The Portland daily press., 1895-04-30
THE FIRE BUG.
Was He Captured Last Eve
ming?
YOUNG ALBERT BEAN CAUGHT
PULLING BOX Ala.

Under Very Suspicious Circumstances
Officer McGratIl's Story-Two Alarms
ries of Events.
Last evening at about $50 o'clock
there was an alarm of fire from box 81,
which IS located at the Portland &
Rochester depot. A man had seen a blaze
through the windows of Kelley's foundry
and had pulled the alarm. 1t turned out
to be very slight blaze. One of the
wooden TASKS that hold the moulds
into which the molten iron is poured,
had taken fire from the heat of the iron.
1t was extinguished by the chemical,
but it would have burned itself out
without endangering the building.
The bell of all out" had scarcely rung
when there was another alarm of fire
from box 414. which is located at the
head of Richardson's wharf.
Immediately the great engines, the
long ladder carts and the hose carriages
went toiling up the steep hill of Preble
street, followed and surrounded by the
crowd, and then crossed Congress street
and went gathering down over the
cobble stones of Centre street to Com
mercial street.
1t was an exciting procession that gall
Hoped and ratified and ran down Centre
street to the second fire within Is min
utes. but there was still greater excite
ment when it was learned that there
was no fire there, and that Officers Nc
Grath and Cousens had captured the
fire bug.
An eager and dense crowd gathered
around Officer Cousens as he held stou:
young fellow firmly by the arm waiting
for the patrol wagon, which very soon
came. Officer Roger McGrath tells the
story of the capture of this fellow as
follows:
Since the many false alarms of late,
undoubtedly the result of malicious in
tent, Marshal Tricky issued the order
that just the instant the officers heard
an alarm of fire theyswere not to wait
to count the strokes. but were to rush
Immediately to the nearest box in the
hope of catching the fire bug, if there
is one. al
On first hearing the alarm from 81,
Officers McGrath and Cousens FASTENED
to box Ala at the head of Richardson's
wharf. They found the door open with
the key in the lock, but the alarm had
not then been pulled. They immediately
began to search among the buildings
at the head of the wharf,, and on COM
ing back TO the street found young
man in the very act of pulling the
alarm. OF course they grabbed him in
three shakes of lamb tail, or even
quicker. He said, "There's fire
down there pointing down the dark
alley way behind him.
Eyes, and you set it," said McGrath.
Cousens held the man and McGrath
rushed back to small shed used as a
stable. There in the loft was little
fire just bursting forth. McGrath ex-
tiuguished it by jumping On it. There
was a broken lantern in the corner and
quantity of infamable material had
been covered with oil.
The man arrested gave his name as
Albert ". Bean, 20 years of age. lie
lives at No.3 Waterville street. He is
large and stout for his age and of light
complexion.
A young man who used to go to
school with him at the Butler school,
says that he was tough boy and was
suspended several times. He had been
drinking of late, it was stated, and is
also supposed to he something of a
gambler. If he did build the fire and
then pull the alarm for malicious pur-
pose, and it certainly looks that way,
it is given as possible object that he
might have been in the employ of gamb
lers who gamble on the numbers of the
next alarm that will be pulled.
The shed where the fire started was
right in the rear of Twitchell g. Champ
Inns cooper shop, and once started might
have wrought great havoc.
1t seems as clear as daylight that the
door of the box was left open, SO that
after the fire was set. the alarm could be
pulled as quickly as possible in order
to effect an escape.
Bean claimed that he had spent the
evening on the Cape and while ON his
way home went through the alley. HI
saw the fire in the shed and started tt
pull the alarm when be was arrested.