The Detroit times., 1911-03-23
bURGLAR,C CARELESS
WITH MATCHES,
FIRES CHURCH
Sunday School Section Of Cass-Ave.
Methodist Edifoe Damaged to
Extent of $4,000 Early
Thursday Morning.
Intruder Ransacks Place Thoroughly
But Gets Only Pastors Brush
and Comb.

Detroits church burglar operated
in the Cass-ave. Methodist church,
Cass and Selden-aves., early Thursday
morning, with the result that the In
terror OF the Sunday school was dam
aged by fire, to the extent or about
| Sc, 1000. The loss ID covered by insur-
ance. The burglar got very little for
his trouble. only a hair brush and
comb and a couple OF bank books,
the property OF the pastor,
Rev. Frank 8. Rowland, having dis
appeared. He ransacked the church
and Sunday school completely, how
ever, making certain that he was not
overlooking anything, as he did when
he visited the Fortst. Presbyterian
church, last week. when he might
have had the church receipts had he
made a more careful inspection. AS
at was, he got only AZ cents and some
trinkets. The burglar will be unable
to realize anything on the bank books
as DR.. Rowland notified his bank Of
their disappearance.
The burglar, however, missed
signed check, left by DR.. Rowland In
his desk. The check was not filed
in for cashing, but this could easily
have been done by the burglar. DR..
Rowland said he was In the habit OF
leaving a signed check in his desk,
80 his wife could get his money from
the bank, should anything happen TO
him.
The burning of the Cass-ave. Metho-
dist Sunday school Is thought to havo
been caused by the burglar being
careless with matches. The blaze
originated in the basement, presum-
ably among some old papers. The
church and Sunday school are heated
from the Central Heating Company's
plant, and, consequently, there was
no fire in the furnace. Nor could the
fire have started from the electric
wires, for they were found In good
working order when DR.. Rowland
tried them Immediately after the fire
was extinguished
The fire was discovered by Robert
Erskine, driver for Towar's Wayne
County creamery, about 4:40 o'clock,
Thursday morning. Smoke and flames
were coming out of the open Sunday
school door, as he passed the build
ing. He notified II. E. Rupp, janitor
OF the Vendome apartments, across
the street from the church. The lat
ter notified fire headquarters by tele-
phone, while Erskine FASTENED TO a
fire station In the neighborhood to
turn In an alarm. The firemen were
quickly on the scene, but the fire had
already caused the complete destruc-
, ton OF the interior. The firemen,
however, confined the flames to the
Sunday school, the church auditorium
being only slightly damaged by water,
which soaked part of the carpet. No
damage was done to the pipe organ,
which is valued at $4,000, being one
OF the finest In the state.
The Sunday school classes will
meet hereafter In the church until
the school rooms are repaired and
redecorated.
The Rev. John Britain Clark. pas
tor of the Woodward.ave. Presbyter-
Ian church, called at the burned Sun
day school, Thursday morning, and
rendered DR.. Rowland the use OF his
Sunday school, pending the repairing
OF the damaged structure. DR.. Row.
land thanked him, but explained that
the church auditorium could be used
for Sunday school purposes until the
work of repairing the burned section
Ia completed.
Investigation by Detectives Sey-
mour and Brooks led them to believe
that the burglar got into the church
by raising a rear window, the partial
destruction of vine running up to
the window leading them to this con-
clusion. DR.. Rowland was inclined to
think that he might have attended
the services In the church, Wednes-
day night, and secreted himself some
where In the building at the close, in
stead OF leaving. A mysterious feat
ure Of the operations of the burglar
is how he got into the pastors study
in the Sunday school. The door was
locked by DR.. Rowland when he left,
Wednesday. night, and II was still In
that condition when he arrived soon
after the fire was discovered. Yet
the drawers in his roll-top desk were
all pulled out and ransacked. II was
from the desk that the comb and
brush were stolen. The detectives
tried to operate the lock with skele.
ton keys, but failed. They explained,
however, that the burglar might have
had key to At the lock. They were
puzzled TO know why he should lock
the door on leaving.
The church silverware was in a
safe, which was not molested. About
year ago, burglars visited the edifice
and stole silverware to the value