The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-28
MRS. SHIELDS HAD
AN ACCOMPLISH
Henry Beacon and the Woman Now Under Setting Fire
to the Virginia Avenue Dwelling Last Sunday

ferent parts of the house, where they
We're afterward found. Beacon then went
into the basement, telling Lille to follow
him. She went downstairs and begged
him to return the furniture he had taken
away, but he refused. This has gone
anything about this 1 will send you to San
Quentin"
Beacon, she said, then struck a match
and gave it to the girl, telling her to ignite
the coal oil. She dropped the. match,
which went out, and ran into the street;
She looked back toward the house and
saw a blaze in the basement and was
positive Beacon had ignited it.
Lille said the original plan was to fire
the house last Saturday night, but it took
nearly all night to remove the furniture,
SO 1t was postponed until the following
night.
The plan first agreed upon between Mrs.
Shields and Beacon, the girl stated, was
for the two women to begin a game of
cards and get into a fight, during which
followed out.
Acting on Lille Mullins information,
Towe and the detectives went out to Bea-
CONS home on Prospect avenue, and in
the loft of his barn they found sixteen
chairs, carpet. number of pictures
the lower part of the barn, covered by a
lot OF sacks, they found couch, a pair
OF folding doors and numerous other arti-
cles, all of which had been removed from
the Shields house.
Beacon was off peddling fruit all day,
and and when he reached home last night he
him. At the city Prison he said he had
given Mrs: Shields SIS within the past
two months to pay. bills with and lad
1he sed f 3pn d IN his home
belonged to him, the others being given
to him to deliver to some relatives of the
o'clock Saturday afternoon Mrs. Shields
tod MIN he must get the things out of
the house that night. He began the work
OF moving them two hours later and did
not finish the task until nearly o'clock
the next morning. Beacon disclaimed all
knowledge of the plot to fire the Shields
premises and said he, did not know why
she was in such hurry to have the
things taken away.
Mrs, Shields was very drunk when she
LANDED at the police station. She said she
had no idea where she had been since
the fire, but had intended to- give herself
up from the first, only she could not ind
There is something In that part of her
story, at least, for the city's protectors
are so busy with their drumming, club
hing fling and 5 singing lessons nova
Chief, that they find little time for any
thing else
However, Mrs, Shields was sober
fire between herself and Beacon. She
said they fixed the job up together, and
Beacon bought the oil and started the
street when the fire started She denied
emphatically that she ever received a
Mrs Shields said her husband fired the
place, but this is impossible, as Shields
Is not in the city. The authorities will
make thorough investigation of the re-
lations that have existed between Mrs.
Shields and Beacon, and expect to prove
that the pair have been altogether. too
friendly for some time.
=. Fire Marshal Towe talked to Beacon
after the fire Sunday and Beacon then
denied all knowledge of it or the woman.
Last night when asked why he did not
mention the fact that he had some of the
wyoman's furniture hidden away he re-
plied that ne. did not want to give any
body away"