The Washington herald., 1912-08-13
I IRE DISCOVERED
IN DISTRICT ROOMS
House Committee Chambers Scene
of Blaze-May Be
Incendiary.
JOHNSON DEM0LIsHES
DOOR WITH HATCHEI
Blaze in Locked Closet Endangered
Valuable Probe Records.
Damage Slight.

small blaze possibly of incendlary
| origin. yesterday threatened to gut the
] Offices of the House District Committee.
and resulted in a good deal of excite
ment around that section Of the House
office building and the demolishment of
| some perfectly good mahogany. Certain
features OF the AFFAIR yesterday led
Chairman Johnson Of the committee to
believe that the FIRE was started in an
effort to destroy valuable records OF the
subcommittee which have been probing
va rious phases of the administration. Mr..
johnson said that much of this record
was in the closet where the fire was dis
covered.
The fire was discovered by Miss Kath-
crime Kirby. an assistant secretary OF
the committee. Mr.. johnson was on the
floor Of the House and Miss Kirby had
left the committee rooms for short
time. locking the door of the large hear
ins room behind her.
In Hearing Room.
The District committee suite comprises
three adjoining rooms in the northeast
corner OF the third floor Of the House
Office building. The hearing room is the
northsrnmost Of the three. On returning
to the suite Miss Kirby entered the
hearing room and noticed smoke curling
through a crack over the door of a large
closet In the room. The closet is kept
locked but, according to Mr.. Johnson.
the key always is in the door. In this in
stance. the key was nowhere to be
found
Miss Kirby hastily telephoned Mr..
Johnson. who rushed over from the Cap
itol In the meantime all efforts to open
the door had proven futile and the smoke
was thickening. Mr.. johnson peeled OF
his coat and called for assistance from
the engineer Of the building. The engi-
neer had left. johnson asked one of the
engineers assistants to get him an Ak 20
break the door in. The man mumbIed
something about axes being private prop
erty. and johnson. in evaporation. seized
a hatchet which was In the room and
attacked the two-inCh solid door with
that. A few strokes and the handle OF
the hatchet splintered. johnson sent a
boy out to procure an ak from a nearby
house
ITntchet ns ChfseI.
Before the boy could return a clerk
from one of the Offices entered with
small sledge hammer Mr.. Johnson seized
this. and, using the broken hatchet as
a chisel. proceeded to chisel a hole out
OF the door around the lock. Q laborious
task which he accomplished in record
time.
As the door swung open the room
was filled with smoke from burning
papers in the closet. The fire seemed to
have started from two places. a bag OF
loose paper on the floor of the closet
and a sack coat which hung from a hook
on the door. The fire was quickly
stamped out. and an inventory failed TO
disclose any damage to the investigation
records
An inspection Of the office showed that
a three-Cornered cash had been made In
the screen over a window opening into a
narrow ledge over Street Southwest.
This cash was in such a position that a
hand inserted in the opening could easily
unlock the screen. Mr.. Johnson said he
did not know Of the hole having been
made in the screen prior to yesterday.
Mr.. johnson has complained to Capitol
police headquarters a number of times
that his Offices have teen entered and
his boxes. desks and papers tampered
with He was inclined yesterday TO the
belief that someone had started the fire
with the hope OF destroying evidence
collected by the investigating commit