The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-09
SEEK The CAUSE
Police Sift Mystery
of Andrews
Fire.
MAY BE ARSON CASE
Helen Robinson, a Dis
charged Domestic,
Suspected.

New York, April S.-Arson, commit
ted to crafty petty spite, is thought
to have been the cause of the Andrews
and Adams fires in which 10 people lost
their lives and many more were
MANNED for life. The police are doing
all in their power to clear up the mys-
terry.
1t is taken for granted that incen-
diarism was committed and suspicion
points toward Helen Robinson, for
mer domestic in the Andrews house
hold, who is known to have felt
strong personal grudge against Mary
Flanagan, another servant, and VINO
is suspected of having written numer-
Gus threatening letters since that time.
Anonymous letters received by Mr.. An
dreWs and his wife during the last
three months threatened chat some one
in the Andrews household would be Sc
riously injured unless Mary Flanagan,
a chambermaid employed there. was
discharged. They even limited at the de-
structiou Of the house by fire. These
threats alarmed the family and the po-
lice were appealed to. An investigation
has been going on for some weeks, the
police making a determined attempt to
apprehend the writer of the letters, but
not meeting with any success.
So worried over the matter was MIR.
Andrews that he arranged to have
portable fire escape put in each of the
bedchambers in the house, and they
were to have been put in next week.
The police have the originals of the
threatening letters in their possession,
they having been turned over to them
by Mr.. Andrews, and since the fire yes
terday morning they have redoubied
their efforts to run down the person or
persons who wrote and mailed the let
ters.
The police gave out three scurriIous,
threatening, anonymous letters, which
had been sent to members of the An
drews household. One was addressed
to the servant, Mary Flanagan, who
was one of the fire victims. The letters
made charges against Mary Flanagan
and the butler. The writer said in
part:
Il hope you and Mrs. Andrews don't
think for one moment that l am rec
onciled or pacified with Mary Flanagan,
for indeed l am not and, what is fur
Their. 1 never will be until I get my re-
venge. / feel that 1 have given warn
ing enough and l am going to fix her
for life, and because you and Mrs. An
drews did not give heed to warning l
am going to fix you, too. I'm going to
make some one throw something in
your nurses and children's faces that
will disfgure them and eat all the flesh
off the bone. This / will do for spite,
because you did not let Mary go as l
told you to. You had just as well let
her go first as last. You will have no
girl alive when / get through with
her"
Each one was more violent in tone
than it's predecessor, and threats were
made to injure some Of the members
of the Andrews family if the demand
for the dismissal of Mary Flanagan
was not acceded to.
Some of the statements made in the
letters Indicated that the writer was
familiar with the household affairs in
the Andrews home.
Mrs. Andrews became timid and fear
full when she received a letter threat
ening vengeance upon the entire fam
lily, and her husband, at her request,
as well as at the suggestion of Mrs.
st. John, took some of the most violent
letters to Police Captain DOnohue.
Detective Adam Langwa was de-
tailed to work on the case, and began
his investigation among the servants
in Mr. Andrews house.
With the assistance of the postoftice
inspectors, several of whom were de-
tailed for the work, careful watch
was kept upon the boxes in the district,
and the clerks in the office of Station
Y and the carriers were directed to
make a careful note of the time and
place where they picked up any letters
addressed to the Andrews family.
Even with this precaution the anony-
nous writer mailed letters, and the last
one, which 1t is said was the most
threatening of all, was received by Mrs.
Andrews on Thursday morning, less
than twenty-four hours before the
frightful tragedy, which marked the
burning of her home.
The postoffice inspectors and detect
ives were not able to obtain the slight
est trace of the sender of the letters,
and it was through an entirely different
investigation that suspicion was direct
ed toward Miss Robinson. 1t was
learned ~ Detective Langna and Capt.
DonOhue that every servant remaining
in the household of Mr.. Andrews after
Miss Robinson left was her personal
enemy
Miss Robinson, according to the state
ments Of the servants was never on
very friendly terms with any of them
She held herself alOOf and never had
anything to say about her personal af-
fairs or relations outside of the house
She is nearly six feet in height weighs
about 200 pounds and gave the Impress
ion to the other servants that if any
one attempted to impose on her or in
terfere with her in any way she would
resent it by physical force.
During last summer, while the family
was at the country seat in Tarrytown.
one of the chambermaids, Annie Neary,
circulated story about Helen Robin
son having been married after SIZE was
employed by Mrs. Andrews. This Gre
ated some trouble, and it is said that
Helen RobinsOn's feeling toward Mary
Flanagan, who became the champion
of Annie Neary, We're very bitter in
deed. Mary Flanagan is the person
referred to in the anonymous letters.
Helen Robinson and four other SER
wants returned to the Sixty-seventh
street house in October and lived there
alone until November 1, when Mr. An
drews' family returned from the coun-
try with the rest of the servants.
. Mrs. Andrews was a very careful
hOusekeeper. She discovered during
the summer season in Tarrytown that
there was an unaccountable loss in the
food supplies from the kitchen. She
questioned all the servants as to their
knowledge Of what became of the food