The San Francisco call., 1910-04-05
HOTEL FIRE IS
FOUND DUE TO
INCENDIARIES
Fifty=six Lives Are Menaced by.
the Flames in a FIimsy
Structure
Detectives Arrest Proprietress
and Manager and Accuse
Them of Crime

1larSlnS Inat arson nao been at
tempted when the heavily insured Hi
hernia hotel was set on fire and the
lives Of SIS inmates endangered early
yesterday morning. the police arrested
MIS-. Mary F. Harper. proprietress, and
Edward Bergin. supposed to be q half
brother. who had been employed about
the ests sblishment as manager.
Rags. carpets and papers soaked in
benzlne and gasoline and located at
strategic points, told the story OF how
the incendiaries had planned to start
three fires simultaneously and envelop
The building in flames before the fire
department could do effective work.
The plan was frustrated through the
activity Of Policeman James ]. Wall
and the IRE fighters. The only damage
done was in the immediate vicinity
Of where the kindling had been placed,
and Mrs. Harper was the sole person
injured.
whether or not the lodging house
vas fred for the purpose of securing
-le insurance, which amounts TO three
times the value OF the contents Of the
hotel. the police are not prepared 10
state. Detectives say, however. that the
actions Of the two people under arrest
and their previous records give con-
Mrs. Harper. the police declare, has
been mixed up in two suspicious fires
in houses she conducted in Chicago.
POLICEMAN DISCOVERS FIRE
The IRE at the Hibernia. which is
located at 1864 Howard street, was
hrst noticed from the street by Police
man James J. Wall who. about
o'clock yesterday morning, heard three
distinct explosions in the direction of
N 70 10 -
find Il in flames. He turned in an alarm
hurriedly and. returning TO the build
ing. directed the work Of arousing the
56 sleeping inmates and getting them
down the narrow steps and passage
ways TO the streets. The first person
he saw on returning to the building
was Mrs Harper, who was running
through the hall clothed in a wrapper
that was blazing. Miss Hazel Harper.
the % year old daughter Of the pro-
prietress. as well as Edward Bergin, the
manager, were also in the hallway.
The FIRE on Mrs. Harper's garments
was quickly exting guishei, and the
chemical engine which arrived on the
scene within a few minutes of the
alarm disposed OF the fire, which was
burning hercely in three separate
rooms The three blazes were distinct
and separated one from the other by
distance Of IS feet and intervening
walls.
The odor of benzine and coal oil
was unmista kable. Fire Marshal Towe
noticed II and al once began an inves-
tigation. which disclosed the fact that
cunningly planned crime had mis-
carried
FIRE TRAP FOUND
In room 1s on the first floor Of the
building. which is a three story struc-
ture with stores on the ground floor
fn hc 4oI
with coal oil, and in a dilapidated
trunk filled with rags was found a
wooden chopping bowl containing
bout q pint Of benzine. Oil soaked
rags twisted like fuse had been care
fully placed on the saturated carpet
with line leading into the trunk. An
empty I'VE gallon coal oil can and
full one Of the same size were also
found in the room
Across the hall. in room %. a section
Of the floor q foot square had been
sawed out and oil soaked rags stuffed
between the flooring and the store
ceiling. In room p half inch holes
had been bored in the floor and oil
soaked rags stuffed into the apertures.
Having completed his investigation,
Fire Marshal Towe Immediately or
dered the arrest Of Mrs. Harper and
Bergin. II was then discovered that
the latter had disappeared. He did
He then explained that he had been
nervous and had taken a ride on the
cars 10 San Mateo. He was immedi-
ately placed under arrest.
DENIES KNOWLEDGE OF FIRE
Hazel Harper, employed at the Pa
ci6c telephone company's exchange as
an instructor Of operators. denied any
knowledge Of the fires origin.
This Mrs Harper was mixed up in
two suspicious fires in Chicago. and 1
think the facts plainly show that this
is without doubt an attempt at arson"
said Sergeant Wren last night She
purchased the contents of that house
for 81 200 February and March had
them insured for $500
This man Bergins story conVicts
him. He was formerly a saloon keeper
in Portland, but admits that he has
not worked for three years. He claims
10 be a half brother OF Mrs Harper
but that story is open TO suspicion"
Marshal TOwe without hesitation de-
clared last night that arson had been
attempted and stated that the gimlet
and saw used in making the apertures
n the floors OF the building had been
found
If Mrs. Harper's wounds, which are
considered slight, permit, she will
probably be removed 70 the city prison
today and with Bergin be formally