Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-09
PR0bED BY POLICE
Numerous Incendiary Fires
Cause of Rigid Investigation.
SUSPICION LEADSToARREST

SUSPICION LEADS T0ARREST
Thomas J. Collins Held for Invest.
cation, But Declares He
Is Innocent.
Following q conference at the sixth
precinct police station late yesterday
afternoon between Capt. Daley OF the
ninth precinct. Capt Byrnes OF the sixth
precinct and Capt Mulhall OF the fifth
precinct and Detective Evans OF police
headquarters regarding the mysterious
fires which have occurred within the past
three months in the northeast and south
east sections Of tho city. a man giving
his name as Thomas j. Collins OF 9th
street northeast was placed under arrest.
NO FORMAL charge has as yet been made
against Collins, but he is held for in
vestigation.' The conference followed
the fire which was discovered yesterday
morning in shed in the rear OF SOS
East Capitol street. The police captains.
as a result Of their deliberations, de-
cided to take Collins into custody. He
was arrested by Policemen Warffeld and
Allen OF the fifth precinct, at eth and I
streets southeast, and was sent to the
ninth precinct station.
Statement by Policeman Terry.
Policeman Terry Of the sixth precinct.
who was at the conference, declared
that he met and shook hands with Col
Inns at fire on B street northeast
several weeks ago, and at that time.
the officer said, he noticed blood on
Collins hand.
How did you get that on your hand?''
Terry declared he asked.
II stuck nail in my hand while
| climbing a fence" Collins is said to
It was also stated by the police that
when responding to alarms for each
OF several mysterious fires the flremen
observed that Collins was in the
vicinity.
When seen at the ninth precinct sta
| ton. Collins declared he had nothing to
do with the fires. He denied that he
had engaged in the conversation with
Policeman Terry which tho latter de-
at sos East Capitol street. which was
| almost directly in the rear Of Collins
home, he stated he was in bed when II
| started.
When he heard the fire engines outside
Of his home. he added, he dressed and
went out on the front steps Of his home
and watched the firemen at work.
Suspicion Points to Firebug.
Since the early part OF February. Fire
Marshal Nicholson declares. about fifteen
fires have occurred in the northeast and
southeast sections Of the city. and all OF
them point to the work Of firebug.
Because Of the changing Of fire bells in
those sections Of the city late at night
~ 0VIy Tn y,a mt q
have become greatly alarmed and thei.
rest is broken by the fear that they will
be the next to find their homes afire.
The first suspicious fires this year &C.
the southeast section. The investigation.
made by the fire marshal, he declares,
showed that an incendiary had caused
them. After Capt. Mulhall, in command
OF the fifth precinct, had detailed mum.
Der Of the members Of his force to patrol
| the streets. OF his precinct in civilian
clothes, in hope Of catching the firebug
the fires broke out In the northeast sec.
ton.
The police Of the ninth district, under
the command Of Capt. Daley, started an
| investigation, but the firebug eluded ar
rest.
For nearly a week the department was
given q rest in those sections Of the city.
was sounded from box at 11th and
East Capitol streets for the Are at 9Os
East Capitol street. Battalion Chief
Proctor was early on the scene and he
that circumstances pointed to the work
OF an 1ncendiary.
In a number q. instances two or three
fires OF suspicious origin occurred the
same night, for a time between 8 and
o'clock in the evening, but later on
near midnight or early in the morning.
In Rapid Succession.
Several weeks ago three fires occurred
within an hour and a half, within a
radius Of four squares in the southeast
section Of the city. The investigation by
the police and the fire marshal at that
time, it Is declared. disclosed that all OF
them started from the outside. On the
night Of these three fires the f1remen
were first called to the rear Of 719 B
street southeast, where q fuel shed was
found abiase. While tho engines were
at work there an alarm was sounded
vania avenue southeast. and fire was
discovered in a shed in the rear OF S1S
Murray court. 1t spread to several other
sheds.
southeast, with several Of her sons, was
witnessing the fire in Murray's court
when another alarm was sounded. She
proceeded homeward. only to find upon
her arrival there that q large shed
In the rear OF her own home had been
totally destroyed.
Her SOM Emmett Lynch. who had
gone up an alley in the rear Of the
house, declared to the police that he
had seen q negro hurriedly leaving the
alley. The police, however, believed
that the boy was mistaken in his
description Of the suspect.
OF Similar Origin.
The numerous fires which have kept
the fire department on the run for
some time, and which are declared by
the police to be the work Of a firebug,
are all stated to have originated from
circumstances Identical with those Of the
fires which broke out last November in
various sections OF the city.
The police made q rigid investigation
at that time and the fires for several
weeks ceased. Later. however. they
broke out In Anacostia After several
weeks Of agitation across the river re-
ports were received here from Annapo-
lis, Nd, OF mysterious fires there. The
police stated at that time that they
suspected that the same firebug who was
thought to have caused the fires here
was at work in the Maryland capital.