The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-09-24
vANOAL' WORK.
School Building Entered and
City Property Destroyed.
Two Boys Suspected by Police-Peter
McNiff Arrested and Bound Over.

A pair of young vandaIs broke into. the
public school building at the cornT OF
Niagara street and Congress avenue, yes
terday afternoon, and ruined $500 worth
of property belonging TO the city, teachers
and pupils which they found In the four
school rooms. The entrance was made
through a cellar window and after as
much damage as was possible had been
done in the basement the boys took .
Ratchet and scythe upstairs and hacked
at the furniture. The big blackboard in
room was chopped to pieces and the
fragments strewn sll over the building.
lot of fresh clay on the teachers desk,
which had been placed in readiness for
the class in modelling, was thrown at the
walls and ceiling and smeareo over the
schooroom furniture. Every picture on
the wall and a large mirror were demol-
ished. and the desks of the teacher and
scholars forced open with the hatchet
and their contents broken and scattered
on tke floor.
The same thing was done in room No.
where there was picture of Abraham Lin
coin, which was broken, and an ink bot
tie thrown at il. The books in the room
were cut and torn and he ink wells we're
filled to overfiowing. The clock in this
room was also destroyed. In No. 3 there
was but little damage done. Room Nc.
was completely wrecked. The teachers
desk was broken into and the contents
scattered over the room, the ink wells
filled, and picture of George Washing
ton treated the same as that of Lincoln in
in room No. j.
All OF the desks that were left unlocked
were not disturbed, but those that were
locked were broken open with the batchet
and scythc. The other furniture was not
in any way damaged except by now and
then being marked with clay or scratched.
But little OF anything wGs taken from the
building, and the only articles missed by
the janitor is the hatchct and scythc.
Just before they LETT the building the
boys plugged up the nozzle of the garden
hose with clay.
The outrage was committed sometime
between the hours OF 4 and z yesterday
afternoon, for the janitor was in the
vicinity OF the building during the alter
noon, but W hen he went in the evening to
attend to the fire he found that someone
had been in the room. The first thing
that attracted his attention was lot OF
twine that was strung up in network
about the entry, and just high enough to
strike him across the face Ms he
entered the first room. He saw
what had beea done, and ~ once
notified the police. Captain Cory, Ser
geant Martin and Officer Starky went to
the school house and on their way there
took Peter McNif, a Tad about ton yrrTs
old, with them. Peter said that he was
not in the building but knew who WAS
and from Q o'clock TO 1880 he had nearly
every boy that lived in the vicinity at he
station house, but when they were exam
ined by Captain Cory he claimed that they
were not in any way conn cted with the
affair. The Captain Is positive that there
was more than one, and is sure that Me-
Niff is one of them.
This morning the teachers assisted the
ianitor, Edward Atkinson, in getting the
rooms ready for the afternoon session, but
were unable to do so. but everything will
be In readiness in the morning. McSi n
was bound over this morning in the Sixth
District Court until tomorrow. He Is
we'll known among the police as being a
very Troublesome boy.