Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-05-21
ON A GRAVE CHARGE.
soeear ]. KENNY ACCUSED OF SET.
TING FIRE TO HIS STORE.
A Policy Taken Out Friday, and the Pace
Discovered Baruing Yesterday Morn
tng-His Statement.

Robert J. Kenny was arrested about 10
o'clock yesterday morning by serRean.
Alexander Tomlinson upon the charge OF
feloniously setting fire to the store No. olo
east Main street. in which be was pretend
ing TO conduct sort OF music and musical
instrument business. Later in the Gay
the same charge was brought against >. L.
Kenny. brother of the accused, who has
been in tho city some time. but DC
could not be found. A subsequent
charge was also made against Robert
j. Kenny, for stealing and carrying away
from 61S east Main street two violins ana q
music-stand. These articles were found vi
Kenny's room ut No. 140S east Main street,
where he and his brother boarded. hoDers
Kenny came here on Monday aud rented
the front of the store referred TO IRON ~
Ind. Il. Wood for the purpose OF conduct
ING his music business. The rear part OF
the building served as an office Tor inc
Society for the Prevention OF Cruelty 10
Animals.
THE PLACE on FIRE.
On Friday evening there were four, Vio.
Inns. "a flute, O music-rack, and sinaii lot
OF sheet and folio music 10 tho place. On
that day Kenny took out policy on MS
stock IN the Virginia Fire and Marine
Insurance Company for $3.50. lie stated
to n DISPATCH reporter who saw him OF tho
Second Station yesterday afternoon thaI
the insurance people would have insured
he goods for 500, bat that he told them
he did not have more than .2OO worth,
but expected TO add TO II. Ihey tnen
offered 10 issue policy Tor SZoU, which
was accepted and the premium paid by
Kenny. " b;,o
Yesterday morning at o'clock while
Police Commissloner Bosher and Police
man +. &. Epps were passing the piaco
,hev observed several persons looking IN
il and thev stopped and DID likewise 10
/ Their astOnl9hment they discovered tnat
/ the interior Of the store was ahre. Inc
! sbeet-muslc along the wall was rapidly
/ burning. and some folios upon the moor
/ were in a blaze and was rapidly burning q
/ hole through the floor. These gentlemen
! broke into the place and by little LABOR
extinpuished the fire without sounding Oh
alarm
THE INSTRUMENTS GONE.
At this time there were no musical in
etruments IN the store. The police were
lett IN charge of the place and at 10 O'Clock
Sergeant TOmlinsOn served warrant
upon Kenny. charging him with incendla-
r,sln. The accused was taken TO the ONCE
| of the Chief of Police and from there 70
the Second Police Station IN the patrol
wagon. - Nv.
pArcu man last evening. and stated that
he was IN his store at o'clock yesterday
morning. but went right out and attended
mass nj the Cathedral. He dld not 20
back TO his place of business after the ser
vices. but proceeded direct TO his board
inr-housc. where he ale breakfast ABOUT
SIS o'clock. After tins meal he returned
10 the store, according to his statement
and TO his amazement found that the
fire had occurred. He said he was at his
business late Friday night getting ready
to open, and about midnight he reported
70 tho Second Police Station that there
was a man lying on a house III the
ward back Of his store. Policeman Ialley
went there. but finding no one besides
Kenny on the premises lett.
CAME rRon GOOD STOCK.
The prisoner said he came here last Mon
dav from Washington to engage IN tins
business. having a brother here. who wa;
oulte a good musician. Their mother lives
In Norfolk now. but their father Is dead
The latter at ono time resided IN hlch
mond. Young Kenny was called upon o.
the station house by Mr.. John NJ. Higgins
and Mr.. Moran. q cousin OF the accused
Mr.. Higgins knows the family OF Kenny
very well aud says they are excellent peo
Speaking about the disappearance of th'
yiollns. young Kenny told the DIsPArcI
reporter that two of them were removed
on Friday night by his brother, they BEN.
bis personal property. The Others were Il
the store when he loft on Friday night
He supposed. he said. that the others wer'
stolen by the person who fired tho build
ing. One of them, he remarked, was yer
valuable, intrinsIcally, being quite an OLE
instrument. lie was asked by tho news
Catherer why he frosted his windows oil