The Washington herald., 1918-01-22
ARSON CRAZE
CONFESSED BY
SOLDIER BUG
Frederick L. Woodward Ad-
mits He Started $l50,0M
Fire in War Warehouse.

- - " - " -
After a grilling lasting for days.
Frederick L. woodward, 81 years
old. private at the Washington Bar
racks, has admitted that he started
the s150.000 fire which swept
through a warehouse of the quar-
ltermaster's department of the Wash
ington Barracks, on January is. and
Of which he had accused Private
Vincenzo Ferrio. Ferrio has been
released from custody.
Woodward has also made ad-
mission to starting two other fires
in the barracks which were extin-
guished before much damage oc-
CURED. He claims that he Is obess-
ed with the desire to see fires and
that he has set number OF build
ings afire in Massachusetts,, his ma
tive State, without being caught
He has given the dates and places
where these fires occurred and they
have been checked up by officials
OF the barracks. who declare his
story to be apparently truthful.
While waiting his probable court
martial within the next few days,
woodward Is being confined in the
barracks guardhouse. No detailed
charge has yet been made against
him.
His Yarn Deheient.
Suspicion was first directed toward
Woodward when It was found that
his vivid account Of his conversation
| with Ferrio, in which he alleged that
Ferrio threatened to violate the mo
smoking" rule, could not be corro-
borated in any detail by men who
were nearby at the time Of the al
| legged conversation.
woodward was then put on the grill
! and after severe cross examination
confessed his guilt No other persons
were implicated beside himself.
The big fire, which occurred on
Monday, January II, started in a pile
of 800 pieces OF mosquito netting,
which caught like finder, the blaze
jumping twenty-five feet within q few
seconds. A high wind famed the
| blaze into a roaring mass of flames
which swept through the warehouse,
consuming thousands of dollars forth
Of winter bedding and clothing for
American troops.
Pipe Starts Blaze.
Woodward says that he started the
fire by dropping his pipe in the
mosquito netting. After the fire he
claims that he went back to where
he had dropped the pipe and picked
up a metal ring which formed part
of its mouthpiece.
The confessed "firebug also admits
that he started a fire among pillows
and mattresses in the burned wnre-
house about a week before the big
blaze. and that he attempted to set
fire to the shooting gallery at the
barracks some time ago.
In regard to his attempt to burn
the shooting gallery. he says in the
text of his confession, II felt like
wanted to see fire. 1 couldn't sleep
So got up and left my quarters and
took a walk around the shooting
gallery. lit my cigarette and put
the match in the shooting gallery"
In the opinion of officials in charge
at the barracks. woodward is Of an
abnormal type.
While rooming with B. e. Garrett,
q Chancellor street, Worcester, Mass. =,
in 1916. Woodward says he started a
IRE among a pile OF papers behind the
kitchen range causing several hundred
dollars damage. Washington Barracks
| officials have communicated with Mr.,
Garrett, who states that a fire oc-
curerd in his apartment at the time
indicated and that he had always sus-
pected Woodward, although he had
never brought any charges against
him.
He Burned q Church,
woodward claims he first yielded
to his pyromaniacal impulses in
1918, when he fired a church at
Clarendon street and Columbus ave-
nue., Boston. the building being a
total loss. He claims that he at
tended a social given in the Sun
day school room of the church and
secreted himself behind the piano
during the evening. When the peo-
pie had left he crept out and
ignited number of Sunday school
leaflets and hymn books, after
which he went to his room near
by and watched the progress of the
fire.
In April. 1914. Woodward said that
he worked as clerk in the Leon
minister Hotel, at Lynn, Mass, and
that he started two fires In the
hostelry, one of which was ex-
tinguished before any damage was
done. while the other caused a
$1,400 loss.
Officials at the Washington Bar
racks state that these fires actually
occurred as Woodward claims, with
regard to place and time.