The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-08-26
FIREBUGS CAUGHT,
Attempt to Destroy a
Lodging-House.
DISCOVERED JUST IN TIME.
Coal-OiI and Bunches of Lighted
Matches Used.
THE PLACE MUCH OVER-INSURED
Mrs. Pauline Jones, the Landlady
and One OF the Lodgers Blame
Each Other.
THE PLACE MUCH OvER-INsURED


City Prison charged with the serious
crime OF arson.
About half-past o'clock yesterday
morning an alarm was rung from box AZ
for fire in the lodging-house. The flames
had not gained much Roadway when the
fremeD arrived. and were speedily extin-
guished.
Mrs. Jones and her roomers occupied
the two upper floors of the building, the
ground floor being occupied as a jswelry
and candy store by John A. Stsinbach
The lodging-house has also an entrance
from Eddy street. No. II.
Fire had started almost simultaneously
in two rooms, No. Z on the second floor
and No. 81 on the top floor, the one being
Immediately above the other. The cir
cGmstances were so suspicious that Acting
Chief Dougherty sent for Fire Marshal
Towe.
When the Fire Marshal arrived he made
careful investigation. He found IN
room an earthen vessel filed with
coat oil. Some one had thrown bundles
of lighted matches into the vessel
with the object of making the oil catch FIRE.
forgetting that it would have the contrary
effect
Scattered underneath the bed were about
two dozen bundles Of matches and rags
saturated with coal oil. The carpet on the
floor and the mattress on the bed were also
saturated with the oil. In room q there
was similar state OF affairs.
Both these rooms were unOccupied that
night, all the others, with one exception,
having roomers. The building is mere
SHE'LL and if the fire had got Roadway
would have burned quickly and would
have possibly resulted in several lives be-
ing lost.
| Certain facts were developed which led
the Fire Marshal TO arrest ". 3. Mackel,
! who had been employed by Mrs. Jones 10
/ assist her in looking after the lodging
! house. His services had been dispensed
! with two or three weeks ago, but he coz
! tinued to room in the house. His room
was nearly opposite No. Z. and lot far
/ from the one occupied by Mrs. Jones.
After arresting Mackel the Fire Marshal
continued his investigations, and found
! that three trunks and a valise had on Fri
day been taken away from the house. He
called in the assistance of Detective Cody
and they were not long in tracing The
trunks and Yalise to the Stanley House.
corner of Sixth and Minna streets. The
proprietor told them that Mackel mad on
Friday engaged room 90, and had placed
the trunks and vallse in that room.
The trunks and valSe were taken to the
City Prison. Mackel had the keys, and on
being opened they were found to contain
silverware, jewelTy. wearing apparel,
blankets and napery.
The Fire Marshal and detective were
satisfied that there had been a conspiracy
between Mrs. Jones and Mackel to burn
down the house for the sake of the iDsur-
anee. The furniture is insured for S1700,
and there is $500 on jewelry and wearing
apparel. In all the tweDty-four rooms the
Fire Marshal declares there is not $500
worth of furniture, which gives at once a
motive for the crime.
Mrs. Jones blames Mackel She says
that be had previously limited to her that
while filing the lamps be could spill
enough coal oil to keep the flames going
when they got started. Yesterday morn
ing she was Weakened from her sleep by a
choking sensation in her throat She
jumped out of bed and saw flames in No. Z.
She rushed out of her room, and met
She grabbed him by the shoulders and
"Hushp' he said. when YOU get the In
surance money give me 500 and it will be
all right" Then he rushed out into Eddy
street. She alarmed the house and rang
in the alarm.
She pIofessed not to know anything
about when and where the trunks and
valise were removed and seemed to imply
that everything had been done by Mackel
without her knowledge or consent.
Mackel when told of what Mrs. Jones
charged him was furious. ''The old cat"
he said. 'Why she made me the offer of
So to set fire to the house. 1t was she
who packed up the trunks and valise and
made me take them to another lodging
house." Then he kept his mouth shut, as
he seemed TO appreciate the fact that he
had put his foot into it. But enough had
been said to decide Towe and Cody to
place her under arrest also.
Mrs. Jones has had possession of the
| lodglng-house for the past two months.
She came here from Tombstone. Ariz,
with her grown-up daughter. She is a
| German about 40 years of age.
| Mackel is about % years Of age It is
| said that his father is a banker in Sydney,
New South Wales, and while employed in
the bank the young fellow ran away about
a year ago and finally drifted to this city.
The building is owned by Mrs. j. Riley.
1t is damaged to the extent of about 500
and the contents $50.
! Mrs. Jones made a. full confession last
| night. She said she was worrying a great
deal about not being able to repay her
| brother $500 which she borrowed from him
| to start the lodging ouse. Mackel knew
! that and told her not to worry, as he
would fix it by setting FIRE to the house if
she would give him 500 out of the insur-
ance money. She said be could have 1t all
| if she could only get the $500.
She admitted that she knew the trunks
! had been taken away and almost imme-
| diatelv afterward felt sorry for it. But
Mackel told her IL was done and not TO
mind ii. She bought the bundles of
mat ches last week.
She said her first husband left her $40 900
| when he died, with which she bought a
hotel 10 Nogales, Ariz. Then she mar
ried her present husband, Jones, and
he went through her money. Inc hotel,
which was insured for 5000. was burned
TO the ground two years ago. and Jones
skipped with ths money and took another
woman with him.
j. A. Bury, proprietor Of the Stanley
House, last night identified Mackel as the
young man who engaged room 20 and took
| the trunks there.
Firemen Disciplined.