The morning call., 1892-07-26

tuated the pretty little miss. or was her
work the uncomfortable desire of a pyro-
maniac? That was the question officers
and reporters tried to solve. The majority
favored the latter theory. Here are the
circumstances that led Up to Maggie's ar
rest:
On June 16 Maggie went to work as
servant girl for Mrs. Eichwald at Is Hollis
street. Soon alter her advent into the
house the family suffered from a series of
most mysterious annOyances. At midnight
and early hours in the morning the door
bell would ring and stones and Jumps of coal
would crash through the windows No one
suspected Maggie OF being the author of the
annoyaDces. Neither was she suSpeeted of
fires that occurred in neighboring fats.
which are all connected by verandas i'm the
rear. Within per cd of week eight fires
started in the vicinity, and in several in
stances coal oil had been poured In the
spots where the flames were discovered
The last fire was on June 20 and it was dis
covered In the rear of the EichwaId abode.
In every instance the flames were dis
covered aud extingulshed in time to prevent
serious damage. Fire Marshal Towe in
Vestlgated these fires, but could learn
nothing to ineriminate any one.
Last Saturday night Mrs. Eichwald de-
tected Maggie in the act of bombarding
WINDOWS IN the house with cObblestoues
The girl was at once discharged and sent
Will u lUteStUStE-U0J 10 tie nome OF her
parents at Market and Reservoir streets
When the Fire Marshal heard of this he
called upon the girls parents and oues-
toned them closely. They were reluctant
to impart anv Information, but finally ad-
mitted that two mysterious fires had also
occurred In their own house. Maggie was
not at home at the time Of the officials
visit and he left word for her 20 call at his
Office ar the new City Hall.
She did so yesterday afternoon. When
questioned about the fires she broke down,
wept Historically and confessed having
started 10 blazes. In answer to questions
she made ami signed the following state
ment:
live on the corner OF Market street and Reser-
voir avenue. / went to work for Mrs EichwaId
10 Hollis street ou the 10th of june but /
started all the fires that have been started in
The house at that number since l have been
there and broke the windows In that house
found the coal oil that the fires were started
with on the rear steps OF The middle FIAT next
door
1t was IN can, aud took the can. did thi,
because had all uncomfortable desire to set the
hres aud not because any one Old 10 do so.
MAGGIE CUMMINGS.
With this statement aud the sobbIng little
prisoner Towe went directly to the office of
tie Chief OF Police. There the girl repeated
her confession. Then she was sent down
stairs into the City Prison. locked up on a
charge OF arson and placed in the prison
hospital.
Maggie /. a slender. fraiI. little maiden.
with pretty face, dark brown hair ana big
blue eyes. Neither Mrs. Gilmore, the M tn
eTly matron, nor any one else could check
her How OF tears. She cried out in anguish
when approached by CALL reporter and
when asked why she started the fires "Onl
L don't KNOW" she walled. Something
told me to do II and l couldn't resist the de-
sire TO see the fl mes. | know | have
done wrong, aud, oh. how / pity my
poor mother. Since father became sick and
4
to hell my mother by going to work. Sc |
found place with Mrs. Eichwald The
family treated me- well. and liked them
very much. No, / didn't set the fires be-
cause l had anything against the family.
Nobody told me TO. either. 1t was desire
to see fire and smoke that | could not con-
troll. Poor motherI This will cause her so
much worry and sufferingI Pm so sorry
for her! Father, too. will be so worried
when he knows that Pun locked up I'm iaii."
Then the miserable little maiden cried
faster than ever, tore her curly locks aud
waved her arms franticaliy. All efforts to
soothe her were without avail, and her yisi-
tors discreetly Withdrew from the hospital.
The prisoner is the daughter OF Rodger
Cummings, who foryeITs has been respected
in the neighborhood in which he lives For
several months he has been ILL and con-
fined to his bed most of the time Neither
he nor Mrs. Cummings can explain the
dangerous eccentriclties of the girl For
several years and uD to the June vacation,
Maggie was pupil at the convent OF Natre
Dame on Dolores street. While at school
her eceentrlcites manifested themselves.
Often she would startle Eer classmates by
screaming and hurting books across the
room.
Maggie Cummings sister called to see her
last night aud positively declared that the
little girl was innocent of the crime charged
against her. She SAID that Maggie's en-
ployer frequently quarreled with his wife
and the little girl thought il was he who set
fire to the house. The hospital steward OBJ
served that after her sisters departure,
Maggie's tongue. which had wagged quite
freely before the visit. became strangely
mufa