Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-18
The Pyromaniac.

IncendiariSm Is grave crime, one
of the gravest, indeed, in the category
of human wickedness. It destroys prop
erty and imperils life In some iuris-
dictions 1t Is punishable by death when
ever fire is started in occupied build
ings. In all cases the convicted in
cendiary is regarded as so serious a
menace to public security that he is
given severe punishment.
There are numerous motives for ar
son. 1t is sometimes induced by re-
venge. to score against an enemy. to
wipe out his property or even to take
his life, 1t is again caused by cupidity.
fire being started to cause excitement
in the midst of which robbery can be
committed. Or it is simply an act of
malicious mischief. The political rad
ical may set fires to promote propa-
ganda of destruction and to spread a
feeling OF fear in the community. Or,
worst. indeed, of ALL arson may be the
act of pyromaniac. victim of strange
mental malady.
In the pyromaniacs, such. as it is
suspected, as the person who set the
fires which occurred in this city Mon
day night and Tuesday morning. there
is no conceivable motive save the desire
to see flames. TO observe the rush Of
apparatus. the gathering OF crowds, the
play of water on the fire. He is the
true "flrebug" He shows certain
amount Of shrewdness in the selection
of his places of operation and in his
plan of action. He is not robber and
is not consciously potential murderer.
His warped mind is set merely upon
causing a fame and making excite
ment. Psychiatrists recognize the fact
as distinct one in the wide range of
mental unbalance. In some extreme
cases the pyromaniac is self-destroy-
er, taking his own life in frenzy Of fire
worship.
Such people are, OF course. the dead
liest of menaces In any community
Of his mischief. He may set fire 10 a
flied apartment house in the night. or
ignite store or warehouse filled with
combustible goods. He may start a
confiagration destroying millions OF dol
lars worth Of property and many lives
A minor form OF pyromania manifests
itself in the turning in of false alarms
There is no particular motive for doing
this. It is a recrudescence Of childish
pleasure in starting vigorous action. II
has been suggested that the man who
is held under observation. suspected of
having started some IL not all OF the
fires during the recent outbreaks In
this city. has been accountable for the
numerous false alarms that have been
sounded here Of late. 1t would be
quite logical II this were the case. The
firebug does not necessarily require
actual flames to satisfy his craving for
excitement.
Such people, when there is certainty
of identity, must not be allowed at
large. There Is never any assurance
against manifestation of this strange
motive and at any time there may come
blaze that viii sweep the city or.
even :. confined 10 narrow limits, will
destroy many lives. In these times OF
rapid transportation afforded by the
motor car the firebug has a range OF
activity that makes him especially dan
gerous. II Is TO be hoped that the per-
petrator OF these outrages In Washing
ton will be positively identified and his
guilt proved 10 the end that the sever
est possible punishment may be admin
istered as a warning which may be
needed even BY the weak-minded who
have the pyromanlac inclination.