Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-04-25
BANKS CONFESSES
STARTING Of FIRES
Negro Admits. Setting Fifteen
Buildings to Burning to
See Apparatus.
CAUSED $4,000 IN DAMAGES
Telephones False Alarm When
Pile of Waste He Had Ig-
nited Goes Out.
CAUSED $4,000 IN DAMAGES

Contcssing TO having started fifteen
fires in Richmond since April .. con-
hagratons which IT is estimated con-
scrvativcly did at least $4,000 dam
age and which II cost the city in tho
neighborhood of $4,000 to extinsuish,
Howard Banks, alias Percy Christian.
All cighicen-year- old negro arrested by
Major Werner and Policeman Warriner
sunday night while in the act OF pre-
pairing to star, a fire in the rear of
the Virginia Rondcd Warehouse. is be-
ing held by the police on nftecn charges
of arson for arraiGnment in the Police
Cour, to-day.
Banks was taken into the Police
Court Yesterday a suspicious char
the vacant building behind the ware
house, and his case was continued un-
til Saturday Major Werner, Detective
Sergeant Atkinson. Detective Gordon
Smith and Policeman Warriner took tho
negro to headquarters soon after he
had been released from court and. after
wrung the confession from him.
Once tho officers had succeeded in
started Banks TO talking. lie recounted
no"
he had started the fires so that he could
see the apparatus dash through the
streets and the excitement at the
scenes Of the nfiagrations. With his
thick lips cracked in a hideous grin
and his large staring eyes shining
brightly. Banks informed the officers
that he had been arrested too soon to
allow him to Are the building IN the
rear Of the warehouse but that he had
had one good time watching the en-
gines and the flames at the other fires.
NO ALARM IN THIRTY HOURS
FOLLOWING ARREST OF NEGRO
AZ Fire Headquarters early this
morning II ~as pointed on; that not
single alarm had been sounded during
the thirty hours which had elapsed
since the arrest Of Banks.
shortly after he had been taken back
TO the City Jail from the Police Court
yesterday, Banks was interviewed by
Major Werner. the detectives and Po-
liceman Warriner. After some time
had elapsed, the officers succeeded In
starting the negro to talking, and Cap
tain Pollock was summoned TO make
stenoEraphic record of his confession.
Concisely, but with due regard to de-
sail. Banks told how he had fired any
number OF buildings, and offered to
take the officers TO the various loca-
t:ors. as he did NOT know the names Of
the streets.
Major Werner's car was ordered. and
the officers started on the trip with
Banks. The negro directed the chauf-
feur over a route which it required
more than an hour 10 pass. At each
place the car was stopped, and Banks
told the officers how he had entered
the building and how he had gathered
paper under a flight OF steps or in an
alcove and lighted the pile. He related
how he had beat n hasty retreat 20 the
street and awaited the sounding of the
alarm and the arrival OF the fire en-
glnes.
NO HESITATION AS TO
LOCATION Of FIRES
Not once during the trip did Banks
hesitate as to locations. He calmly
told the chauffeur to turn n corner
hero or to go up that street couple
OF blocks and. even before the exact
house was reached. was able to desig-
nate which of the buildings he had
crept into and fred.
While all OF the fires had been
thought to have been located in the
First District. Banks pointed out two
places in the Second District which he
had set fire 10. However. in neither
Of these cases did the pile of debris
he had collected ignite anything else
and burned themselves out without
starting a conflagration.
Banks expressed disappointment at
the results of his efforts while he was
recounting these details. In another
Instance he started a fire at Second and
Byrd Streets and when this died out
without the engines responding Banks
went to telephone and phoned n
false alarm. The apparatus responded
TO this false alarm. and the negro
stood on the corner and laughed glee
fully as the engines flashed by him.
He expressed disappointment also in
the results Of his efforts at, the house
in the rear of Nos. Q and II North
Fourth Street, where he said the Fire
Department arrived too quickly and
prevented him seeing much fire.
ENJOYED SEEING ENGINES
DASH TO FIRES
Banks said that in each Of his other
attempts at arson he was successful.
and that he enjoyed hugely standing
on n nearby corner and Watching the
arrival of the engines and ladder
trucks and the efforts OF the firemen
to exttnGuish the blaze. He was able
to recognize a woman who saw him
one of the houses he fired and
pointed her out 10 the officers yester-
day. although she was una BILE to state
positively that he was tho negro she
had seen. Flo told also how he had
seen several Of the detectives, whom he
faced yesterday at the fires. but that he
did not know them then.
Tho most serious fire OF which Banks
was tho cause was that at Twelfth and
Main Streets Sunday afternoon. when
damage to the extent OF $4,000 was
done 10 the building formerly occupied
by w II. Adams. 11-13 North Twelfth
Street, and damage estimated at $40, 900
was done to the stock OF Frank Miller.