Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-25
FIRE CAUSES SUSPICION
FIREBUG BELIEVED TO HAVE
BEEN AT WORK.
William j. Hoffman Loses About
$500 by Early Morning Blaze.
Small Fires Elsewhere.

William j. Hoffman. who is in the feed
business at .013 eth street northwest. has
expressed the fear that an incendiary has
been at work in the vicinity of his place
of business during the past year or more.
number of fires of more or less serious
proportions having occurred there during
that period. About year ago, his place
was burned and his loss was consider
able Last week it was feared the fire in
Eisingers lumber yard would reach his
place and last night he came near los
ing his entire stock by fire. The blaze
this morning caused damage amounting
to about $500 to the hay sheds and stock
Of Mr.. Hoffman. and came near reaching
the grand stand at the base ball park the
prompt work of the firemen alone pre-
venting its progress in that direction.
About l2:1j o'clock last night Policeman
Steele of the eighth precinct saw flames
ieapins over the hay shed in the rear of
the store of Mr.. Holman. and turned in
jan alarm. \ few minutes later several
companies of the fire department and
the police reserves from the eighth pre-
cinct We're at work on the blaze. Bat
TALON Chief kelleher discovered the dan
ger to the grand stand in he ball park and
directed one company TO direct its efforts
to prevent the blaze from reaching that
structure.
Confined to One Building.
The fire in the hay shed was stubborn
one. but the firemen succeeded in confin-
ing it to that building. Thee were about
three carloads of hay in the open frame
structure and most o. it was destroyed.
1t is stated that brother-in-law of Mr..
Hoffman. who was i'm lunchroom oppo-
site the feed store. vas the first person
men Gilfoyle and Steele and the latter
turned in the alarm. BY the time the
tiremen reached the structure the bla re
was burning from one end of the build
ing to the other. the fire being on the
outer part of the building. This condition
indicated to the firemen that the fire had
not started from spontaneous combustion
Fire Marshal Nicholson arrived while
the firemen were still at work. and sub
sequently made an investigation of the
premises. He reached the conclusion that
firebug had been at work. The fire
marshal regarded it significant that the
several fires on that block and their
frequency between midnight and 1~o'clock
the time the police are going off duty
constituted ground for suspicion. This
morning he conferred with the police Of
fcials ,of the eighth precinct and started
an investigation.
1t was stated this afternoon that the
police had obtained no information which
pointed to any particular individual as
having done the incendiary work. nor
could they agree upon possible motive.
which fact it is asserted, gave an enemy
a chance to injure him. Mr.. Hoffman
carried no insurance on his stock. His
sheds were insured. but he is not the
owner of the property. 1t is owned by
the TOtten estate and was fully insured.
Other Fires.
The appearance of No. l chemical en-
CINE company at the race track yester-
day afternoon proved an added attraction,
but the blaze the firemen had been sum-
moned to extinguish was such that there
was no possibility of excitement Floyd
Rodgers, who was employed on the
grounds. accidentally set fire to an avn
ing on the exercise field and about $50
damage resulted.
Policeman W f. Sanford of the first
precinct was summoned last night about
$50 o'clock to the butter establishment OF
j. r. Oyster, @D2 Pennsylvania avenue.
where the awning was found ablaze. The
policeman played the part of fireman. eX-
the blaze before much dam
had heen caused.