Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-10-23
FIRE MARSHAL SHOT
ARSON PLOT FOILED
Baltimore Detectives Wounded in
Round Up Of Arson Gang.
MYERS CONDITION SERIOUS.
Men About to Fire Factory Nabbed
by Detectives.

" ONhSNttNCSs
State Fire Marshal George Edward
Myers was shot through the right eye
| last night az Odenton, this county, on
the Pennsylvania railroad when an at
tempt was made to capture three men
said 20 belong 10 an arson gang. about
70 set fire to canning factory owned
by Charles NJ. Murray & Son
The State Fire Marshal is reported
10 be dangerously wounded The
shooting occurred shortly after seven
o'clock last night. The Fire Marshal
was in company with ten Baltimore
detectives who were in the act of ar
resting three members of the alleged
arson trust when the shooting occur
fed. The men were caught red handed
! in the act of setting fire to the can-
liie factory at Odenton
Fire Marshal Myers was shot at
the start of the raid Just as the de-
tectives surrounded the two men. whom
they allege were about TO plant the
gas bomb under the wagon shed or
the place of George M. Murray & Sons,
Gamers, about quarter Of q mile
southeast of Odenton. one of the men,
nc one knows who. fired. The ball
struck Ere Marshal Myers in the right
eve. He fell back into the arms of De-
tective Lieutenant William Werner, of
States Attorneys Office. and Detective
Lieutenant Richard Freeman
I'm shot, boys" he cried as he sank
TO the ground.
4 mr. Ofnt lot 1,f,s 4 h.
possession. and. in a weak voice, called
to Werner and Freeman. Let me lay
here and get that man." he said As
Werner and Pohler started for one of
the men. who had broken from the
crowd. Freeman seized Myers aud
helped him away from the crowd
Fire Marshal Myers was later taken
10 Annapolis Jdnction,and placed on
Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis
! car aud rushed to the University Hos
pital. Baltimore. He was Immediately
taken to the operating room. but it
was found that his condition was such
that an operation could not be imme-
| diately performed
Several weeks ago news OF an arson
ring reached State Fire Marshal Myers
and he Immediately communicated
with States Attorney Broening. The
matter was discussed at length and
Fire Marshal Myers asked States At
torney Broeninfi to engineer the en-
tire affair In his office the plans for
the raid on the alleged ring were made
Detective Lieutenant William Werner.
assigned TO Mr.. Broening's Office, and
Patrolman Charles Sheib, also attach
ed to that office, were called into the
case and, with the assistance of JOS
eph Broening, a cousin of the States
Attorney. all plans for the destruction
of the Murray property were made.
Pretended to he The Owner.
Under orders OF the States Attorney
young Broening managed to become
/ acquainted with the three men lie
represented to them that he was the
owner of the George NJ. Murray Sons
canneries at Odenton. and showed in
surance papers for $4,000. 1t is al
legged that they proposed to him to de-
| stroy the plant and collect the money.
/ In consideration Of their work they
were, it is alleged. to receive % per
cent. of the money
Several visits to the plant were made
and yesterday, it is further alleged
| they called on young Broening and
told him that last night might be the
most propitious for the firing OF the
plant They insisted that it be done
Immediately and when he was unable
TO gee them to postpone the affair
Broeninug agreed. He communicated at
once. however. with States Attorney
Broening and was told to proceed al
once to Odenton.
Meanwhile. States Attorney Broen-
ing obtained detail of men from Mar
shall of Police Robert d. Carter and
4 these were ordered TO Odenton at once
This party. comprised OF Detective
Lieutenant William Werner OF Mr.
Broening's Office. Detective Lieutenant
Herman Pohler. Charles Vahle. Law
renee King. William Collinson, Richard
Freeman. Thomas Quirk .Sergeants
John Cooney and John Wankmiller anC
Patrolmsn William Murphy. of Mar.
shal Carter's FLYING Squadron. were
ordered to leave Baltimore on the 5.01
car from the W. b. & A. terminal.
They landed at Annapolis Junction al
5.45 o'clock and Immediately proceeded
TO the Murray canneries. There they
distributed themselves about and wait
ed for the gang TO put in an appear
ance. Meanwhile young Broening. a
the Pennsylvania Station, at Odenton
awaited the arrival of the three mel
who were to fire the plant. At 6.5l
o'clock they alighted from the train
and, accompanied By young Bdoening
started down the road for the came
ries. I none Of the outbuiIdings De
teetives Vahle and King were hidini
in wagon. Two men. bearing a suit
case between them. went through tn
building but were not interfered with
As they left the shed vahle and KIM
followed closely.
When these two neared the wagol
shed, where thre other detectives wer,
in hiding. they prepared. it is alleged
70 plant the bombs which were design