Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-04-24
SIX MORE FIRES SUPPORT
THEORY OF INCEND|AR|sM
Negro, Caught Piling Paper Under
Lumber, Is Held by Police
rs Suspect.
MILLER loss NEARLY $4,000
Liquor Establishment Catches From
Fire in Vacant W. IL. Adams
building and Loses HeaviIy-De-
partment Spends Trying Day.

In the throes OF a fire epidemic.
which officials of the Police and Fire
Departments, -be'ie,'e to hes OF -incer.
diary origin, Major Werner and Cap
tain Sowcll have cautioned all officers
to exercise the creates, vigilance in
pntro! work, and to allow no opportu-
nifty to escape them for experimenting
the men believed tn be responsible for
more than 100 fires in that section
during the present month.
However viGilant these officers have
been. their efforts were unavailinG yes
terday, when six fl re alarms were
turned in during the afternoon--four
summoning the department To fires in
vacant houses. One of these fires, ori-
ginating in the building formerly oc-
cupied by w. II. Adams, 3 North
Twelfth Street, spread TO the rear of
the building occupied by Frank Mil
Ter. 1908 East Main Street, and did
damage estimated at about $4,000.
While the walls of these buildings
were damaged slightly and those OF
the Planters National Bank, at Twelfth
and Main Streets, showed evidence OF
having been damaged also. most OF
the loss resulted from the destruct tion
OF stock of liquors in the Miller place.
The loss, said Mr.. Miller last night,
is fully covered by insurance.
POLICE BELIEyE FIRES
ARE Or INCENDIaRY ORIGIN
The police are Of the opinion that
the hre was OF incendiary origin, and
that 1t might have been started to efface
traces of robberies committed in tho
Southern Stamp and Stationery Com
pany. 1906 East Main Street, and
kirkwood's lunchroom. 120S East
Main Street during Saturday night.
Neither of these buildings, how
ever, were damaged by fire, the
department doing extraordinarily ef
hcient work. Mr.. Miller said that ha
had not been able to make thorough
examination of his place and could not
say If anything had been stolen fror
the store.
y fact which strengthens the police
belief that the Adams building was
purposely fired is that Captain Sow
ell, with Detective Sergeants Wily and
heiiam and other officers, made L
thorough examination of the build;nr
as late in the afternoon as l o'clock
The officers were Investigating the
robbcries in the adjoining buildings.
and Went through the Adams building
oa they followed the trail made by the
burglars. The intruders had entered
This building and had gained access
to the roof of the Southern stamp and
Stationery Company's place. They
went thence into the restaurant and
left the vicinity by means OF ladder.
from which they returned to the
Adams building. There was no owl
dence Of fire in the building at the
time tic officers ertcred It,
CHIEF WERNER ASSISTS
IN ARREST OF SUSPECT
Major Louis Werner and Policeman
Warriner curly last night arrested a
reGro. who, it Is thought. may have
been connected with box-car fire at
Seventeenth and Franklin Streets. in
the act Of gathering paper and plac-
ing it near a pile OF old lumber and
debris Immediately back Of The vir-
, ginia Bonded Warehouse building on
Cary Street, between Seventeenth anl
Eighteenth. The negro is a paroled
prisoner from q Washington trainin,,
school. and papers found in his pos
session show he was paroled on March
81. The epidemic Of fires.in Richmond
dates from about that time.
Major Werner was making visit
70 the First District last night. ana
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