The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-16

One AOunS MAn WIS IHAen IN.
Charge by Detective CampbeII
Yesterday and Subjected to a Wig
orous Inquisition In the Sweat
Box at the Central Police sta,
!, ton.
Developments in connection with the
threatened destruction Of st. Thomas
seminary, Summit and Cleveland avenues,
by fire, after the students had retired
Saturday night, as told in the Glob Q
of Sunday, have led to the suspicion that
the fire was of an incendiary origin and
both the seminary officials and the police
are conducting a searching investigation
to discover. e.. the guilty. persons. One of
the students of the seminary was taken
in charge by Detective Campbell yester-
day afternoon, on suspicion of knowing
something of the fire. but after UNDER
going season in the sweat box at the
central station. under direction of two
priests from the seminary. was allowed
to go, as it could not be proven that the
young man was guilty Of the offense srs-
pected.
The fire Of Saturday night was the
second fire at the seminary within four
days. This fact and the inability to ac-
count for how the blazes started led to
suspicious. The first fire broke out
shortly before 7 O'clock Wednesday even
ing, while the students were at supper.
The fire department was called to the
scene and found blaze burning under
thu steps leading from the basement
to the first floor Of the building. Several
half burned papers were found Under
the steps, The damage was slight be-
cause Of the early discovery Of the
fire and prompt work of the department.
The fire Saturday night broke out after
the students had retired for the night.
1t was also In the basement, but this
time gained much Roadway, and 1t was
feared that the entire building might be
destroyed Aroused from their slumbers by
smoke pouring through the building, 132
students fastened outside, some in their
night clothes and others only partially
dressed. When the fire department ar
rived the nature Of the fire necessitated
summoning additional apparatus, and for
more than an hour a desperate struggle
went on with the flames. Finally the
department conquered extinguishing the
fire after the building had been damaged
to the extent of 1880.
With their suspicious aroused, the
seminary Officials became alarmed, and
called upon the police to investigate the
cause of the fires. Two representatives
Of the seminary visited police headquar>
tiers yesterday afternoon and after they
had confided their suspicious to Chief
Goss detective was dispatched to the
institution. Inquiry among the students
led to a close investigation Of the where
abouts of one certain student at the time
of the fires. What he learned, De-
tective Campbell refuses to say, but he
took the student toward whom suspicion
had been directed to the central station
and held the young. man there until the
priests from the seminary called to see
him shortly after 6 O'Clock. Then the
young man was closeted with one of the
priests for nearly an hour. He was
asked to tell what he knew about the
fire of Saturday night, but vehemently
denied any knowledge of 1t. He was
promised immunity If he would make a
clean breast of everything, but stuck
to the statement that he had nothing to
tell. At the conclusion Of the sweating
process the student was allowed to de-
part with the two priests.
Both Of the seminary representatives
declined to discuss the case or to make
any statement about the suspected at
tempts to burn the building. Detective
Campbell says his investigation at the
seminary firmly convinces him that the
fire Of Saturday night was of an incen-
diary origin. The firemen who worked
on the blaze also believe the fire to have