South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-07-03
lndidnd and Michigan
INCENDIARY FIRES
IN INDIANA SHOW
DECIDED INCREASE
I nstable Business Conditions
Given a. Cause State
Ranks Third.

INDIANAPOLIS. Jl.y ---l rs A
F.J-Jlstable business conditions
and consequent deuaton OF price
incident 20 Lle aIter-war recOuetrlc
uon. attended by a weakening Oh tul
moral more, is held responsible foI
The increase in Iucendiary Tires .u
Indiana during the period Ol ApIi
IS, 1871 90 May u. 1922. Oy q, l.
FugE. deputy and chief 4uves. lgatcl
or the state nre marshall oihCe, ia a
report submitted today 90 state FIce
Marshal Newman IT, Miller.
A statistical review Ol the acuyi-
ties 1T he arson division OF the lre
marshal office. a. reported by Ar
Fush. follows.
Number OK cases iuvestIg lted. re-
ported 10 be OF incend-4ry origin
GOA. confessions secured ln eXdmiH-
atoms, -. convictions "a, acquIt-
tails and dIsmlssa.s. 10. pending 4r
court awaiting trial. 90. cases o. be
presented 90 grand jury. Al. Insult
hcient evidence, so, under iayes.i-
cation. %. accidental. %. explosion
kerosene lamp. +. Overheated stove
6 auto backhrinE. . gas explosion
spontaneous combustion. o Light
ming. e. detective wiring, g.. Origin
undetermined. 81
Due 10 the INSTABILITY of busI-
ness conditions and the defauOn OF
prices consequent, Mr. Pughs re-
port says. "au incident TO the recon
structiOn period through which the
entire country has been passing. there
Nt.r rf /.
OF moral fibre and q letting down Of
power OF resistance 10 temptation
that has resulted ia an increase Ol
fires reported 10 be of a suspicious
nature until every resource Of he
arson division OF the state fire mar
shall department has been taxed %
the utmost"
Indiana ranks third IN the number
OF arrests and convictions obtained
over the period as compared with
other states. according 20 the report
However. the report continues
cit must be taken into consideration
that each OF these states employed
q larger force and expended more
money than did Indiana For !H-
stance, one of the states referred %
employed a force of 40. including OF
fee and field men. and expended in
excess Of Sis. 600, while Indiana had
only 16 employees. including arson in
vestigators. inspectors and office
force, with an expenditure of less
than $4,000"
The total amount Of insurance rep
resented in cases the arson depart
ment investigated. during the period
mentioned. is IN excess Of $4,000,
600. according 10 Mr.. Pugh. who de
Clared a large amount OF this sum
was saved as a result OF convictions,
The legal department in charge OF
Chester A. Davis attorney. II was
pointed out brought about convic-
tions in 81 per cent of the cases
prosecuted
While the results of the investi-
cations as evidenced by the report
submitted herewith have been graft
flying. Mr.. Pugh said the unprece-
dented number of cases of suspicious
fires reported have made II poss BILE
10 complete the investigation in
many instances. with the force al
my command. until a lul or a pos
sibls Improvement in conditions
comes to our assistance allowing sui.
dcient time for a more detailed gath
ering of evidence and a more minute
scanning and following up of tangi-
bile clues"