The evening world., 1908-02-19
DUCAN ACCUSED
OF SETTING FIRE
TO FOUR HOUSES
The Blazes Were Started With
in Two Hours in One
Brooklyn Neighborhood.
DENIALS BY PRISONER.
Mrs. Gully Identifies Him as a
Man She Saw Just After
One of the Fires.
DENIALS BY PRISONER.

Joseph Dugan. of No. 33o ST. Marks
avenue. Brooklyn. is being held by the
Brooklyn police pending their investi-
CATION of four fires of suspicious na-
ture, all of which started last night
within two hours in the same neigh
borhood. Dugan was identified to-day
at the Brooklyn Police Headquarters
by Mrs. Emma Gully. of No. l57 Fourth
avenue. as a man with whom she had
a desperate struggle at 10 o'clock last
night after discovering blaze in the
cellar Of the f1athouse in which she
nvee
Tho first of the four fires started at
$40 o'clock last night in the cellar OF
the tenement house at No. l25 Fourth
avenue The flames We're discovered be-
fore they gained much headway and
but small damage resulted. Fifteen
minutes later another fire alarm was
turned IN from No 157 Fourth avenue.
q few doors away. and this blaze was
also located In the cellar.
Woman Fights Stranger.
The fire was first noticed by a son
Of Mrs. Gully. who, in responding TO
his shouts, ran down stairs just in time
to meet a man. who, she says. was
DuEan. running out of the house. She
grappled with the intruder who strug-
gled savagely, and finally freed him
self with a powerful shove which sent
the woman TO the floor. Before the
son could come to his mothers assist
ance the man was gone.
AbSr 1870 O'Clock there was a third
biazd, this time at No. 40 Fifth ave
nue.. Just around the block from the
first two. a baby carriage in the
lower hall was found burning. The
blaze was quickly extinguished. The
firenen had no more than returned
to the station house when a fourth
alarm came from No. IS FNfth avenue.
where two baby carriages were found
blazing briskly. The perambulators
were close to the wall, which was
scorched by the flames when dlscov-
cred. ,
The epidemic of fires Immediately
convinced the police that some pyro-
maniac was at work and a general
warning was sent out to the Brooklyn
policemen to keep a sharp watch foT
the firebuE.
At 1l.40 O'Clock last night Policeman
Murphy noticed man lettering along
Fifth avenue in the vicinity OF the
last fire. Murphy asked passing
citizen to keep an eye on the man
while ne reported at the police station
for instructions.
Caught in an Areaway.
When the policeman returned the citi-
zen informed him that the suspect had
wandered up Bergen street, where he
was located a few moments later trying
the door at No 6lS Bergen street. The
door was locked and. the policeman
says. the man then went into the vesti-
,oule of No. $50 Bergen street and tried
the door there. This was also locked.
He then tried the cellar door. and after
waiting five minutes Murphy wen,
down to the areaway after him. He
found Dugan leaning against the wall
apparently intoxicated, and took him to
the station. where he was locked up as
suspicious person.
Dugan. who gave his age as twenty
five and said he Nved at No. $50 St.
Marks avenue. denied any knowledge of
the fires. He admitted that the Fire
Marshal once had occasion to question
him about a fire in Park Place, near
the Grand Avenue Police Station house
which Dugan discovered, SO he said,
while returning home early in the morn
ing some days ago
After Dugan had been identified by
Mrs. Gully. the police decided TO hold
him pending an investigation.