New-York tribune., 1895-01-07
RHODA CASTLETON CONFESSES
THE MYSTERY OF THE GREENPOINT
FIRES EXPLAINED.
SIZE STARTED THE FLAMES AND FOOLED THE
nNI-LcL, ANn LIpE,NLN MADE

! MP. CALDwEII.s sTEP-DAUGHTER ADMITS THAT
SHE STARTED THE FLAMES AND FOOLED THE
POLICE AID FIREMEN- HAD MADE
RECORD IN FLUSHING.
, The mystery which has surrounded the series OF
| fires which broke i'm the apartments Of Adam
/ Caldwell. at No 81 Guernsey-st Greenpont be-
! tween Friday afternoon and noon OF Saturday,
several Of when started while the police were
guarding the house. has been cleared up by the con-
frsson cf hfteen-yearod Rhoda caste;on. the step
daughter OF Caldwell who says that it was she
VINO started the blaze.
! The confession of the girl has greatly relieved the
minds of the residents in the neighborhood Of the
building. many Of whom believed that the myster-
ious fires due to ''spooks."
Rhoid is now prisoner in the custody OF the
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
and will be arraigneI to-day in the Even Street
Police Court
After Rhoda had made the confession to Police
Captain Rhodes. OF the Seventh Precinct she was
placed under arrest and taken to the Nineteenth
Precinct From there sse removed by the
cndren's society to their home No. l0j Schermer-
horn-st She wept bitterly when she found that she
had been arrested.
RaoIa Was So careful in her movements that she
Started OF the fires right under the noses Of
policemen who were sent to The house to guard 1t
until Fire Marshal Blymer could investigate. Even
the Marshal well a. the police, was mystltei
regarding the origin OF the fires. and had appd-
rently gwen up all hope Of ever clearing up the
mystery until the child made her confession.
She says she twisted the wires Of the pictures
hanging on the walls OF the parior ana Droke NE
wires that the pictures fell She then upset the
stove and threw the chandelier from the hook that
supported il. All this she said she did because sne
did not like the neighborhood and wanted her mother
The child has made a record for herself
~ hrebug month ago whlIe nVins win Win tne
family OF J. l.. Hope In Broadway, Flushing; H.
l. as nurse for Mr Hopes three n, cnIidren MI @ losl
!res were discovered in me house anu on TWO OF
sions several hundred dollars damage was caused.
family az having started the hres suspicion re-, ien
upon her among the neighbors. When her month
was up two weeks ago. she left the Hopes and re-
Mr Hope read an account Of the series of fires in
afternoon train for Greenpoint. He went straight
TO the seventh Precinct and toid Ponce Odp'd'"
one OF his detectives for the girl. She was found
ave. where the caldwell family took refuge after
the destruction of their home khoda acSompanled me-
the detective to the station without any hesitation
and greeted the captain pleasantly. She had ,i pgeI
to obtain any Information that would In any way
connect her with having caused the fire.
When captain Rhodes at first began questioning
the Girl she declared her innocence. but finally
broke down and admitted that she had burned me
home OF her parents because she didn't want to
Twelve distinct fires were extnguished in the
Guernsey-st. house Friday afternoon. and eleven
OF these started while policemen were on the spot
determined to catch the irebug in the act but be
coming more and more convinced each time fire
hension was responsible for the flames
Detective Dunn andRoundsman Daily were look
ing at the front sitting-room when the fringe of
a table-cover oval table burst into flames
Rhoda admitted that she had slipped INTO the
darkened room by another door leading into a
hall bedroom and touched the fringe OF the table
cloth with lighted match and quickly slipped out
without being detected She also touched match
% the bed in her mothers bedroom while her
mother was in the room. and ran back into the
kitchen without being seen. she started eacn nre
with sulphur matches. and without bend detected
The burning OF the wallpaper in the parlor must
have been the result Of stealthy movements, Tor
Rhoda's brother standing just inside the door
OF the room looking at the results OF previous
fires when the wall paper. which was loose from
the wall. blazed up behind his back and not two
feet from where he standing.
That the child mad morbid desire 20 mystfy
every body IS shown by her having upset the stove
and thrown down the pictures and chandelier. The
last fire In the house on Friday was at O'Clock
T. m and the Saturday, which destroyed
the greater part Of the house, was discovered at
noon After the last fire Friday night the child
was taken to the home OF Mrs. Pelzer. next door,
and remained there until 10 o'clock Saturday morn
in.
IN. mother OF Rhoda said last night that she
could not believe that Rhoda had fired the house
Will. caldwell. the girls step-father. exc aimed:
II am glad she did IL. | am glad she confessed
lie hastily corrected himself, saying; NO | mean
| am glad II she did 1t that she confessed
William. the girls brother. was unwilling 10
believe tina, Rhoda guilty. despite her confess
paper took fire" said he. and am sure nobody
entered The whole thing - sill "A deep mystery
to mo
large crowd stood opposite the burned building
all day yesterday in the rain, discussing the Ie-
markable fires.