Evening star., 1922-05-18

at the curb Before our apart
nent late one afternoon as entered
It was such a machine as one fre-
quently sees threading its reckless
course in and out among the trucks
and street cars. breaking all rules
and regulations stopping at nothing.
the bell changing with excitement.
policemen holding back trafhc Instead
of trying to arrest the driver-in other
words, a FIRE department automobile.
1 regarded it curiously for q mo-
ment. for everything connected with
modern hre-fghting Is interesting.
Then / forgot about 1t as was
whisked up in the elevator, only 70
have 1t recalled sharply by the sient
of a strongly built, grizxled man IN
blue uniform with red lining. He
was leaning forward, earnestly pour
ing forth a story into Kennedys ear.
"And back of the whole thing. sir.
heard him say as he brought MS
large fist down on the table, is nre-
bug-mark my words!
Before could close the door, Cralg
caught my eye, and read In his iook
that he had a new case-one that in
terested him greatly.
"Walter". he cried. This is Fire
Marshal Mccormick. It's all right
Mccormick: Mr.. Jameson is an a &C. G.
cessory both before and AFTER the Iac'
In my detective cases."
A fiebug! One OF the most dan
gerous of criminals. The word ex-
cited my Imagination at once, for the
newspapers had lately been making
much of the strange and appalling
succession of apparently tncendiary
flres that had terrorized the business
section of the city.
Just what makes you think that
there Is a firebug-one firebug. 1 mean
back of this curious epidemic OF
fires?", asked Kennedy. leaning back
in his morris chair. with ms MS o1aIsd fngsr
as If expecting revelation from some
subconscious train of thought while
the fire marshal presented his case.
We'll, usually there is no rhyme or
reason about the firebug." replied Nc
Cormick, measuring his words. but
this time.I think there is some method
in his madness. You know the Stacey
department stores and their allied
dry goods and garment trade inter-
ests?"
Craig nodded OF course, we knew
of the gigantic dry goods combina-
ton. 1t had been the talk of the press
at the time of its formation. few
months ago, especially as 1t included
among it's organizers one very clever
business woman, Miss Rebecca Wend.
There had been considerable opposi-
ton to the combination in the trade
but Stacey had shattered 1t by the
sheer force Of his personality.
Mccormick leaned forward, and.
shaking his foref1nger to emphasize
his point. replied slowly:
Practically every one of these fires
has been directed against a Stacey
subsidiary or a corporation controlled
by them"
But if It has gone as far as that"
put in Kennedy. surely the regular
police ought to be Of more assistance
to you than l..
IT have called In the police" an
swered Mccormick wearily, but they
haven't even made up their minds
in the meantime, my God. Kennedy.
the firebug may start fire that Will
get beyond CONTROL"
You say the police haven't a sin
glue clue to any one who might ne
responsible for the fires" I asked.
hoping that perhaps the marshal
might talk more freely of his sus-
picions to us than he had already ex-
pressed himself in the newspaper in
terviews had read.
Absolutely not clue, except such
as are ridiculous" replied Mccormick
twisting his cap viciously.
No one spoke. We were waiting
for Mccormick to go on. =
THE first fire." he began, repeat
ing his story for my benefit. although
Craig listened quite as attentively as
If he had not heard it already. was
at the big store of Jones. Green & Co..
the clothiers. The place was heavily
insured. Warren, the manager and
real head Of the firm, was out of town
at the time
The marshal paused. as II to check
Off the strange facts in his mind as
he went along.
"The next day another puzzling fire
occurred. 1t was at the Quadrangle
Cloak and Suit Company. on 5th ave.
believe, with the employees. and the
company had discharged q number
Of them. Several of the leaders have
been arrested, but can't say we have
anything against any of them. Still
Max Bloom, the manager OF this com.
revenge. and indeed 1t looks as much
like a fire for revenge as the Jones.
Green fire does"-here he lowered his
his voice confidentially-"for the pur-
pose of collecting insurance.
Then came the fire in the SlawsoI
been erected just of 4th avenue
Other than the fact that the Stacey
interests put up the money for financ-
ing this building, there seemed to bt
no reason for that fire at all. The
building was reputed to be earning 9
good return on the investment: and
was at loss to account for the fire
I have made no arrests for it-jus
set 1t down as the work Of a pure
pyromaniac. q man who burns build
fnes for fun, man with an inordi'
nate desire to bear the fire engines
screech through the streets and per.
haps get a chance to show little
heroism in 'rescuing' tenants. How.
ever, the adjuster for the insurance
company, Lazard, and the adjuster fol
the insured, Hartstein, have reached
an agreement, and I believe the insur'
ance is to be paid"
But" interposed Kennedy. Il SCI
await," replied the fire marshal
"Tbat was only the beginning. yol
understand. A little later came a fir,
that looked quite like an attempt t
mask 2 robbery by burning the build
house near Spring street. But aftel
controversy the adjusters hav,
reached an agreement on that case.
mention these fires because they show
practically all the types of work O.
the various kinds OF firebug-insur
ance, revenge, robbery and plain In
sanity. But since the Spring stree
nre the character Of the fires ha'
been more uniform. They have al
been in business places. or nearl!
Here the fire marshal launched fortl
into a catalogue of fires OF suspected
ircendiary origin, at least eight II
all. took them down hastily. in
tending to use the list some time Il
q box head with an article in tn
Star. When he had finished his list
hastily coApted up the number o
killed. There were six, two Of th.n
fremen and foun employees. Tn
money loss ranged into the millions.
Mccormick passed his hand over hi
forehead to brush, of the perspira