Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-02-15
COMBINE OF F|REBUGS
Attempt to Burn Four of the Prom-
inent Hotels of Chi.
cago.
GREAT NORTHERN Is ONE OF THEM
Palmer House Ablaze on Four Floors
Sherman House and Hotel
Grace Also Fired.

Chicago, Feb. 15.-Four small fires,
all of which are believed to have
been of incendiary origin. were dis
covered at different times. on as
many different floors of the hotel
Majestic, which adJoins the Great
Northern hotel on Quincy street, be-
tween Dearborn and State streets, and
which is under process of renovation.
These following the evident attempts
at incendiary fires last nightin the Pal
mer house and Great Northern hotel,
and the hotel Grace has created con-
siderable excitement.
Chicago, Feb. 15.-Fires were set
simultaneously on four floors of the
Palmer House last evening. and thirty
five minutes later fires were discovered
on two floors of the Great Northern
hotel. Two men, supposed to be hotel
thieves. were seen to run from the Pal
mer House. During the excitement
$500 worth of jewelry was stolen from
one of the rooms of the Great North
ern. Two other hotel fires of suspi-
cious origin are also announced, one
in the Sherman House and the other
in the Hotel Grace. The four fires
convince the police that an organized
gang of incendiaries is operating in
Chicago. Good descriptions have been
secured of f,the two men who We're seen
running from the Palmer House, and
a number of detectives are at work on
the case.
Description of the Four Blazes.
The four fires, with time of discov-
cry and attending incidents, We're: Pal
mer House--Four fires set simultan-
eously in baskets of linen on different
floors Towels saturated with kero-
sene found. Fire exlinguished by
guests and employees. Two suspects
seen but allowed TO escape. Damage
nominal Great Northern hotel-Sim-
ultaneous fires discovered on the II and
] floors. Odor of kerosene on II floor.
J. s. ENPiest, of New York, reported that
5000 worht of Jewelry had been stolen
from his room. Damage of $1,000 by
fire and small panic among the guests.
Hotel Grace-Firee of Suspicious origin
discovered IN lfnen closet. Damage
nominal. sherman House-The blaze
was ON the upper floot and was at
tended with little comnotion. DAM
age 800.
Most Fire at the Palmer.
The most dangerous fire in the Pal
mer House was on the fifth floor. 1t
was eXtinguished at personal risk by
John McWilliamS, Jr., a senior at
Princeton university, and the 2O-year-
old son of John McWilliams, a banker
of Odell. Ills. BY a coincidence young
McWiIliams was returning to college
after having been called to Odell by
the burning of the family residence
two weeks ago.
Notice to the Incendiaries-
The police agreed thai all the fires
were incendiary, and last night every
important downtown hostelry was
guarded by detail of officers in plain
clothes watching for the men suspect
ed of having started the fires. These
officers. rs we'll as the hotel managers,
adpoted the theory that each blaze was
started by some discharged hotel en-
ploye who wished to satisfy grudge
and was able to do so thIpugh his inti-
mate knowledge of opportunities. A
telephone message was received at the
Palmer House while .fhe second fire at
the Great Northern was in progress
How is your blaze coming onT' was
asked "The Great Northern is burn
ing finely"
> "Who are you?" asked Head Clerk
Grant. but the inquirer stopped and
rang off.