The New York herald., 1921-02-24
TOO MUCH CORDIAL |
EXCUSE OF NURSE,
JAILED FOR ARSON
COnfesses Starting $1,000
Fire in Dental Office
in Brooklyn,
RELEASED UNDER BAIL
Pleads Not Guilty. Unable
to Explain Any Motive
for Her Deed.
WARNED HER EMPLOYER
Telephoned to Him That Place
Was Afire. but His Gold
Was Safe.
WARNED HER EMPLOYER

Friends gave Miss Mary J. Hickey,
DR. H. C. Parker and DR.. Arthur r.
Mackenzie al 1882 Broadway, Brook
lyn, a quart bottle of cordial Miss
Hickey is not accustomed to liquor.
She drank some of the cordial and, be-
fore she had recovered from the ef-
fects of 1t, set fire to the dental offices,
causing a damage of $4,000 and en-
dangering the lives of a number of
tenants on the two upper floors.
Pale and on the verge Of collapse
the young woman-she is 30-pleaded
not guilty before Magistrate Geismar
in the Gates Avenue Court and was
held in $4,000 bail for the Grand Jury
on a charge Of arson.
"Oh. why did do it?' she said. why
did | do it? l had been out with some
woman friends in the afternoon and /
drank some cordial When / returned
to the office some mysterious force inn
PEELED me to start a fire"
The dental offices are on the second
floor OF the building at Broadway and
Gates avenue. but a few blocks from
the home OF Mayor Hylan. The Mayor
often drops into the drug store on the
ground floor for an ice cream soda.
Having treated the last patient Tues
day night DR.. George Webb Of the Of
flee staff prepared to go home. The
only other person in the long suite of
offices was Miss Hickey, the usually ef
ficient assistant, who sat at the cashiers
desk. Dr. Webb stopped. 81 smell
smoke" he said.
He began an investigation and saw
n letter file burning over the office
safe. He looked further, opened a closet
and found more flame. There was
third blaze among papers in the recep-
ton room. Dr. Webb rushed into the
street and turned in fire alarm. Miss
Hickey gathered up the gold used in
dental work, money and other valuables
that could be carried, and then tele-
phoned to DR.. Mackenzie. one OF her
employers. She told him she had the
valuables and added "The place Is on
fire"
"All right" returned Or. Mackenzie.
Don't delay but get out" He hurried
to the establishment
Broadway and Gates avenue Is one OF
the busiest spots in the eastern district
Firemen hurried into the building, noti-
flying the tenants on the third and fourth
floors of the danger. They limited the
flames to the dental offices. but there
was considerable damage there.
A number of peculiar circumstances
led to the calling OF Fire Marshal
Thomas p. Brophy. Els attention was
drawn at once to Miss Hickey, who
stood by. seemingly in a daze. The mar
shall talked to her. TO DR. Webb and to
several employees who had gone home
earlier. and then at the Ralph avenue
station uuizzed Miss Hickey many hours.
At last, early yesterday morning. her
demeanor of calm disappeared. She
broke down and sobbed. She had started
the fires. she said. to satisfy the craving
In her for excitement She told of drink
ing the cordial. When reminded that
others had been subjected to danger by
her acts she cried.
"Oh. I'm so sorry" she exclaimed 81
had no intention Of doing wrong"
Miss Hickey lives in a furnished room
at ACT First street. Brooklyn. is grad
uate Of Tufts College, according to the
authorities. aud was known at the dem
tai office as a quiet. capable worker The
police would not say who told them
Miss Hickey was a college graduate and
that fact could not be verified.
Under the influence of the cordial
she apparently became a pyromaniac."
said Marshal Brophy. He has the bottle
which was given TO the woman.
Dispatches from Boston last night
said that the authorities both at Tufts
and at Harvard Dental School declared
they have no record OF Miss Hickey
ever having been connected with their
institutions.