Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-02-08
TWO FIRES BELIEVED
iNCENplARIES' WORK
Continued from page |

Hedlcy OF Engine Company No. was
walking along Front street when he |
saw n man unknown 10 him trying
I'd send In an alarm from box No. "a.
lie stopped the man, learned where
the fire was. investigated and cx-
II himself without having
to call any OF the companies. His
action In oil this was highly commend
cd today by his supcriors who said Il
II Just this sort OF thing the firemcn
are instructed to do.
lie reported the case 10 Lieutenant
MCGOWAN of Engine Company No.
and ne detailed Fireman McClnfferty
to investigate and he later reported
and corroborated oil that Fireman
Hedley had discovered. They found
on tho second floor Of tho house a
baby's cradle, tho mattress, covers
and pillow OF which were In flames
while there was nothing near It or
In the room that could possibly have
set fire 10 the cradle. Hedley threw
tho burning contents OF the cradle
through the window and saved the
house.
had seen n man sneak Into the rear
Of the house, remain inside for n short
time nnd then hasten out and dlsap-
pear short time before the fire was
discovered Tho man Hcdley found
at the fire box is supposed 70 havo
seen the smoke coming from the Win
dows. II was also found that a man
living In the vicinity had been heard
to make threats that he was going
to burn the house. 1t also developed
that there has ibeen some trouble
between people concerned In tho
place. A Negro tailor has a store on
the first floor while Pierce and his
family occopy the rest OF the house
Fire Marshal r. Morton Ainscov
was working on the case this morning
but as far az could be learned had not
developed SUFFICIENT evidence TO war-
rant an arrest. City detectives were
aiding him.
The second fire and what the polio,
and fire officials declare was the NOR,
fragrant case OF incendiarism of tn
two, occurred at 3.1l o'clock thi. morn
ing at 6l2 Orange street wher
Wymbs has had a paper store on tn
first floor and made his homo on tn
second. When the firemen broke Il
there in response TO an alarm from
box No. 80 they declared today the,
found coal oil etrewn about the prem
ises. loose paper piled a foot high ol
the foor, beds and bed clothing scat
tered about the rooms and the fur
f,ztt -.
at this place is estimated at abou
, $500.
J Yesterday afternoon wymbs, hi
wife. and their one child left Tn
house, and neighbors told the polio
, today they were carrying heavy SUI
, cases, evidently we'll packed and wer
supposed TO be going 20 Newark.
]. This was about s o'clock In the nj
, ternoon and they have not been zee
since nor could they bo located thi
morning. fro department officials salt
= Mrs. OBrien lives in the adjoinin
r house at elo Orange street and sh
/ said she was aroused from slccp abo,
s o'clock by hearing what she though
g sounded like burning wood cracklinl
= She then smclled smoke and callin
= her son had him mako an invcstigs
q tIon. He discovered the fire and Sci
in the alarm. Tho police bureau n
0 port states tho alarm was turned
;. by Spencer Dillon OF 623 Christian
z lavenue who II supposed to have di
I covered the fire while passing.
4 Engine companies Nos. I. I. ar
a Truck Company No. responded Z
ES,, Irl,taF NNtf1fov,,
A Lutz and his deputy and assistant
n When the men broke into the hou
. which they found unoccupied tn,
a discovered the fire was In closet
the first floor. They could discov
nothing about the place that cou
possibly have started the fire of
self. All the doors through the hou
were open, the loose paper was strev
D. everywhere over the floors, coal
had been scattered about and {
se odor was all too evident and the fu
Of niture was smashed and disarrangs
" The fremen believe the furnitu
D. smashing and overturning was
ef tended TO give the impression that I
te place had been. invaded by burgla
The blaze was extinguished with
" plug stream and chemical lines. II
V. PAPER on the floor together with I
Is. beds and bed clothes tossed about n
n Just started TO burn when they e
n there. The building is frame and
& another few minutes the firemen S;
Ir. they felt sure the flames would ha
n spread through the entire house a
sh they would have had a hard Job
c. their hands preventing 1t from sprea
ed ing 20, adjoining properties.
be Mrs O'Brien IN the adjoining hor
e. told the officials she is a light sleeI
ed and can hear the slightest noise
Ut the adjoining house. She declared s
er had not heard n sound about :
er premises since the Wynbs family
to yesterday afternoon. She is COZ
dent the wrecking OF the furnitl
could not have been done during
night without her having heard
noise.
Fire Chief Lutz today gave it
his personal opinion and belief Il
w the house was set on fire delibera
ly. Why this should be done co
IL not be explained in the absence
t. the occupants and the police We're !
nd able 10 determine whether Wyn
he had ever been threatened or II
IN, knew Of any enemies who would 81
or, thus to harm him.
hn Fire Marshal Ainscow and some
". the plain clothes men were busy
morning investigating the case.