The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-05-05
A GIRL
WAS THE
F|REBUG.
Susie Morris Made Six Attempts
to Burn House Of Her
Aunt, Mrs. McCaffrey.

The alarm from box Az. at 10 o'clock
this morning was for a fire in Mrs.
Ann McCaffrey's three-story building
on PlaInheld street. in the annexed dis
trict.
This building, erected but a few
months ago, is occupied on the lower
floor by Lewis r. Osborn, a fruiterer,
and John o'Donnell, a saloon-keeper.
The McCsffreys and three other fam
HES live over the stores.
Within the II hours ending at 10
O'clock, this morning six attempts were
made TO burn the property. and the per-
son responsible for the fires is under
arrest.
Shortly after ) o'clock last night,
Mrs. McCaffrey's daughter detected
smoke and Investigating, discovered
that several small boxes, piled up in
the cellar, had been set on fire. That
fire was pat out and half an hour later
another one was discovered ana that,
also. was set i'm the cellar.
AT s O'clock the back steps at the
rear door of the tenements were satu-
rated with Kerosene oil and were set
afire; but "a few pals of water sufficed
TO extinguish those flames.
The sixth precinct officers were noti-
fed and Lieut.. Dairy stationed patrol
men M keep watch OF the premises. At
& o'clock this morning, and while the
man on guard was absent from his post
not 10 exceed two minutes, rug In the
back hallway on the lower floor was
saturated with oil and set ahre; at
$50 the back piazza was found TO De
on fire, and at l o'clock the sixth fre
was set among some boxes in the Gel
lar, and. as in the other instances no
damage was done.
The police were of the opinion for
some time that the incendiary acts
were those of some person temporarily
deranged. Despite careful espionage
they failed TO get any clue TO the fire.
bugs identity urstil this noon.
Miss Susie Morris. niece of Mrs.
AicCaffrey, told the police that just be-
fore the first fire i'm the cellar was dis
covered she saw a short, thick-set man
wearing pair of blue pants and
light SLOUGH hat leave the yard, and
that this same man was among those
that had assisted in putting out the
first and second fires. Mrs. McCaffrey
said that while she had no good rea-
son for suspecting that individual she
did nevertheless. This man was known
TO the police. but they did not for a
moment believe that he had anything
10 do with The affair.
The police did not take much stock
in what the Norris girl said, particu-
larly as her assertions relative TO the
man mentioned were highly improba
Bile. Capt. Leavitt placed even less
confidence I'm Susie's story this noon
and after getting her 10 tell It over two
or three times more discovered discre-
pancies which made sad holes in her
narrative. Then the usual pumping
was INDUCED In and when that opera
tion was completed Susie had made a
clean breast of it--she was the fire-bug
and there was no gentleman with blue
pantaloons mixed up in the affair.
Susie is a bright-eyed 14-year-old girl.
OF keen intellect and one who would not
have been picked out as an incend-
iary. She had a small grudge to salts
fy and a bit OF vengeance to be wreaked
She was living with her aunt and
claimed that the latter would not let
her go out To play with the other small
children. nor permit them to come into
the house.
Moreover, she claimed that within a
day or two her aunt whipped her Sc
verely for trivial matter and she ex-
hibited what she declared were bruises
received at that time.
Wearying Of this treatment she re-
solved to set fire to the house hoping
that out OF IL would come her free
dom.
Capt. Leavitt brought Susie to the
city Hall and turned her over to Capt.
Parker and by the latter she was sent
TO the Central station.
The girl procured the oil in the house
and had singular luck in applying and
setting fire 30 it without encounterng
any OF the occupants of the building