Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-27
ANOTHER INCENDIAR Y
An Attempt to Burn St. Mary's Catholic
School
Floor Saturated With Coal OIL and
Fire Applied-P0sstble Imitator of
St. Dominic's Woman.

Some time last night fire fend made q
desperate effort to burn st. Mary's Cath
Ollie School, on Washington street north
west between 4th and 9Th streets, by satur-
atng the floor with coal oil and then ap-
plying the torch. There was plenty Of oil
used on the floor, and the incendiary used
fuse, which burned the floor for several
inches outside the limit of where the oil
had left its mark.
This branch of the school is a one-story
brick structure facing on Washington stree,
directly in rear of the main school build
ing and only few feet from st. Mary's
Church.
Nothing was known of the occurrence
until this morning, when the school was
opened for the children to enter, and this
afternoon the police were notified or the
facts.
Detectives Weldon and Boardman. who
had been in attendance at the trial OF Mary
Delaney for the alleged attempt to burn
St. Dominic's Church. were sent to IN
vestigate the school fire. and Father Gloyd
pastor Of the church. showed them through
the school and explained how the affair
must have happened. Il
Last evening the school room was closed
and the teacher Is confident that the shut
tiers were securely fastened. Such was the
condition of the room this morning. but
the fire fiend had Undoubtedly entered
through the window and done his villainous
work and then closed, the shutters after
departing. me
Just how much oil was used cannot be
told, but judging from the spot made on
the floor 1t Is thought that at least one
quart of the fluid had been put there.
There was still a strong odor of oil about
the school when the officers and Star re-
porter called this afternoon.
81 was in the room as late as 6 o'clock, y
said the sister who has charge of the chill
dren in the room where, the attempt was
made, "but am positive that the window
shutters were closed.
There are no locks on the windows. sc
that had the shutters been left unlocked
the incendiary had no trouble to get in the
room.
Dangerous Attempt.
The school property covers several lots
and in another part Of the building, which,
however, is separated from the one-story
structure, several of the sisters were sleep
Ing but they could not possibly have smell
ed the oil or smoke, and would probably not
have known anything Of the fire had the
flames gained Roadway until persons from
the outside gave the alarm:
The police realize that the attempt to de.
stroy the building was a genuine one, but
they think it was done by some one who
wanted to follow the example set by the
person who set fire to st. Dominic's and
st. Patrick's Churches last week
1t is a miracle that the place was mo-
burned for the coal oil was poured on thu
dry pine floor, and although along the line
of the fuse the floor was burned, the flame:
went out when the oil saturated wood wa:
reached.
AS it turned out, there was no damage
done, but the church people fear the at
tempt may be repeated.
The police will make every effort to cap
ture the guilty party. whom they thinl
may possibly be a boy following the ex
ample of the other fire fiend, as persons
followed the outrageous work Of "Jach
the Slasher' last year.