She was hired some time ago by Hugo
Brown, whose wife has been bedridden
for two years, to keep his wife company
/ while he was absent from home. Gu
riOusly enough, the girl, short time be-
/ fore being sent to the Brown family, be-
/ came subject to fits, which continued af-
ter she entered upon her new duties.
I When seized she would utter the most
piercing shrieks, writhe in apparent
agony on the floor, roll her eyes and foam
al the mouth. Instead of sending her
home, Mrs. Brown submitted her case to
the late DIR. IngersOn, who was attending
upon herself.
He found the case a most puzZling one
and finally came to the conclusion that
the girl was shamming. Thereafter the
fits did not make their temperance. On
a certain morning Mrs. Brown from her
bedroom suddenly heard the girl emit the
most unearthly shrieks. At the same time
pieces of coal came crashing through the
dining-roOm and kitchen windows, and
help every pane of glass in the rear of the
house had been broken. Annie charged
that the French servant girl of a neigh
boring family had broken the windows
because she hated her and wanted to
drive her away from the Brown family
but the French girl protested her innO-
cence so earnestly that Brown was I'M
able to believe her guilty. This occur
renee was repeated several times. From
that day forward there was not a whole
pane of glass in the rear of the house.
AS soon as replaced pieces of coal, thrown
by an unseen hand, came flying into the
rooms from every direction, and every
evening when Brown came home he found
all the windows broken and his wife lying
PROSTATE III the agonies of terror upon
her sick-bed.
Another time her shrieks were heard in
the garden. They continued until some
neighbOrs made their appearance, who
found the girl unframed. but two little
lap-dOgs which Mrs. Brown kept for the
purpose of amusing herself during the
long and weary hours of her sickness,
were discovered with their backs broken.
This time the girl said that four men had
climbed over the fence and given her and
the dogs beating. Her true character,
however, was not discovered until long
afterwards. The lady in the next house.
in whose employ the Faench girl was,
saw her walk to the coal-bin, take out
several pieces and throw them deliberate
ly through the glass. Mrs. Brown was at
once informed of the discovery, but the
little mink had so well disguised
her character that the lady's story was
doubted. Annie, however, had heard that
she had been charged with breaking the
windows, and while the two women were
still discussing the subject she managed
to make her way into the pantry of the
other house, where she broke every dish
on which she could lay her hands. There
being now no longer any doubt that she
was the real culprit, her mother was sent
for. The girl admitted her guilt, and in
explanation of her extraordinary conduct,
said that she did not like being out at SER
vice. She had reasoned that if she could
make the Browns believe that she was the
object of prosecutions at the hands of the
neighbOrs they would dispense with her
services. She was sent home where her
father administered exemplary punish
ment, but apparently without cefTecting
lasting reform. Her next place of service
was with Mrs. Schroeder, where her origi-
nal manner of celebrating the Fourth of
July kept the Fire Department in as great
a state of excitement as her window
breaking practices did the Brown family.
Judge Lawler is puzzled to know what
disposition to make of the child, on ac-
count of her tender age and the lmpoy-
erished condition of her family.