New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-09-06
CHARGE NAY BE ARSON.
WONEN HELD AFTER FIRE.
PolFoe BelieUe They Wrote Threat
euing Letters TO Themselves.

-,-,,-,,-r q ere that was preceded by a slight
..,,,sson m :he home of Mrs. Mary Melcrome
- ber daughter Mamie. az 40. 236 Twelfth
:. T-oklyn. yesterday morning after they had
-.-,,,.e6 q letter which said that the house was
,-oi-e 70 IL blown Up by bomb the two women
rs-s arrested last night by Captain Reynolds
- me Fifth-ave station. They were held as
,r,s-tc.ous persons. but IL was minated last
-, that al attempt was being made by the
.--.ss- and Assistant Fire Marshal FLYNN 20
--.A.- evidence upon which they NAV base
-,.-~e % arson The women. Who we've locked
- ~ -,e Aaarns-st. station. where there IS a
-~s+-on. denounced their arrest as an outrage
- declared that they would he able 20 clear
themselves q all suspicious.
-.e velcronles have been having more or less
.-,,le with their neighbors for some time. The
,...e- that the mother showed the police after
-, e-e which occurred at >. 30 a. n, by way
- r-oviug her assertion THAI an attempt had
49, made 10 blow up The house by some Of
,pes- enemies was found pushed under the door
~ Friday. snd was as follows:
,,ss.-,-t-r1ess VOC and your oauehters move out
ASs1 ro,.sc nv midnight FRIDAY nisht and stay
or q me uele hoo-hooa ior gogo .ne o9sr = - 's
4a- M ms 5an5sd together to get rid OF you. We
-, r5- even stop ~ murder now. .,
s. i yoa Wiz save your lives meEs 9eaIle
night iI1E
later yesterday another letter reached the
-. I'D eou into the hands az one Of Captain
pe,--ol6s'e detectives. Tt was similar IN tone 10
81 one received on Friday. The fact that the
.a...,s~s showed the letter had been mailed IN
-. Island and that the Melcromes had salc
-. v-e-e ir conev Island OF Friday afternoon
use cartain Reynolds's suspicious. He had
=. ,ro--a7 brought 20 the station. and requested
t.- n do some writing He says that the specl-
- ~ her chirography so closely resenbiea
-. ~ bo+b of the letters containing threats
-. .te l,ar7-bs that he IS led 20 suspect her
- benr the author OF the mysterious epistles-
-.-.sfr REYNOLDS also has in his possession
.h,,,. three hundred anonymous letters that
"a bssr received by Dr. J. Francis Ward. OF
"A Tsg F0lrteeuth-st.. ana, according 10 mat
o.7,,sl tho handwriting there looks quite sim
- :. cha. 81, she letters sent 70 Mrs. Melcrome.
Or ward said last night that almost all the
ls..ers informed him that he ought to get &C
,,,.ip-ed with dressmaker named Mamie,
v-to -or1a introduce him 20 society persons and
increase his practice.
Three months ago a woman. who said she was
Mamie Melcrone. called him up on the telephone
and said she had received anonymous letters IN
--rirb his name was mentioned Dr. Ward
went over 10 her house at her request. 70 talk
over a plan for finding the author OF the letters.
He found the young woman dressed UP IN her
best clothes. and AFTER theS nau oee' 1o-i>'--S
about the letters FOR a few minutes Mrs Mel
crome came In and began dilating on the eN-
reuort Qualities Of her daughter The doctor
left Since then ne has turned over many
snorvrous letters received by him 10 the police
some Of them contained threats and others con-
fafned matter that could not be printed
For some time. the police say. the MeicroIle
have been TRYING 70 sell the house IN IWelIJh-sI
@or s. 600 although similar properties IN Ine
,leiehborhood have been sold for S-.9" ! ne
house was fully covered by IRE insurance Ni ;;
Nelcrofnp has been carrying the policy arOulu
I'm her dress for several weeks. the poilce say
a1+b,,leb 10 the Insurance men who reached me
fr-ea gffer the fire she said that the policy hau
100 teer outside u her trunk for long uine
-rfare a. Information In the hands OF the poIlce
- show thar one day Mrs. Melcrome dropped
tbe policy in the street and II was atJerWaIo
returned to her by the person who FOUND II.
Fire Marshal Flynn who investigated the nIe'
saws that there is evidence 10 show that a nre
: = been set In two places-in the kitchen ana
~ .r the stairs leading from the basement 10
she first floor The NelcrOmes say hat they
were ava kened by explosion. and, LOOKING
downstairs saw the flames coming up from me
basement They fed into the street without
waiting 10 put on any clothing The nre was
nut out after Il had done damage 10 the extent
OF 5000