Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-21
Attempts to Set Fire to Catholic
Edifces Today.
BELIEVEDTOBE TEE WORKOF AFANAMC
An Incendiary Visits St Dominic's
and St. Patrick's.
SUPPOSED TO BE A WOMAN

ST. Dominic's, in South Washington, and
later another similar attempt was made
at st. Patrick's. 1t was believed that the
same person, mysterious woman in black,
was the incendiary in both cases. The POI
lice, who think the woman is probably
some religious fanatic, were making efforts
to capture her this afternoon.
At ST. Dominic's.
Just ten years ago ST. Dominic's Church,
South Washington, was visited by fire, and
had 1t not been for the fact that the build
ing was such a solid one it would have
been totally destroyed. Today there was
fire in the building which was the work OF
a bold inceadiary. The timely presence and
effective work of William Henderson, the
colored janitor, prevented another con-
flagration. 1t was between II and Of clock
today when the attempt was made. A tall,
slender woman, dressed in black, is srs-
pected of being the incendiary.
During Lenten days, as at other times,
the church doors are left wide open all
| day. but at this season of fasting and
prayer the number of persons visiting the
building to spend few minutes in prayer
is larger than at other times. Many had
been in church during the morning and had
gone home about the hour of noon, soon
after the ringing of the Angelus. So when
the incendiary appeared the coast was
about clear.
Discovered by the JanitOr.
Henderson. the janitor. had finished ring
ing the Angelus some minutes before he
passed through the church and started
toward the dining room to get his dinner.
AS soon as he entered the chapel which is
part Of the church building, he smelled
burning oil and saw smoke. The old man
had gone through the more serious con-
migration ten years ago, and the sight
today startled him. Without much hesi-
tation he took off his SLOUGH hat and beat
it against the flames until he had extin-
guiShed them.
Then the police were called in and an in
vestigation made. An elderly woman, who
Is employed about the parsonage as house
She had seen a tall woman, dressed in
black. leaving the building in a hurry. An
other woman. who happened to be in
church saying her prayers also saw the
woman when she entered and left.
The Woman's Actions.
According to these statements the woman
seemed In hurry when she entered the
church, and looked around. She was ap-
parently laboring under some excitement
and seemed very nervous
She left the pew where she had been sit
ting and entered the chapel, where she re-
manned only short time Then she re-
turned through the door into the church
proper and hurried away. On the floor be-
tween the entrance to the chapel and the
front door Of the church a number of
matches were found
In the chapel. where the oil was poured,
Is place where some OF the church gar
mentS are kept, and the oil reached this
closet. The flames were only about three
feet from the door leading into the church,
and had they gained the least Roadway be-
fore being discovered they would soon have
reached the chancel and have done great;
amount of damage. 5s''e -
Hunting for the Incendinry.
Policeman Williams. who made the in
vestigation, sent word to all the police
stations ard the detective Office, notifying
the officers of what had happened and
asking for the arrest of the woman, whom
he described as being tall and slender dress
ed in dark clothes, and wearing a dark
cape She wore small round hat.
She Left No Trace.
At St. Dominic's Church the incendiary
did not leave bottle or oil can or any
other article which would in any way as
sist the officers in tracing the woman to
any particular store. The church officials
feared, then, the woman would repeat the
attempt at another church.
AS soon as the news Of the fire at st.
Dominics Church reached police head
quarters the officers came to the conclusion
that the fire had been started by woman,
who was probably crank on the religious
question. They naturally supposed she
would go to some other church. They felt
certain that she would make similar at
tempt at some other church, if she were
crank and did not have some special i'm
aginary grievance against st. Dominics.
They were about to make preparations to
have the other churches guarded when
telephone message announcing an attempt
to destroy St. Patricks Church was re-
ceived-
Detectives After Her.
Detectives Boardman and Carter, who
were on duty at the time, fastened over to
ST Patrick's Church, to get en- the trail of
the woman if possible At the same time
the police in the different precincts were
AGAIN called up and told of what had
happened They were notified to look ont
for the different churches and arrest the
woman if possible.
The Attempt Mt St. Patrick's.
It was just twenty minutes past 1 when
the attempt to burn ST. Patrcks Church.
on 10th street between F and G streets,
was made. The church, like ST. Dominic's,
is open throughout the day to accommb-
date persons who desire to enter and offer
prayer. 1t is customary for the colored
janitor to be about the edifice at all times.
but he left the building for few minutes
to attend to the fires in the parsonage ad
joining the church.
When he returned the first thing that
greeted his gaze on entering the main door
Of the church was a gallon can of oil, sur
rounded by a quantity of blazing oil-soaked
paper This had been placed alongside the
door leading to the belfry. The paint on
the door was charred to a considerable ex-
tent. The janitor with some difficulty ex-
tinsuished the blazing paper and removed
the can of oil. after which he excitedly
notified the priests.
Upon investigation 1t was found that
considerable oil was spread on the floor
ard the seat of one of the rear pews in the
main body of the church. From that point
there was a double trail of oil on the floor
across the rear of the church and down
the left aisle to the door of the sacristy,
located to the right of the altar.
A Woman In Black.
No one apparently saw the would-be in
cendiary Three ladies, however. were
sewing in the sacrsty, and they heard
soft football approach the door, the handle
of which was turned. When it was found
that the door was locked the person, who
ever 1t was, FASTENED away. Several ladies'
who were in the church at the time stated
to Star reporter that they saw a woman
cad in black pass down the left aisle and
try the door of the sacristy but no more
than passing notice was paid to her.
Searching the Premises.