The San Francisco call., 1896-04-08

works had all gone home he thought that
some one had careiessly left the light
burning. He went over to the works, but
saw no light in the office. This puzzled
him and on returning he looked under the
stairway and saw lot of old overalls and
jumpers In heap on the floor. He moved
them and to his surprise there was a
lighted candle underneath. The fame
had not yet communicated with the heap
of clothing, and it was evident that the
lighted candle and the clothing had been
placed there only minute or so before.
Hibbits blew out the light and immedi-
ately notified Policeman Rial and Special
Officer Sample. They made an examina-
ton and found the clothing and candle
were SO placed as to lead only to one con-
ciusion-that the purpose was to set fire
to the building occupied by the metal
works.
Rial notified Sergeant Donovan. who in
turn reported the case to Captain Spill
lane. The captain instructed Donovan to
telephone Fire Marshal Towe and leave
everything untouched i'll he arrived
The Fire Marshal hurried to the South
ern Police station and, accompanied by
Sergeant Donovan, went to 81 Fremont
street, where they were joined by Police
man Rial.
The Fire Marshal made careful inyes-
tigation and this is his report: II found
under the stairway leading to the second
story of 81 Fremont street a pile of work
mems overaIls and jumpers, which had
been saturated with turpentine and coal
oil. Under the clothing was piece of
candle, an inch and half long, and along
side of the candle was a wooden box with
black varnish in it. / also found coal-oil
lamp with the top unscrewed and the
lamp empty.
"The sides of the stairs were daubed
with black varnish and coal oil and the
candle was stuck on piece of cardboar
on pile of canvas, which had also black
varnish on it. Had the candle burned
down to this preparation the whole block
would have gone, as the building is an
old ramshackle one, all open above the
first floor, and the fire could not have
been seen from the street till it had got a
good headway.
Sergeant Donovan placed Rial to watch
the building in the hope that the man
who did it was waiting for the firebelis to
ring, and 1 thought he might return 20 see
what was the cause of the failure of his
attempt, or else would come back to re-
move the evidence, but he did not return.
"The owners of the works can give no
reason for the attempt and / am satisfied
they were not concerned in it, as there is
no motive for them to do it. It is the
work of an enemy and have the name of
person who threatened he would get
even with them two weeks ago. The Job
has the impression of one we'll knowing
the place and no doubt some discharged
employe did it or some rival in business.
1t was fortunate discovery, as through
the blowing out Of that candle by Hibbits
a serious contiagration was averted."
The Fire Marshal thinks it is singular
coincidence that the card on which the
candle was stuck was the same as a card
he found underneath his front door when
he returned about midnight from his in
vestigation.
''It was not there" said the Fire Mar
shall last night, when I left the house at
o'clock to go to the Southern station,
but it was there when / returned three