The Washington times., 1920-11-25
TOWN TERROR|zED
BY BOLD F|REBUG
Sends Warnings Of Intended
Blazes to Police Signed
"Arsene lupin No. 2"

INDIANA, Pa. Nov. 25.-The THEW
ing Arsene Lupin. OF Paris, has mis-
counterpart In Firebug Arsene Luoin,
No. 2. OF this city. In fact, the mas
ter firebug OF Western Pennsylvania
has something on his Paris name
sake. according to local and State po-
lice records. Six times the Indiana
Arsene Lupin has made good his
threats. promptly as he scheduled his
fires, and in each instance he has ess
capped without detection. Police nere
think the local man who styles aim
self Arsene Lupin No. Is danger
GUS lunatic or someone who Is seek
ing revenge against Charles Noll"n-
berger, the proprietor of the Central
Hotel which has been visited by six
fires recently.
At least there is some method in
the madness of the firebug. Compare
these two letters:
Prefecture of Police. Paris:
Monsieur-At twenty-three minutes
after ten this evening / will appear
at the masked ball to be given Nine.
Montespan. Two minutes later l shall
remove the pearl necklace worn by
the hostess. Be prepared.
ARSENE LUPIN.
State Police, Indiana, Pa:
Sirs-As soon as your back Is
turned / will start a new fire at the
Central Hotel. Be prepared.
ARSENE LUPIN NO. 2.
MAKES THREAT GOOD.
And he did.
Eluding the Gordon OF police placed
at advantageous places about the hos
telry. the frebug who has been caus-
ing sleepless and excited nights eff
fected a new and sixth entrance to
~
o'clock in the morning. started fire
in the basement of the hotel under
meath the kitchen. saw that it was
burning nicely and briskly, then es-
capped.
The IRE was discovered a few min
utes later. and by the time the volun-
teer department arrived the W rst
fire of the series was in full blast,
but was soon extinguished after the
firemen got to work. but not before
the flames had eaten their way
through the kitchen floor.
The previous Ave fires at the Cen
trail Hotel, while not serious by any
means, have caused considerable dam
age. In nearly every instance the
firebug has written some sort of
threatening or warning note. jeering
at the efforts of the police to catch
him.
In his sixth exploit, seemingly re-
CARELESS of the fact that he was shot
at land missed) during the carly
hours of the neutrality-suspicious. to
setting the place aire-he but await
ed his opportunity and then carried
on still further his work of arson.
DESCRIPTION IS VAGUE.
The description Of the man re-
sponsible for the fres has been sifted
down to . person Of medium height
wearing a dark gray overcoat and
a light gray hat. That description
might At a dozen or SO people in In
diana. and that is as far as the local
and State police have got. During
the night Of his sixth exploit, a day
or so ago, watchers saw him come to
a window Of the hotel. A shot was
fired at him. but the bullet missed its
mark, and the man fled. Then a
couple Of hours after he set the hotel
afire.
Lieutenant Stout, Of the Greensburg
(Pa) troop Of State police has just
arrived here to take charge OF the in
vestigation. He. with others under
his command. are still at complete
loss to ascertain a motive for the
series Of fires.
The two theories. one that a
luuatic is at work and the other that
it Is an act of revenge-have produced
nc results. The fires are continuing.
The firebug is laughing at the officers
of the law and the towns folk are be-
coming nervously exhausted.
Meanwhile, the folks are awaiting
the fire alarm, and the now familiar
two toots which will be the signal for
yet another disturbance at the Gen.
trail Hotel.