The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-17
INCENDIARISM THE THEORY.
FTREBUGs ANswERABLE For THE
BURNING OF THE ACADEMY.

Two Boys Arrested on Suspicion, But
Released for Lack of Evidence
Against Them-Rewards offered by
the City and the Academy Trus-
tees for the Capture of the Incen-
diaries-An Organized system of
Robbery of school Buildings.
Waterman on Duty at Every Pub
lie school Building in the City.
Nearly one thousand school children
were thrown temporarily out of their
school homes by the burning Of the Chat
had Academy yesterday morning.
The second attempt to burn the historic
building was so far successful as TO leave
il more than half destroyed-the eastern
wing a pile of smoking ruins. No o,her
theory of the origin of the fire Is advanc-
ell than that it was the work of incendia-
ries, and the general belief is that boys
were guilty of the act.
There seems to have been an organized
Plan to pilfer and burn the schools of the
city. The evidence Of two days has proven
conclrsively that some one has been seek
ing to despoil the schools of any valuables
that could be secured by ransacking them,
and to destroy the buildings and the trace
of their robberies. The burglary of three
schools, an unsuccessful attempt to burn
the academy, followed by a similar at
tempt TO burn St Patricks, and the al
most successful effort to totally destroy
the academy, all within thirty-six hours,
prove conclusively the existence of plot.
So convinced is the Board of Education
that incendiaries are determined upon the
destruction of at least those schools, upon
which attempts have already been made,
that it decided to employ watchmen for
all the school buildings in the city, and
last night at dark the watchmen began
their duties, one being assigned to each
building. The City Council, BESIDES the
academy trustees, has offered a reward of
$500 for the discovery of The incendiarles,
and for every one Of them that may BE-
caught the reward win be paid.
The police detectives have been assign
ed to the work and If one of them is
fortunate enough to bring one of the in
cendiaries to justice he win receive the
reward The feeling against those VINO
have been firing public property, endan-
gering life and private property as well,
is strong.
Two boys, Jake and Albert Hirt, broth
ers, were arrested while the fire was in
progress, at theih home, No 80 Houston
street before they were out of bed, on
account of suspicion of having fred the
academy. The suspicion had been enter
tanned for some hours. The night before
The police had been notified by the school
authorities of their belief that the boys
might have had something to do with
the robberies, and the superintendent of
police had ordered the arrest but the ar
rest was not made until morning. The
boys We're given to understand that their
arrest was due 20 some charge of gross
misconduct IN the schools, from which
both of them had been expelled. They
were not held long. Supt. Screven soon
decided that the evidence against them
was not sufficient to justify their being
held on the incendary charge. The school
authorities We're by no means convinced,
however, that the boys were without
blame.
Albert is youth of tenderer age about
IL years old. He was in Chatham No. /,
one of the grammar schools that occupied
the academy, until his expulsion.
The theory that negroes in spirit of re-
venge against the Board of Education may
have set fire to the academy met with lit
Tie credence. 1t is well known that there
are many negro children whom the board
has been unable to accommodate In the
schools. The funds at its disposal have not
admitted of the expenditure for teachers,
nor have enough buildings been had for
Superintendent Ashmore views TIL
theory as an extremely unlikely one. H
belief is that the fire was the work of
boys. The ne gro of Savannah and Chat
ham county, he said, have Tile reason
for complaint against the Roard Of Edu-
cation. In the schools thee are almost as
many negro as white children 1t is true
that many colored children are out Of the
schools, but he same is true of the whites.
Some eff the largest tax payers among the
VIII tie people are unab e to secure entrance
into the schools for their children.
The superintendent referred to the petit
ton that was recently respectfully sub
mitted by the colored people, through a
committee of their leading citizens, for
greater school accommodations for their
children, to which the board gave respect
full and careful consideration, and would
have gladly granted had its means been
sufficient to admit of the expense. If the
theory Is true, Mr.. fAshmore says, and
the academy fire and other attempts on
school property were due to a negro, the !
man does not truly represent his race. |
Mr.. Ashmore says the negroes should be
well satisfied with the share they get OF
the public education in the state, as they |
pay but 49, per cent. of the taxes and re-
ceive nearly half of the appropriation for |
educational purposes.
The recurrence of fires between 6 and |
$50 o'clock on two successive evenings !
lnduced the rear that yesterday afternoon |
might bring another. Shortly before Z /
o'clock some one passing st. Patrick's
School, saw the janitor light the fire In |
a stove. St. Patrick's was one of the |
schools upon which an attempt to burn |
was made, and the residents of that sec
ton were alarmed. When the flash of |
light was seen, it was taken as a sure
indication of another attempt, and the |
alarm was given. Some one ran to box |
IS, nearby, ana called the department. 1t
was an infinite relief to discover that the |
alarm was false.