The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-06-23
Prisoner Admits He Started
Blaze In St. Patrick'S and
Two Other EdifICes.
FIREBUG RING is Barred
Torch Put to Structures In
Cincinnati, Covington
by Arson Gang.
picture of frebug and cantor on Page
One, Section Two)


One, Section Two)
Maurice de la Tour, alias Roy
Gordon, as, New York : - con-
fessed to detectives that he SIT fire
to st. Patricks, Our Lady Loul des,
and st. Joan Of Arc Catholic
churches in Indianapolis, Monday,
Tuesday and Wednesday.
De la Tour confessed after Detec-
tive Inspector Claude F. Worley and
Detectives Charles Summer and
John White had grilled him since
his capture by Motorcycle officer
William Miller, after the st. Joan of
Arc fire, Forty-Second and Ruckle
Sts., Wednesday afternoon.
De la Tour insisted he was alone
and admitted that he robbed several
houses during the fires.
Admits Stealing Papers
He admitted taking valuable pa
pers from the home of the pastor
of st. Joan Church. He said he
would, show detectives where they
were.
De la Tour cracked" after long
conversation with Worley. Finally
he told Worley to get him a type
writer.
While the detective withdrew to
one side he picked out his confess
sion upon the machine. In it he
certified that no force had been
used upon him, indicating that he
has some knowledge Of police pro-
! cedure.
Police always place such state
ment in confession to make it
eligible for introduction as evidence.
Worley said that in his long ex-
perience as an officer this Is the
first cas- in which a prisoned actu-
ally has written his own confession
without suggestion from detectives.
Confesses Thefts
The prisoner confessed he took a
watch, a dollar, a large box con-
tanning insurance papers from the
priests residence at st. Johns. He
said he got a wrist watch from a
house near st. Patricks Monday.
Sunday, he said he got SO and O
watch, long imitation pearl neck
lace and a woman's wrist watch at
TIT S. East St., throwing the Jew
elry in parked car on w. Market
st. later.
The confession denies lie la Tour
set fire to q dance studio at 2l6 N.
Meridian st.
The fire department has no rec
ord Of a fire at 216 N. Meridian st.
The Mae E. Berry dance studio is
located at 2161s N. Meridian st.
De la Tour was mistaken about
the address Of the house he robbed
Sunday. H. M. Zorn, TIT S. New
Jersey ST., reported SO, two watches
stolen and a pearl necklace stolen
from his home Sunday.
The detectives investigated til
possibility that De la Tour may he
been connected with q Middle-W
| firebug ring.
The gang is accused of loc
and attempting to burn u
churches at Cincinnati and CoKx21
ton, KY, within the last ten X10
Detectives are sending De la ~
picture and description to CiiNlnV.
natl and Montreal where severaT
big Catholic churches were burned
about three years ago, and other
cities where there have been church
fires.
Suspect Held in Ohio
Cincinnati authorities were as i'm
terested in De la Tour arrest as
they were in the arrest of a man
giving the name of Roy Dean at
Upper Sandusky, Ohio. Dean said
to have confessed that he was one
| of q band of five men who broke
into and fired the churches at Gin
cinnati and Covington.
The last fire at Cincinnati was
Sunday afternoon. The first fire
here was Monday morning at st.
Patrick's Church, Hunter Ave. and
Woodlawn Ave, where $4,000 dam
age resulted.
De la Tour was captured Wednes-
Gay dlGSIIOOA near IIllTIy-fOurbQ
st. on a Pennsylvania st. car by
Motorcycle Policeman Miller.
He is held on $4,000 bond
charged with setting fire to st. Joan
of Arc Church. The church was
damaged $500.
Mrs. Edward Kilrain, 4218 Ruckle
ST., said she saw the man come out
of st. Joan of Arc Church Wednes-
day afternoon and sit down on a
curbing across the street. In a mo-
ment she saw smoke coming from
the church.
The neighbor screamed fire" and
the man ran.
Take Up Chase
Mrs. Kilran gave firemen and po-
lice the description of the man. the
chief features being straw hat and
a yellow time table he carried.
Miller took the prisoner back to
the church, after taking him from
the street car. Mrs. Kilrain and
Mrs. Earl Lynch, 4216 Ruckle ST.,
identified De la Tour, who first gave
his name as Gordon.