The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-16
KEEPS EIGHTH WARD RESIDENTS
I'm A STATE OF sLEEPLEss-
NESS.
FIREBUG IS STILL ABROAD.
APPLIED THE MATCH TO FIVE
MORE BARNS.
EXTRA POLICE PATROL PVT ON.
Chief jackson Confers with Chief
GOss-BeHeved to BE the Work
OF an Insane Man.

The residents Of the Rondo street dis
tr1ct are In state of terror over the
expectations of an unknown firebug
who has been Unfortunately apply
ing an incendiary torch to barns and
sheds IN the western portion of the
city since Sunday morning. At that
time, as told In the G. o b e, five barns
were fired between and o'clock and
during the early. morning hours Of
yesterday the flend continued his work
by setting fire to FIVE more buildings.
The number of fires and the methods
employed in setting the barns on fire
correspond with those of Sunday and
fully convince the police and fire de-
partment officials that the district Is at
the mercy of some one seeking revenge
or dangerous crank who engages in
the MISUNDERSTANDING diversion for
his own fanatical amusement Chief
jackson, of the fire department, had a
| consultation with Chief Of Police Goss
yesterday concerning the fires, and the
night police force of the district has
been doubled, in hopes that the Grim
inal or lunatic may be apprehended
Inc portion of the city in which the
nrebug has been operating is partic-
ularly adapted to his plans, as the
protection is most meager both in re-
gard to the fire. department and police
| patrol The territory Is large, render
ing 1t an easy matter to set the fires
and escape without detection. AS night
approaches the residents are apprehen-
slve OF the danger it brings to them.
and all over the district they are now
houriy inspecting their barns and keep
| ing watch with loaded fire arms, and
| 1t Will prove g. decidedly unenviabIe
position should the indignant citizens
| catch any suspicious characters prowl-
Ing around after night.
The snow fall which covered the
ground yesterday morning made it
possible to easily follow the firebug
from one scene of his operations to the
otner Footprints were found leading
directly to the doors of the barns fired
and In each instance tailed with those
discovered at the other places. 1t was
plainly evident that the depredations
were committed by but one man. as
only single track showed in the snow
II was tnet OF an ordinary sized foot
thOugn rather broad. The man wore
new ruDbers, as indicated by the creas
IS leIC from the bottoms and, from the
crushed appearance of the beautiful"
IN places where his pace was evidently
qulcKened after setting fire, it is
thought that he wore no shoes inside
merely lncasing his feet in the light
oVershoes to more easily effect an es-
cape IN case of pursuit All of the
parns were set on fire from the inside
Nhere, IN each case, the wall had been
hberally sprinkled with kerosene. Tn
one Oh the buildings a large bundle of
CID rags thoroughly saturated in the
comoustlele fluid was found by the fire.
men and may be Of assistance in can
turing the criminal
The first alarm Yesterday norninr
came in at 112. when fire was dis.
covered IN large barn in the rear of
no. $50 Ihomas street. The building
Is owned by Mark Ebert and OCCUPIED
LOT storage purposes by N Bollnen.
When the department arrived it was
al immediate conclusion that the fire
pug OF sunday was again at work The
Darn was inveloped with thick smoke
put the flames were confined to the
inside. When the fire was extinguish
co. ASSISTANT Chief Cook made an ex-
aiiIlatioh ana found kerosene on the
siues OF the building. The loss was
about $780,
Whlle at work on this fire,/the fire
men were startled by the appearance
OF names shooting up from a wood
sned Two blocks distant in the rear
VI NO. 4So Blair street. The house on
the lot IS occupied by a widow named
MRS. Nochtman. The shed was parti
ally destroyed, andait was here in one
cCrhef where 1t, had probably rolled
after being thrown in by the fire fiend.
Inat the bundle Of rags was found.
The loss was merely nominal
The members uof the fire department
on the hill did not retire when they
returned to their engine house, for
they expected MORE runs, and when at
5:23 box No. 81 was pulled, the appars-
tus hurried to No. 267 Aurora avenue.
occupied by Mrs. George Gerlach.
where the barn had been set on fire in
the same manner as the other fires.
The flames We're on the inside and the
n3eVitable signs of kerosene present.
Tne building received a bad scorchine-
but was saved with a loss of about
$780,
The department had not even reached
the Geflach fire when an alarm from
Box No. AIT was counted which took
a detachment to 499 Harrington avenue.
where a barn in the rear of Louis
Marke's residence was burning. The
nIebug was pursuing his characteristic
tactics Of setting two buildings close
tOSONAaC@, anu IflSI making OIL to
other portion of the district, as this
fire was but a block and half distant
from the Gerlach place. Chief Jackson
mad gone out to the scene of the fires
with this alarm, and directed the work
or the flremen here, while Assistant
Chief Cook put out the other blaze.
Mr.. Makes barn contained two horses
and COW which were saved with diff
Guilty. quantity Of feed was destroy
ed. The evidence of incendiarism were
here very distinct Oil had been thrown
over the four walls and lighted from
the inside. The tracks of the firebug
We're traced from the street where he
had climbed fence, to the door of
the barn and then in long strides
across vacant,1ot Immediately under
bay window Of Charles Pusch's resi-
dence where he is said to have knocked
on the glass. From the. window the
footprints again led 30 the street where
the man cunninaly took to the road to
prevent being followed. Mr.. Marke