The Washington times., 1895-03-23

Aiiss Mary Delaney, who is believed to
lse the mysterious woman in black who tried
TO barn ST. DomiDic's and st. Patr ck's
Catholic Churches, spent yesterday behind
the bars OF a witness room IN Lieut. Amiss
police station. Her arrest a. the Elsmere.
by Detectives Carter and Gallaher, early
yesterday morning. was detailed eXcius yely
10y Tie Times. This forenoon. Inspector
| Holiihberger says, she viii be arra'gned in
ihe police court on the serious charge OF
arson CD two counts.
| The arrest of Miss Delaney, in the parlor
! OF the EsmeTe, was attended by a scene OF
violence and excitement. 1t was 4 O'Clock
I yesterday morning when Detectives Car
! Ter and Galiaher proceeded to The hotel in a
cab, accompanied by a Times reporter,
/ who had been working on the case, and who
! gave The detectives suggestions, upon which
I they took prompt action.
ADMITTED THE OFFICERS.
After some difficulty the drowsy night
! clerk was aroused by the constant jingling
Of the electric bell, and admitted the Of
ficrrs. Having satisfied themselves that
! they had ''eooped their game" MeSsrs.
!
] in tie hotel office aDd await the arrival
! OF daylight. Finally fearing that the
woman might learn of their presence and
! make her escape, they procured couple
| OF soft -bottomed chairs and seated them
selves in the hallway at the door of her
room.
As the big bull whistle sounded for
| O'Clock the detectives decided that the time
! To arrest Miss Delaney had arrived, and
they accordingly tapped on her door.
! In reply she saio she would b. down In the
! parlor ia a lew minutes. The detectives
/ were wary, however, and did not leave
The hallway, bat kept their eyes fas-
1 tened on her door.
] In few minutes she emerged from the
1 apartment. clad in black. and followed
| the electives Down 10 the p3Tior. Gr
Carter was spokesman, ard in his usually
I polite manner be Informed Mss Delaney
/ that she was under suspicion or afSoD and
! also under arrest The latter remark
caused her 10 become very mach excited,
I and she 6eInauded indignantly to know
1 why she Was 10 be arrested.
/ You VII know all after awhile" said
I the detective.
SPRANG AT THE OFFICER.
With this. The frenz.ed woman sprang
at the Officers, slapped them in the face
and clawed as viciously as a Wild cat.
By sheer force the officers finally sue
ueeCiad in getting her out 10 the Sidewalk
and in a cab. She was then driven
quickly TO Lieutenant Sm.ss' station and
placed in charge of Aatron Lewis.
do L want iIeakfast?'' she repeated in
answer to the CileTy OF the marion. Wei,
] reckon i CO.
| Sic then EIooeeGed TO devour big meal
that was sent over from Dennis CTowiey's S
T1reifth-streel dining rooms. During The
I day she sang Enatcnes OF sonG and remarked
lauehingly:
II WAS wss billed at nv concert Wednes-
day night TO sing, The gates AJar.
l,ow il seems that They have been closed
1 on me-"
AMOUNTS TO a CONFESSION
Among those who talked with Miss De-
/ laney about the attempt to bum the two
churches, was Policeman Goss. She
seemed to take quite q fancy 10 this fine
looking Officer, ard practically confessed
70 him that she was the fire bug.
She declared that the Catholics had
! tried TO prevent her from making o liv-
ing by giving concerts, because, as she
expressed il, she was broader and more
liberal than the Church, and would not
be bound by its tenets."
II was reported last night that Mss De-
laney had mace full confession TO Matron
Lewis This coald not be confirmed,
although Inspector Hollinberger said he
had learned that she would possibly 90
so.
1t is learned that Immediately after try
ing 10 fire st. Patrick's Church Miss De-
laney crossed the street and entered Wood
ward & Lothrop's store from the Tenth
, street entrance. There was strongsmell
of coal oil about her, which attracted the
. attention of several clerks. She also
! | went into the Bon Marche, and there, too,
! / g,a if,siA IL tho nHNT nf
kerosene which surrounded her.
Miss ischoff, the organ st at st.
| Dominic's. pos lively identified Miss De-
I Ianey as the woman who acted suspiciously
in the church a few minutes before the fire
4 was discovered and who carried something,
t ! presumably the oil can, under her long
| cloak. The latter garment is in possession
| OF the police, and still smells strongly OF
| the illuminaDt.
STRONG CHAIN OF EVIDENCE.
: Inspector HolliDberger and his men say
they have woven a strong chain OF evidence
I ! about the woman. and feel certain of hel
} conviction. unless she is decided to be in
, sane.
To a Times reporter last night Miss
Delaney said that though she bad visited
| St Dominic's Church about a month ago
3 / she was not acquainted with the prieSt
, there. and had never been In St Patrick
Church that she remembered. She hat
had neither been in or near either churcl
: Thursday, and knew nothing of the fire il
them Until she read the accounts in th
newspapers.
She added that she had letter in he
possession from MIR. Martin Lynch, Jan
> itor of Carroll Hall. IN st. Patrick's par
ish, in which he threatened TO make troubt
= for her and prevent her from renting an
other hall because she had failed to pay 70
the use of Carroll Hall. Miss Delane.
! says she was warned by Mrs. A. Y
Holmes TO look out for this man Lynch
{ as he would try to stop her entertainment
! at the Grand Army Hall.
She acknowledged thatshe owed number
OF hotel bills. having stopped at Willards
the Wormley. Page. National. Randall
and the Elesmere. At various times in he
life she said she had been a vocalist, painte
OF portraits. dTessnaker. and teacher
and also trained nurse
Mss Delaney first came to Washington
on Noyember 27 1894 and has been her