The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-03-08
TO FIRE AND ROB.
An Eastern Trick Worked
in This City.
Incendiary Fires Started in Lodging
Houses to Plumber the Rooms
During the Excitement.

From certain facts connected with recent
fires Fire Marshal Towe is satisfied that there
is a gang of Eastern crooks in the city who are
playing the same game that has been for years
successfully played In the large cities In The
East The police have also come TO the same
conclusion.
The scheme is to set fire to lavatory in one
OF the large rooming-houses and during the ex-
element the gang would go through the rooms
and carry of as much as they conveniently
could. Robbery is undoubtedly the real cause
OF such fires, for il the fire gained much head
way the same person who caused II would give
the alarm for the purpose of accomplishing his
desire to rob the rooms. InceDdlarism is mere
ly the method used TO do the work effectively.
The gang is also on the alert wa ching peo-
pie who live near fire leave their rooms 10 go
outside TO gaze at The flames and then sill ping
in to steal anything handy. An instance OF THIS
nature occurred during the early morning nre
on Eddy street. between Mason and Taylor,
last Monday. Harry Lask. an insurance man.
rooms on Eddy street. not far from the tre. He
left his room 10 see the location of the fire and
the possible damage, and during his absence
someone had slipped In and stolen $500 IN hard
cash.
About TWO weeks ago The Fire Marshal and
The police Investigated two mysterious fires
that happened in one week In a iayatory on the
third floor OF the lodging-house 1122 Market
street, and although there was ample evidence
to show they were of incendiary origin, they
were unable 10 fix upon The guilty person. For
tunately hOfn nTeS were put out before gaming
much Roadway, and at neither time was there
any scare among the rOomers.
About O'clock last Sunday morning fire was
discovered In the tve-sIOry brick building cor
ner of Post street and Grant avenue, belonging
to B. SchweitZer and occupied a lodging
house by MRS. ATmbrusteT. IL started in the
lavatoTy on the third floor, and was discovered
by ToOmer named Hunt whose room Is close
To the lavatory. He heard the cracking OF fire,
got out of bed and extinguisheG the blaze before
any damage was done except screening the par
tition. An empty bottle was found that had
been filled with coal oil. The oil had been
sprinkled the partition and the floor, the fire
started and the empty bottle left behind.
THE fire i'm this case, as in the Market-street
cases, was no doubt the bandiwork OF an incen-
diary for the purpose OF robbiDg the rooms He
would conceal himself the same floor, and
during the confusion following the alarm &C
conlplish his purpose. III he was caught he
could give plausible excuse TO the effect that
he saw smoke and ran up 10 SCI where 1t came
from. Again, II caught taking anything away
he could tell the Fire Marshal or any police
man that accosied him that he was roomer
and was carrying his effects 10 a place OF
safety.
81 would recommend" said the Fire Marshal
yesterday, that every lodging house keeper
should place snap lock on all open rooms, es-
pecialy lavatOTies; supply each occupant with
a key, and thus kee all doors locked. The city
is full of Eastern crooks and although this
scheme is new here il is old In the East. and
can be worked by the crooks In good shape"