Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-04-08
OFFICIALS ADMIT
ARSON SQUAD HAS
OPERATED IN CITY
Special Detectives Secure Evi-
denoe Of Many Inoendiary
Fires Here.
VINCENT PONzlO ARRESTED

Onirlaia ~ tho Gre department 20.
dav admitted fer tne Grst time their
conviction that sn arson squad has
been operating In THE city ard hat
several ~ the fires that have occur
red IN this city dpring 'he last three
or four months and Tho origin ~
which was suspected 20 have beru de-
llbsrsts WIRE touched of by mem
bsrs 90 this gang. who are said TO
have their headquarters IN Phladei-
phih
On top of This admission comes Tho
deveiopmrnt that there VIII be some
startling disclosures IN the near IA
tura iu connection with several ar
rests which are 20 he made. Although
not generally known. there has been
IN this city for several days special
detective sent here from New York
by thu, IRE Insurance underwriters 70
look into the many mysterious fires
that have occurred in Wilmington.
This man was selected fpr the job be
cause he has specialized for years In
running down incendiaries. He and
/ the local officials. police and fre, have
accumulated mass Of evidence.
which Is said 10 be 40 strong that
/ there can no longer he any doubt Of
/ the existence here Of several incen-
/ diaries, who have made n business Of
setting Are 70 places. whether for pay
or for the questionable pleasure they
get from seeing a blaze Is not known.
IL was also admitted today that
there are to be several arrests. prob
ably early next week. and that out OF
these will come disclosures that will
be startling TO cay the least. officials
who are familiar with what is gonG
on under the surface would not dis
cuss the subject today, nor would they
give the least intimation OF what in
/ formation they have secured, but
enough was learned 20 warrant ths
belief that those who have been re-
sponsible for any incendiary fires here
are going 10 be made to pay for their
wrong doing.
Il was made emphatic that the po-
lice and FIRE officials are going To put
A stop 10 >incendiary fires In VII
mlngton. They have not said much
about the Investigations they have
been making for months. but they
have never given up their efforts e
I'run to earth the people who caused
the various fires which II is now ad
mitted we're deliberately started by
someone. An fires Of suspicious
! origin or circumstances since the new
department was created have beer
under constant investigation and as &
result OF tho work OF the fire and pc
lice officials ii is now understood dts
closures bordering on the sensational
are shortly to be made.
Vincent PonzIo Arrested.
Vincent Ponzio, a barber, of 81
West Seventh street. was taken int
custody last evening on a charge o
. arson and in Municipal Court toda
was held without bail for n hearing oi
, Tuesday. Ponzio requested the con
, tinuance OF his case to secure law
Yer and witnesses.
, The arrest was the result OF an eX
| tensive investigation by the fire mar
shals Office and detectives. PonziC
it is suspected set fire to his ow
home and place OF business about
q o'clock on the night OF March
Ponzio's family was attending
movie show that evening.
The loss was estimated at 81 90
while Punzios insurance was said I
he much IN excess OF that figure Th
fire companies had difficulty IN figh'
ing tho flames. After the fire an II
vestigation was made revealing. az
G cording 10 the flre officials. that N
e furniture and other inflammable ms
y terials we're saturated with keresen