New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-12-14
FIRED SCHOOL TO ROR
So SAY Police Of Schoolboy and As
astdnt .JQnHors.
sooKDEALER ALSO ARRESTED

charged with receiving stolen property. An
srew Copeland, a secondhand book dealer.
~.ven+v-four years old, whose store is at No
o. r,hurct-st and who lives at No 103 I,erox
81 and Thomas E. Keane, manager of tn.
sookstore OF No. 254 Hudson-ave Hoboken
I were locked up at Police HEADQUARTERS
Iast night
charged with being accessories are Cecil Gar
,ia and Samuel Sumpter, assistant janitors of
public School No. 81. at No. 145 East Seven
taenth-st. Leslie Garcia, nineteen years old a
clerk employed at No. 81 Greenwich-st. and a.
scboolboy. Martin Spitnagle fifteen years old,
Nc No $50 West Forty-second-st. who were also
sacked UP in Police Headquarters with the
more serious charge of arson to be preferred
against them. according to Detective Peabody
All but Copeland and Keane were arrested at
Fire Headquarters, in East Sixty-seventh-st
a. the afternoon by Detectives McConviIle
peabody and Clarke during an investigation by
Fire Marshall Friei into the cause of suspicious
fires at Public School No Ga, at 1890 on last
tuesday morning, and on last Wednesday at
5:45 p. m.
On Tuesday about three hundred children
zere marched out of the school and the fire
subdued without an alarm being turned in.
SION afterward teacher reported the theft of
her gold watch and chain. The Wednesday af-
-ernoon fire. however. started on the first floor
nf the building and did considerable damage
before Il was eXtinguished.
Between the two CONGREGATIONS, Latin and
Greek granlmars, new and in cases, and q num-
her Of other school books worth about S100. dis
appeared from the building. According to De-
tsctive Pea body, a former United States Secret
Service detective, named Captain Connor, was
employed by Copeland in the Church-st- book
sore Captain Connor, according TO the de-
facil Garcia and Samuel Sumpter
hiring eighteen school books into the store and
offer them for sale on last Monday. Captain
Connor observed the Board Of Education label
on the volumes and warned Copeland the de
tective alleged. against the purchase Of them.
He was told TO mind his own business, but he
decided to inform Deputy Assistant District At
rornev Kressel. The case reported to Cap
tain Titus. and Detectives Peabody and Clarke
were assigned TO the
Communicating with Captain Conner on
Wednesday, the detectives w<re informed that
two cases of schoolbooks had been received at
the Church-st store late Tuesday night
They traced the truck driver, and he confessed
TO the detectives that he had taken the cases
from Public School No 81 at $3.50 O'Clock tues
day night. He told the detectives that ne mao
not liked the job. but was obeying orders
The Fire Marshal SubpPnaed Garcia ana
Sumpter, Spitnagie, and Lester anu Csch
Garcia.
The examination was going when the de-
tectives entered with the truckman- He WITH
out hesitation identified the assistant Janltors.
Lester Garcia and the Spitnagle boy as the per-
sons who had packed the books In the cases IN
his presence according TO the detectives, and
who had also loaded them on the truck ana
given him orders to deliver the goods TO the
Church-st. bookstore.
According to the detectives. the Fire Marshal
alleged that he got confession from the Spit
nagie boy that the lad had been an accessory
TO the Durland Riding Academy fire. as well
es in both the fires at the school.
When searched at Police Headquarters Cecil
Garcia had q pawn ticket for a watch. He
protested that he had received the ticket from
Sur2pter. II is supposed 10 represent the watch
belonging TO the teacher.