The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-10-26

hau OeeH placeQ IN jeopardy.
The priest searched his mind, but
could find no reason why anyone would
wish him i'll, and was convinced that
whoever it was who had started to set
his dwelling on fire, it was no mem
Der of his parish. The police con
ferred with the priest in the hours
before dawn, while the rest of the
city slept, but Rev. simeoni defended
all of his fellow countrymen with
whom he has come into contact since
his domicile in Kenosha, and declared.
that it must have been some stranger
from without who perpetrated the
base deed
Kerosene Used to Start Fire.
The round of a police officer around
midnight and during the early hours
of the morning is usually attended
with dullness, and it is seldom that
he stumbles on the shocking sight
which was presented to officer Am
berlang this morning, just before two
o'clock. The officer was walking on
Pearl street, covering his beat as ukl-
al--at that-e-]4euF, WHOM e sac "a
strange CLEAN of light in the front
of Rev. Simeoni's house, and drawing
nearer, was astonished and Mortified
to find red flames Of fire licking
around the fence railing, sharply out
lined against the black night
The police officer leaped up the
porch and beat the fire out with his
coat He then awakened the sleep
ing priest, who was amazed to find
the officer at the door at that I'M
seemly hour, and still more amazed
and disturbed when the latter told
him why he had been summoned.
Rev. Simeoni joined Amberlang and
they looked together at the work Of
the strange night-hawk 1t was found
that some one had placed paper on the
porch, poured kerosene upon it and
over the porch posts and woodwork
and then started the fire. There was
evidence that safety matches had been
used to start the blaze.
Find No One in Vicinity.
The fire had had good start when
it was discovered by the patrolman.
Part of the flooring and railing had
been burned While Amberlang was
still making his investigations, he was
Joined by Captain Clausen and Detec-
tive McCluskey, who were making
their own rounds in the police car.
The three officers looked through
the lanes and hiding places about to
eoo e 4bo ;voorJ;ay,, vrro,so e1v,,tLoso
to be found or if he had dropped any
thing in his flight. No one was found,
and no clues were left The entire
police force was working on the case
today. Lieutenant Rock, in charge Of
the detective force, spent the morning
on the west side in search Of posi-
bic clues or motives, but no report
was made by the police this noon
of their findings.
Suggests Hand of Insane Man.
While the fire had been started with
evident intent to brighten the priest
or injure him, the police came to the
conclusion that the way the black
deed had been prepared suggested the
work Of an insane man. Not only did
the attempt seem too devlish to be
the act of normal individual, but the
clumsy way in which the blaze had
been started was itself an indication
that disordered mind was behind the
endeav0r. It would have taken a long
time for the flames to attach them
selves to the main body of the house,
in the manner in which the fire had
been started, and particularly being
in front of the house, it could not
have proceeded to any great length
before it would have been discovered.
officer Amberlang was commended
for the evidence of his attention to
duty, shown by his discovery of the
fire.
Rev. simeoni left for Chicago
today for conference with other
church officials, but no comment was
made Of his reasons for going.
Within the Holy Rosary parish,
everything has been serene, the CON
gregation working in harmony with
the new priest, and with evident
gratitude for his devotion 10 their
welfare. While Simeoni insisted that
he knew that his people were as
faithful and loyal to him as he was
to them, the police continued today
to work on the theory that another
man from without the parish had
started the fire in an effort to frighten
the priest. This man is believed to I