New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-03
A CRIPPLE THE INCENDIARY.
THE HOSPITAL "FIRE-BUG" DISCOVERED.

MAY WILSON, TINY PATIENT, STARTS ANOTHER
BLAZE, IS CAUGHT, AND CoNFEssEs.
The suspicion that the fires in the hospital OF
the New-York Society for the Relief OF the
Ruptured and Crippled, at Lexington-ave. and
Forty st. on Sunday evening were OF In
cendiary origin became certainty yesterday about
3 p. m, when another fire was discovered In that
house. servant in the dining room on the main
floor smelled smoke and flames in dish
closet opening of the room, Policeman White,
Of the Grand Central Station squad sent out an
alarm and the fremen put out the flames before
much damage had been done The fire had
started in linen drawer in the closet, and IT was
plain that some person had set the linen burning
The charred remains OF safety match DoX were
found in the drawer after the fire was out
When the alarm was given there was much
excitement among the 80 patients i'll the hospital,
and q few OF them got out to the street. 1he
physicians and nurses managed to quiet the rest
it believed from the outset that the hrc
would not prove dangerous There had been much
uncasiness among the nurses III the hospital since
Sunday night and the parents OF few
of the children under treatment had insisted upon
removing them to their homes. The fire yeSter-
day afternoon increased the alarm considerably
for a few hours.
FIRE MARSHAL SHELDON on THE SPOT.
Fire Marshal Sheldon was in the hospital con-
ducting an examination Of witnesses of the Sunday
night fire when the fire broke out yesterday after
and he promptly started inquiries regarding the
persons who had access to the dining-room His
suspicion had fallen on Wednesday upon May
Wilson, pretty sharp-witted girl of eleven years.
who had the run of the hall and the dinlng-r0cm
She had been a patient there fol about three years
under treatment for wry neck and was so nearly
cured after an operation that Dr. Glbncy was
thinking of sending her home Lately the girl
had answered rings at the door and had enjoyed
much freedom about the building.
On Tuesday evening Dr. Gibbs found box of
matches on the open register of his room on the
main floor. There had been some talk about the
possibility Of matches dropping into register and
setting fire TO the hospital, while the physicians
sat at dinner that day May Wilson was present
at the time. On Wednesday DR.. Gibbs took Mr.
Sheldon TO his room to show him where the matches
had been found and strangely enough there was
another box of matches on the register Mr.
Sheldon talked with May and suspected that she
had started the fires on Sunday night, but the
physicians and the matron of the institution said
that 50 sweet n child as May could not have been
guilty Of such an act. Yesterday afternoon Mr.
Sheldon was questioning some other children in
the hospital as to May Wilson's movements when
they were disturbed by the fire in the dining-r0om
closet II did not take him long to ascertain that
May Wilson had been seen in the dning-room a
few minutes before the fire. Taking the girl
into separate room he accused her directly.
THE CULPRTT MAKES A STATEMENT.
At first she denied her guilt. but after Mr..
Sheldon had talked with her some time she burst
into tears and made a confession which he wrote
out as follows
I am eleven years Of age and have been here three
years. made all ncendlary fires In the hospital
DO not know why did IT, On Sunday went to the
Doctors and matches there and made the
fire his bureau Then to the bathroom and got
matches and set FIRE TO tho clothes in the hampers
To-day in the dlnnrroom found box OF matches in the
and made the fire I'm the drawer 1t was who put
matches on register In the doctors yesterday
and the day before. do not know why did it, but am
sorry did It, MY father is Richard Wilson, Of No los
East One-hundrcd and twenty-nnth-st.
Mr.. Sheldon arranged to have the. girl kept
under restraint in the house of physician outside
OF the hospital. He said last evening: " l have
put the girl under 3rrcst yet, but will submit
her, case to the District-Attorncy to,morrow and
be punished for the loss Of human life at the
fires on Sunday night
Dr. Gihney the chief surgeon at the hospital.
said The grl probably suffers from pyromania,
which may be described rs an itching to set fire
to something. There will he much relief here
now that the author of the mischief has been
found out and removed from the hospital
THE LITTLE Girls GENERAL GOOD TEMPER.
Some Of the other physicians in the hospital said
they were astounded at the detection Of May
Wilson'S deprayity. They knew nothing OF the
girls history before she came to the hospital with
her neck twisted so that her face was over one
shoulder. She was well hammered child. and
had such a sweet expression in her face that she
attracted sympthy from all the other inmates.
She bore a painful operation with patience, and
lately her sweetness OF temper had not diminished.
When the fire was discovered in the bathroom on
Sunday night, it was May Wilson who called at
tcnton to the other fire in the doctor room She
appeared to be strangely cool at the time, but
her bearing did not excite suspicion. II wns con-
sidcrcd only as another proof of her devotion TO
the interests of her companions in the hospital.
One Of the servants said yesterday that she no.
ticed May Wilson lowering about the dining-room
on Wednesday evening, after Fire Marshal Sheldon
had been talking TO her Probably the girl was
up the building. May was In a greatly excited
condition last evening, and reporters were not
permitted to talk with her Her parents are said
to be respectable people and able to provide for
her comfort.