The morning call., 1893-03-12
HUMAN OR DEMON?
Awful Revenge Meditated
by a Woman.
A HUNDRED LIVES IN DANGER.
She Attempts to Set Fire to a
Lodging With All
Its Occupants.
\ HUNDRED LIVES IN DANGER.
Special to THE MoRx1Se CALL

SACRAMENTO, March 11.-Last night a
woman, craZed by thirst for revenge and
pint or more of whisky, locked herself in
her room at the Iodging-house at the corner
of Ninth and L streets. turned on the gas,
poured TWO gallons of coal oil over the bed
ding, and what other lnflammabls material
she could find, laid herself down upon the
floor. and ignited the combusubie mass.
The fiendishness of the deed can only be
realized when II is known there were over
100 persons in the house at the time. The
building is q high three-story wooden struc-
ture, and had fire there become well
started, famed as it would have been by
the gale, there would have been an appalling
loss of life.
About half-past 3 o'clock this morning
the lodging-house at 90I L street kept by
Mrs. Tesse Jones was in wild state of
excitement and alarm. The TWO upper
stories were filled to suffocatiun with a
dense, sitting smoke. Frightened women
were running about the halls screaming
Fire. and men who we're not engaged in
preparing their worldly goods for hurried
departure were breaking open doors to get
at the source of the trouble.
Assemblyman D. f. Perkins broke open
q door on the upper floor, and was met by a
volume of smoke and flames With great
presence of mind he grasped the flaming
mattress from the bed and, turning it over
partially smothered the flames. he was
closely followed by dozen felIow-odgers
with waite r-pitchers, and when the dense
smoke cleared away a ghastly sight met his
eyes. On the floor. In almost naked con-
ditlon, was the body of a woman. Perkins
first words were. Here's a woman, and
she is dead"
The work of putting out the blaze went
on, and In a short time the woman could be
taken from the room. 1t was found that
she still breathed although frightfully
burned about the limbs. When compara-
tive order was regained the woman was
identified by Mrs. Jones as Nine. a. COblyn,
who with her son Alex. about % years of
oge, had occupied a room III her house since
January IS.
Nine. Coblyn is French woman who gave
lessons in her native tongue. She is Short
rather stout woman, with an exubeTance
of iron-gray hair and of an extremely pallid
complexion, with eyes surrounded by dark
rings. Although Mrs. COblyn is supposed
10 have gained an honest living by teaching
French, recent developments in the history
Ol lodging-house keeping by Mrs. Jones tell
different story.
About five weeks ago Assemblymen D. F.
Perkins and John Lynch. who room in the
house, gave a little card party. Among the
invited guests was George Seymour, son of
Senator Seymour. Young Seymour hung a
new oYercoat in the hall on going in. but
when be went to leave the coat was miss
ing. Since this numerous articles, such as
packages of laundTied clothes and the like.
have been missed.
Last Monday night young Seymour's coat
WIS discovered in the possession of Alex
Coblyn. Officer G. W. Farmer became con-
WINGED that young Coblyn was the culprit
who had been stealing articles in the house.
A search warrant was procured, and last
night Alex was found at the Metropolitan
Theater and taken 10 his mothers room.
Mrs. Coblyn was found By the officers in
bed wearing a suit of Assemblyman Per-
kins' undertaking, which was part of the
contents Of a laundry package which had
been stolen from mis- room. The room was
searched and a number of stolen articles
were discovered.
Young Coblyn was taken to Jail, but
for some reason the maternal Coblyn
was not arrested The theory is that the
woman, crazed by a feeling of revenge
bringing her to disgrace, aud stupefed by a
pint oi whisky which it was found she had
drunk, perpetrated the fendish act with the
design of taking her own life aud burning
the house with its occupants.
a careful search Of the room gave evil
dence that Mrs. Coblyn and her son have
followed the nefarous calling of burglars
and sneakthieves since their sojourn in
Sacramento. In the room was found a
bunch of skeleton and pass keys and an
amount of stolen clothing.
Mrs. COblyn has been suspected for a
long time by the inmates OF the house where
she lived Of being addicted to the use OF
morphine. and she was often seen under
the influence of liquor. After being taken
TO the Receiving Hospital she regained con.
scinusness, but was unable to talk, and al
though in critical condition will probably
recover. Alex Coblyn has been working in
the railroad shops and also as seeneshifter
at different theaters in town.
1t was discovered afterward that IuriIg
the night the woman had taken out the tips
from the gas Jets In all the rooms to which
she could gain admittance, and turned gas
on before setting fire to her bed clothing.
Her evident intention was to kill the lodg-
ers By asphyxlatlOn or fill the house sufii-
ciently with gas to add to the fire which she
!gnited. Mr.. JacOx, aToomer in the house,
smelled the escaping gas and it was turned
oil before much of it had left the pipes.