Los Angeles herald., 1906-01-07
YOUTHS CONFESS
TO INCENO|AR|AM
POLICE CAPTURE TWO YOUNG
PYR0MANIACS
Inspired by YeIIow=Backed Novels,
Lads Find Kerosene Bottle and
Set Fire to Residence
and Shed

Inspired by the lurid tales of "yellow-
backs" and the stories of the operations
of a gang of Omaha youths, Arthur
Mcintyre, aged years, and Claude
Pedue, aged II years, attempted to
burn down the residence of Mrs. NJ. A.
Shook at 1O5 North Hill street. Failing
in this the youths went to the rear of
129 South Olive street and set fire to a
shed. This brought out the fire de-
partment.
Within a period Of three hours after
the boys had committed their daring
deeds Detectives Mccain and zeigler
had captured the lads and wrung q
confession from them. Young McIn-
tyre is the son of M. Mcintyre OF
Fourth and Olive streets, and the Pc
due boy is the son of G. c. Pedue of
los Grand avenue.
In attempting to destroy the resi-
dence of Mrs Shook the lads saturated
the under part of the flooring to the
front porch with three and one-half
quarts of kerosene. Entrance to the
basement of the house was made
through a small outside door. The kero-
sene was stolen from a woman who oc-
cupies ~ tent in the yard surrounding
Mrs. Snooks residence.
Before taking the kerosene from the
woman's tent the boys had called there
and asked for drink. The woman
who is quite old stepped inside to get
the boys the water. ON coming out
again she found them in possession of
n large bottle of kerosene which she
kept standing outside of the tent. She
ordered them to put it down, warming
them that it was not drinking water
but Kerosene.
The boys laughed and thanked her for
the information. According to the wo-
man the boys We're more than natural
ly happy and seemed to be getting
ready for some exceptionally jolly lark.
After handing them the water she step
ped back into the house.
Operate in Basement
Before leaving the premises of the
tent the boys stole the oil and seeing
the side door to the basement OF the
Shook residence they easily gained en-
trance to it as it was unlocked. The
basement extends from the edge of the
front porch to the edge of the rear
porch of the house. The dry condition
of the wood of the porch evidently ap-
pealed to the boys as material for Il
merry time.
Mrs. Shook lives in the house with
Mrs. Tacy and her little 14-year-old
Shook and May TacY. Mrs. TaCy S
time at the Lane Dry Goods company.
Yesterday afternoon at o'clock Mrs.
Snoo kand May Tacy, Mrs. TacyS $
daughter returned home and at 4
o'clock saw the two boys come out OF
tho door leading to the basement of the
house. and then discovered the porch
III flames.
Several men who were working near
by eXtinguished the flames. A big hole
was chopped in the floor Of the porch
and the tell-tale bottle of kerosene al
most empty was found standing on the
basement floor.
Twenty minutes after the discovery
OF the flames in Mrs. Snooks resi-
dence an alarm came in TO the fire de-
partment from 129 South Olive street.
The fire had been started in some dry
hay which was behind the she'd
Detectives Mccain and Zeigler We're
detailed on this case as we'll as the
first owing to the proximity of one fire
to the other. Through inquiries among
the neighbors it was learned that two
boys answering the description of the
two seen by Mrs. Tacy had also been
seen in the vicinity of the burning shed.
Inquiries i'm the neighhorhood of Mrs.
Shocks residence led to the apprehen-
SION of the Pedue boy. From the boy
the address of his playmate was
learned
When taken to the police station the
two boys We're examined by Captain
of Detectives Flammer. Both of thom
confessed to setting fire to Mrs. Shook s
residence and the shed in the rear of
129 South Olive street. The boys claim
ed they got their idea of becom-
ing incendaries through the read-
ing Of "yellow-backs." Mcintyre said
he first took to the idea from stories
of boys in Omaha related to him by
Pedue who came with his parents from
Omaha about one year ago.
According to young Mcintyre Pedu >
told him stories of n gang of boys who
set fire to several houses In Omaha
and We're later sentenced to the reform
school.
Mcintyre became so interested in the
story that he suggested trying the
game. The boys found quantity of
excelsior that daV and gained entrance
to house on Clay street and set fire
to It in the basement with the nten-
tion of burning the house to the ground
Pedue denies knowing anything about
this experience.
Both Of the lads will be detained in
the detention home for a few days
pending an investigation by the detect
ives. 1t is thought that no complaint
will be sworn out against the boys ow-
inc to their extreme youth.
Within the period of few days this
is the second important capture that
has been made by Detectives Mccain
and Zeigler Last Wednesday they ar
rested two boys who have been stealing
expensive fixtures from houses and
automobiles. Both of the bows confess
ed in that instance also. Chief of Po-
lice Auble and Captain of Detectives
Flammer praise the work done by Nc