The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-09
S AIN T Paul.
SOME ONE TRIED HARD
TO Burn Out the Christy Family at
Minnesota Transfer

TO burn Out the Christy Family at
Minnesota Transfer.
The residence of Mr. and Mrs. Pat
TICK Chrlsty, situated at Cleveland and
marshall avenues, was badly DANA ged
by a f1re of incendiary origin early
yesterday morning. There are some
peculiar circumstances connected with
the fire, which have led to police in
vest1gatfon, but as yet no arrests have
been made
AT about a quarter after o'cIack
yesterday morning. Mrs. Christy was
awakened by what she thought was
some one walking about the front
room of the house. For some time the
Chr1stys have conducted a small con-
fect1onary store in the front room of
their house. and it was in the store
that Mrs. Christy heard strange noises
She and her husband were sleeping
In the kitchen, with sitting room
intervening between the store and their
sleeping room. The door which leads
into the store is always kept open. and
when Mrs. Christy aroused her hus-
band, he started toward the front
room with the intention of investigat-
ing as to whether or not an intruder
had gained an entrance to the house
On reaching the door connecting the
store with the sitting room, he found 1t
locked and the key, which is always
on the side near the bed room. missing
This circumstance alarmed Mr.. Christy
and when he told his wife the door
was locked she became frightened. and
ran out the back door of the house in
to the yard. Here she discovered that
the house was on fire. The flames had
gained some Roadway and were run
ming up the side Of the house. just out
side Of the store, and a window was
open, convincing her that some one
had entered the house, locked her and
her husband in, and then fired the
building. To lend belief to her theory.
pair of rubber overshoes were found
outside the window as though some
one had worn them to keep from max
ing noise in the house, and dropped
them from his feet as he jumped from
the window.
The Christy house is six blocks
from the Merriam Park fire depart
ment, but Mrs. Christy ran all this dis
lance to turn in an alarm. When the
department arrived the fire was burn
ing fercely, but was soon under con-
troll. Shortly after the flames on the
side of the house had been extinguished
fire was discovered in the sitting room
An old lounge near an open window
had been saturated with kerosene and
burned fiercely. This too, was extin-
guished, and the firemen began an in
vestigation that showed kerosene to
have been poured on the weather
boards and both in the sitting room
and store. A trapdoor, leading from
the store into the cellor, on being
opened, disclosed the fact that a guam
tity of oil-soaked rags and paper had
been placed in the cellar. There is no
doubt but that some one deliberately
tried to burn down Christy's house,
but it Is not believed by the police
that the locking of the door leading in
to the store was an attempt at cremat-
ing the inmates. 1t is rather thought
that whoever fired the building gained
an entrance to the store and then
locked the doors, that the preparations
for the fire might not be disturbed
The fact that the back door Of the
house was open would strengthen this
theory.
About a month ago a vacant house,
adjoining the one occupied by the
Christy family, was set on fire and
Mrs. Christy then also ran to the en-
CINE house and turned in an alarm
When this fire was extinguished the
floors of the house were found to have
been saturated with kerosene
The loss of yesterdays fire will
amount to $500 on Christy's stock Of
CONNECTIONS and about $500 on the
house. The stock and furniture Is in
sured for $780, and the building for $500.
The house occupied by the Christy
family and the one set on fire a month
ago, which Is on the same lot, are both
owned by Father John Costello, q pro-
lessor at st. Thomas college.