The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-04-05
PRETTY FIRE FIENDS.
Two Girls Deliberately Burn a
Tenement House,
STARTLING CONFESSION
Made by u Couple of Fair Ip'
oendrarles-one OF Them Shows
Fight How they Committed
a Crime in New Jersey.

suMAIT, n, Ju Apfll f,-Ihe FeVela'
tions Of a singular crime have created q
big sensation here,
Late on Tuesday night two young and
beautiful girls were arrested for arson on
the strength Of story which they told
to Justice Kelly, when he sent for them
during the afternoon,
Tho prisoners are Emma T, and Hen
rietLa Frances Day, The former is an
attractive girl Of nineteen, and her sister
is plump little beauty Of sixteen, Two
weeks ago the postotlice block in Sum
NIT was discovered 10 be on fire in one
OF the apartments on the second floor,
Considerable excitement resulted, be-
cause 1t was only a few days after the
Randolph block, occupied by seven fam.
lilies aud six stores, had been destroyed
by fro which was supposed to be Of
incendiary origin.
The fire in the postotilce block was
put out without much trouble, and 1t
was then found thatsome rags saturated
with kerosene had been placed in a
closet In the apartments occupied by
Mrs. Susan Campbell and then set on
fire, For q time the police officials OF
Summit were puzzled about tho affair,
but on Tuesday Justice Kelly became
convinced that the Day girls knew
something about the fire and he sent for
them. They went to his office and when
accused OF setting fire to the postoffiSe
block they confessed. Henrietta, the
youngest girl, signed the following con.
fesslon, which was taken down by the
justice:
MY name Is Henrietta Frances Day,
l am sixteen years Of age, On the even
ing OF March 20, my sister, Emma T,
Day, and myself entered the apartments
Of Susan Campbell, in the postolllCe
block, Union square. We found baby
asleep and snoring, We opened q
closet door and found bundle Of CARPET
rags therein. Emma poured kerosene
over the rags, struck six matches, and
finally succeeded In starting q blaze.
We then shut the closet door, left the
baby in bed asleep and went TO the room
OF our sister Mrs. Henry Ardelll in the
same building, and waited, When we
heard an alarm OF fire we ran out into
the streets with the crowd. We fired
brakes laundry In Plaintield, for which
young William Van Nest Is now serving
a term in State prison."
1t is true that Mrs. Campbell's baby
was asleep in a cradle in the room, and
that the inCendiaries left the infant to It's
fate. Emma Day made confession
similar 10 that OF her sister, and added
that before going to Mrs. Campbell's
room they tried TO set fire 10 the TEN.
peranCe Hall, but were afraid OF disCov-
cry and abandoned the attempt. NThey
were asked II they set fire 10 the Ran.
dolph block, butthey, refused to answer.
Rotll girls sud they were moyed to burn
the building by their love Of excitement
and their desire to see big blaze. Hem
rietta said that she was responsible for
several Of tho fires in Plaintleld, for
which William Van Nest is now in State
prison. 1t was said in Summit that
Emma, the eldest girl, is married to one
OF the Van Nest boys, OF Plaipfeld, but
this she denies. The girls came from
Plain6eld TO Summit, and have been
conspicuous there for their love OF young
mems company and their wildness.
Their sister has lived in Summit for sew.
eral years.
When Justice Kelly got the confession
from the girls he did not let them think
they were going to be punished, but as
soon as they had finished be committed
them to the town lookup, little brick
building standing at the end Of the sta.
tion platform and containing two cells.
Policemen MCGarth and Cannon started
with the girls and were half way to the
lookup, when Henrietta made dash for
liberty, She ran swiftly across several
fields before she was overhauled by the
police. Then she fought like a tigress,
and had 10 be dragged to the cell. Mean.
while Emma, the eldest sister, remained
passive In charge Of a policeman.
When the girls were placed in cell
Emma sat down quietly while her young.
er sister broke the windows and tried 70
tear IN iron bedsteal 10 pieces, She
found Q stone In the cell, and pounded
on the bars with II until Thomas Britt
volunteered 10 60 and take 1t away from
her. He entered and she knocked him
down with the stone. He finally got the
stone away from her. The officers sat
up all night with the girls, and it was
lucky they did, for Henrietta got stick
that was thrust through the window,
and with 1t she upset the stove. Yester.
day afternoon they were taken TO the
town hall, where Justice Scott wanted TO
hold an investigation, but the girls
would not talk, When asked to plead
Henrietta promptly said "Guilty" and
her sister said "Not guilty" and the
younger gln then retracted her plea and
plead not guilty.
The girls were then consigned TO the
care Of two constableS, who started for
Elizabeth with them In an open carriage
with driver. Emma,sat quietly at the
constable's side, but Henrietta repeated.
ly tried TO throw herself from the car.
riage and the constable had 10 hold her
constantly to keep her from hurting her.
sell TO tue ground. In this manner they
started on the drive Of nearly ten milea
over tho worst Of roads. The girls were
locked up In the county jail at Elizabeth
last night.
The building which the girls tried 10
burn contains eleven families, the post
office and several stores. Their sister
lives In one Of the second floor apart.
mcntS. Both girls haye been employed
as servants In Summit, aud neither Of
them have shown any symptoms Of In.
sanity. In spite Of the younger girls
antics yesterday, Bho was refined In her
language and showed no Blgn Of do.
praVlty, Many Of the Summit people
think she Is crazy.