Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1920-11-05
.CONFESSfS GUILT
Of FACTORY FIRE
Preston Nash, Sixteen Year
Old ColOred
Boy
SENT TO RICHMOND
Boy Makes Alleged Confession to
Chief Goods and Sergt. Wilkinson
Held For Grand Jury

James NASH, toioie".
wears old. who the police alleged con-
fessed to setting fire to. the stock
room at the plant Of the Old Domn-
ion Glass Company last Wednesday
night is now Il prisoner IN the Hem
rico county Jail, Richmond where ne
will be kept until he is tried for the
offenxe before II jury in the corpora
ton court Of this city.
The prisoner was spirited out OF
the city at 3:15 o'clock Yesterday
afternoon bcin" taken t" Richmond
by Policeman Rel.
News of the arrest OF and contes-
sion Of the prisoner wi'S suppressed
bv the authorities for fear that some
overt act n,ight>hc committed against
the prisoner, there being c"nsidera-
bic feeling regarding the fire,
especially because one Of the glass
workers. Clarence W. Ale, lost his
life while helping fight the fire. The
loss on the property was S23.00n IT
;s estimated
The alleged confession WAS made
bv Nash to Chief of Police Goods and
Police Sclwt. William j. Wilkinson.
The police say that Nash first denied
the crime and shortly afterward ad-
mitted going into the stockroom ana
,iohtiny match which caused the
ccnflaeration. Nash was a discharged
employee of the plant and his motive
the police say was revenge.
a75Aeen,iif.s 70 ,.the. pe.:iae;s.. Nash ,"ss
taken in custody at his home, ~
North Henry street yesterday morn
ing and Police Sergt. Campbell
and Policemen Masncr and Reed.
After heinp taken to headquarters
he was intelrogated by Chief Goods
and Sergt. Wilkinson. Tie first en-
.loavorcd they say to establish an
aEbi and later they say confessed to
the crime. At first he claimed he
went into the shed and accidental
" set fire to the place and was gong
to suhduc the fire and seeing the
watchman arproachin" ne fled Later
thty say he admitted he set fir" t"
he factory because Supt. Arthur
Cray has elected him from the yard
Of the rlaut 1T ; n'c'"ck that after
noon
II is ALLEGED that hr stated aS he
left the place after being put out and
went home and returned N that neigh
borhood between I and 8 o'clock.
spending a part of his tim" at u pool
"oom. After the fire started h
watched its progress from the hill
nearby and then went t" th" d2mp
nearby, west Of the hill and met n
.olurcd man and later went aS far as
thc company'S gat. and watched tn"
process Of the fire and ahcut 1890
o'clock went home and went t" b"d
Nash it is stated had been dis
charged from the factory about a
week ago because h" fnlI"d To report
cor work on" night. Since that time
It is reported he had made frequent
lists t" the plant durin" the absence
+ the superintendent.
Following his confession. Nash was
lrraignad before Justice l.. Louis y.
Duffey and held for the grand jury.
At a preliminary hearing there were
tndrr Robinson Moncurr. Mayor
Duncan. George II. S$hwarzmam vice
rrpsident of the Oh! Dominion Glass
Company, Chief Of Police Goods and
Police Sprmt Wiki nSon.
Mash has hrnn living her. fnr the
past three years. and is native of
Arlington county. Va.
--------a-----