The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-03-17
A VERY YOUTHFUL F|REBUG
LEWIS A Wright, a t7-Yer-Old In.
cendiary Arrested.
He SEEMS TO HAVE A FIRE MANIA
ne Five Times Set Fire To the Boston
building In which He Was EN-
pioyed-He Confesses the Crime, Hut
Gould Give No Reason for hi. Conduct

BOSTON, March I7.-Lewis A. Wright O,
newton, IL years old, slept behind iron
oars at the city prison last night. He Il
charged with having made five attempts 10
set hre TO the big Hathaway building ON
Atlantic avenue. More than this. he has
acknowledged his guilt, the confession be-
ng In the possession of the Pinkertons.
Young though he is in years, he has shown
nimself master hand I'm concealing the
widence OF his guilt.
For several weeks past the occupants
and owners of the Hathaway building.
which is
Considered Extra Hazardous
py the underwriters, have been ANNOYED
py frequent fires in the closets, and eyi
aentiy OF incendiary origin The build
ing Is occupied by number Of electrical
companies and by the New York and New
England railroad offices, and on account
Oh tne danger should the fires continue the
services OF the Pinkerton agency were
called, and with Mr. Hanscom the detec-
tives went TO work on the case.
After considerable work. they discovered
that the fires bore marks of having heen
set by the same person. In three cases q,
least newspapers known TO have come
from the Office of Fleming e. Co. and
waste paper, among which were scraps Of
.ypewritten paper from the machine used
py young Wright, were found near the
focus OF the blazes
III the case OF fire set Feb. q, the next
morning young Wright claimed To have
,ouha III the Office the fragments of lager |
peer bottle which had evidently contained |
kerosene. When questioned, he said that |
ne nad brought In two of these bottIas
ana IL has been learned that he used the
contents OF the second bottle 70 cot
one OF the fires The third of the
series or fires was set i'm n closet
On the first floor. The janitor who sIeens
In the building, noticed that scrans ~
paper impregnated with oil had been used
when ne came to sweeping out the debris
MS hre occurred In the morning. That
very afternoon another fire broke ont I'm |
nat same closet, and remnants OF similar
newspapers from Fleming a. Co. g Office
we're ', found AT that time Wright said he
no miss some papers from the Office
'uspicion was aroused against him at once
The Last Fire
vas set In closet No. on the 10th of this
lonth, and was discovered about 0 o'clock
nat was the night OF the big fire. The
laIe was discovered by the janitor. Mr.
uhaKins, who put il out with a fire ex- ,
nguisher He smelled smoke and
ime down until he reached the floor
mere the fire was. He thinks II ,
as ABOUT o'clock when he got every.
hng cleaned up Just then Wright an
Jared AT the side door of the Hathaway
lining ana wanted TO get in. He went
|. loonh " winch was Mr.. Fleming's Il
a httt.I Ia L |
1t seems that he went to Newton on ,ho II
AIN arriving there at 6:55, and returned iy
once to Boston on the 712 train. When e'
reached Boston that side door had been n
locked, and IL is said that he went into
: building two times. He was there nj =, =,
ana went over to the New England M
iuon ana waited round, returning at q n,
the building, finding the door locked tr
ne detectives have been on the case al
zee March i. Mr.. Hanscom went over fr
scene OF the fires with him and asked ag
a several questions regarding the origin
the hres Yesterday he was brought 10 a
Pinkertons' Office. where, before his .h' ,h'
ther and other interested persons, WI
He at Last Confessed by
setting the fires. He could give no rea. me
Tor setting them, and it Is thought that ma,
mas a mania for blazes. His confession es' W
taken in shorthand and will be pre. fri fri,
ted TO the court He was turned over the
he police last night. tbs
Ie Is tall and slim, with light hair. He
arrested in June, 1891, for stealing re.
'ers and cartridges and other hardware E
n the store over which his mother lives at
was heid in 1920. He spent four a r,
'ths IN jail and was released on proba- Coz
ms mother is a widow and keeps be
h'eiligenee ONCE. Sheis well along in NV
40 r,a.."r LII eii. ner son MADE full breast pov
a. no, ,t PIG was greatly affected. are
oy the police that he Gus
no par,D;,e VIZ VI ner nres. He went Sin,
is a,,,,aio.os a,e WIN Mr.; Caldwell, was
and rar,s;,,.a !" .n1 once OF fleming d not
nore, and then going to Newton as