Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-04-18
CHURCHES ON FIRE
iNcENDlARY AT WATERLOO TRIES
TO BURN THREE HOUSES
OF WORSHIP.
VARIOUS sLAZES STARTED
ALMOST SIMULTANEOUS
Presbyterian Evangelical and univer
salist Edifioes Escape With Little
Oamsse-Stranse Man, With Long
Hair and Wild Appearance. Observed
to Enter One Church Prior to Fire

Waterloo, Apr. l>-Proyldence in
terposed 20 save ;h.rr vAGrch ed.-ceS
: from Iae hands y. an ,a<sn&!ary. The
,&>egp0SttzoU u TN. S2rsd the FN7sl
Pres oy;er4Aa &al ne ..:,e->aLssi- ou,
al EErSs E-VAa3ss.tA. wHsce he build
.:.S Mas 80, 50" = ga; " ten
ss-Ac~S, IAs fame, A::s. aiming brisk
y t-,- 3 ;.Qse ! p. 4: ". ALI went ou;
e: ;2sar ,s It &>>>=u
:; : SUI y,sss., -; ne attempt -
" - -1c .2ese are p!4<eS ~ wor-
s1.S ~&s 1ale =. s7>c;:>a.ly 'he SAM
- L C2< = n 2or1r>,.i u uc.vcH.
- ,1s s1s * .1a . I -~..g:ous ctI,>li--
- Dun 2Al& -. he dse de2Ar.
- 1l41s csese sNarI:EatIon Il
"a. : ?--~c-as- Ses-.s Sa;ISaed TIA; I.
49, = -2:@c&.arH 2rls!n. Ne ;=.e
-. 81 - >tacs FIRE Marsha! u.e <.
49,. " - ~ GAAe al :ave>I:gat.un.
A. Ftrst Evangelical
When Dan Bruau. ,Ae Jar!,oy. came
~ - s.rsC t.v angelica. he found an
.--S>I4 door upSn- The bui!I:lg Was
: - ~ <EuoNe. An Investigation showed
nat ne .nceod!ary had entered the
binding ~ Using u skeleton Key. tie
? rpceeted - the choir room and IL
orary n the rear OF the church. There
he found pagers and books. These
/" ere used 10 the Best i Vantage .
create flames, and, attn, a lag hJI,,
was burned lhru the carpet ami the
moor In the library room. and the side
of the bookcase was badly cnarred. his
purpose was thwarted by pro. ldence.
Re-. Z. j. Lang. the pas:ur who
lives next to the church and Chiri
Durham were called ~. The fire Chic.
who had examined the Org III flames
at the other TWO r2urrh-s. Wa tn, Il
certain that all Were Of 4IcendiaEy
origin.
Saturated Broom.
The party who entered The EvangeN
cal edihce apparently saturated
broom with oil. set II on tn, floor, and
lighted il with a match He opened
the bookcase and took ouI part OF
the papers. The evidence of rhdrre,t
paper indicates that ne set paper on
nre in three PAGES in the bookcase
and in four or five places in the chJ!r
room. where there IS music case.
Some OF the cane N the broom had
been cut off and placed at the side Of
the library bookcase. i'u!eiLeTe bic OF
a blaze must have resulted there for
the side OF the case IS badly charred
and blistered. Burnt matches Vert
found on the floor OF both rooms. Al.
oil mop was set on shelf and gnited,
but the flames soon died OUT.
Sunday morning there was 40 heat
remaining around the burned portions.
1t is thought the incendiary entered
the building about the time the other
two churches were entered Saturday
eI ening.
At First Presbyterian.
While the janitor of First Presbr
terrain church. Glenn Waters. was d;
work about the editice. he ran across
flames in a cupboard in the basement
The fire must have been set only
minute or two before. There were
loose Sunday school papers index rec
ords, etc. on the lower shelf Of the
cupboard and books above. The flame
was IN the lower shelf. J. 2. Berry,
superintendent of the water works, was
the first to arrive after the fire was
put out by the janitor. who happened
to have pail OF water. Fire Chief
Durham was called in and made an
examination. II was apparent the
flames could not have been caused by
spont combustion. There was
nothing about the room TO create fire.
1t would have been possible for 4
man to enter :hc Easement thru side
door while the janilor was working
at the front entrance.
At the UniversaIist.
A passerby discovered flames in the
basement Of the UniversaNst church
Saturday evening and reported The
fire department arrived and extin-
guished the fire with minor loss. There
was no fire in the furnace and no ma
terial was present which might cause
spontaneous combustion. The Are was
set in some paper by table which vas
turned on one side. The table was