Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-17

Two disastrous conHagratl0nS OF m
cend!ary origin occurred there last year
one Of them resulting in the loss OF II
lives. and Supt. of Police Hesse statee
| that he would communicate with the
authorities at that place TO determine
whether the local suspect was in tht
New York town at the time.
Detectives stated that Fisher asserted
he was lust following the engine:
around" but he was identified positive.
I ~ by Daley as being al the Mcdowell
fire before the apparatus arrived. MIR
Daley, accompanied by Mr., and Mrs
Stanley Romanek and Bernard Ratio
all Of 1919 North Capitol street. was
motoring past the grain warehouse
when he saw flames shooting from the
| building.
AS he ran to turn in the alarm, hi
was approached by man who walked
| from the warehouse and demanded
Hey! What do you think you're doing
there?"
Then he jumped into his machine
and drove away. MIR. Romanek noteC
the license number Of the car and tele-
phoned 1t to police. Inspector of De.
tectives Henry c. Pratt, assistant su-
perintendent of police, ordered the ar
rest OF The man driving that car. with
To Fishers house.
Fire Marshal Seib announced late this
afternoon that he found an empty
kerosene container in the rear of the
Lark woodworking plant, near Four
tenth and w streets, and that the can
bore well defined fingerprintS. A COM
pariSon Is being made Of these prints
and those Of the prisoner
Fisher Is former patient In the
psychopathic ward at Walter Reed Hos
pital. He was a member of the police
force from October 8, 1919. until Janu-
airy "a. 1922, when he was dismissed
after conviction by the trial board Of
intoxication. During his service on the
force, his record states. he was involved
in the shooting of Miss Allyn NJ.
Brown. % years old. 8l2 Sixth street,
but this was declared to be accidental.
Two years ago. detectives disclosed,
he was held as an arson suspect In
connection with mysterious fire at the
paint store of L. E. Walker g. Co. 1905
pennsylvania avenue. but was released
later.
During the epidemic of false alarms
here three months ago, motor cycle
officers stated, police pursued a coupe
answering TO the description of that
driven by Fisher. which was seen To
pull away from a box from which q
false alarm had been turned in. The
pursuing officers lost the coupe In the
neighborhood Of Fishers residence.
Gasoline Cans Found.
Firemen stated that morning tina.
two cans full Of gasoline had been
found near Third street and Pennsy..
varia avenue and that some empty
gasoline cans had been found In on
empty warehouse near the Mcdowell
warehouse.
Maj. Hesse stated that all informa-
ton obtained by police would be turned
over 70 the district attorney and tina;
any charges which may be preferred
against any suspect will come through
mat channel He has directed a searcl,
OF warehouses as a preventive meas.
ure. in case any gasoline or other in
cendiary material is found to be con-
cealed in them.
When II became apparent that the
iires were ignited by a pyromaniac, Mai
Hesse ordered detectives 10 guard In
oustrial plants and other buildings
liable TO fan victim TO the mysterious
nrebug. Virtually every police of1cia
In the city was On duty all night, while
policemen who were off duty yolin-
tar!ly reported for service. The entire
force Of headquarters detectives worked
all night. Maj. Hesse formally com
mended this morning the spirit OF the
men under him. stating that they had
manifested a willingness 10 work that
tooG no account OF hours.
Hesse Almost Overcome.
During the WooIworth fire. Mai.
Hesse was nearly overcome by smoke
and gas fumes when he entered the
cellar Of the burning building. but sue
ceeded In making his way to the outer
air without assistance.
The alarm for the first large blaze
starting in the basement Of the Wool.
worth store. YVES sounded at i0:4i
O'Clock last night. The flames spread
rapidly 10 the upper floors. shooting up
t!le shafts and airways and emitting
dense volumes Of SMOKE which ham
pefe6 the WORK Of the flremen, several
u whom were overcome before the
blaze " AZ brought under control.
When the fire seemed 10 have been
confined 10 the basement infiammabie
gases from sulphur. insect powders and
I"ffnai1ehyds in storage formed and
the flames we're seen suddenly 10 break
out On the second floor of the build
/ AAg. One fireman was overcome on the
/ fftJi, one Was overcome In the base.
fnent. and several narrowly escaped
nhen they we're dragged out OF "A trar
| door In the Tenth street sidewalk III
ole gas caught and fiared up with al.
| most explosive force.
CROWDS estimated at several thou.
saiich lined the sidewalks on Pennsyl.
wanna avenue. on Ninth and Tenth
streets and IN the rear OF the building
| On II street. where the fire presented
us most spectacular display. Police haf
oiihc1ity In Keeping them back Of TIN
| lines.
Before the general alarm was sent II
uisfe were Is engine companies,
tfuck companies rescue squad,
WAFER bJwsr and number VI com
Dahies from nearby Maryland and Viz.
ginla, being directed by Chief Watson
and 4 battalion chiefs.
In tbs midst Ut tile excitement som,
one called attention " flames which II
up tlie ssy three blocks away on TENT
street hear the corner Ut c. This wa
hIottiy alter IL 80 o'ci1ck The fiF,
rapidly tnVeioped three buildings b6
l $"s"it @SU atJ's ~Sg lGtttfI ElIfFL. IItFk
were the LOuden Produce Co. II II
Mann IL CO. and tiie fsimons p0lilirl
Co, IN the latter VI which thousand
III crated chickens were burned.
Smoke Hampers Fisemen,
Dense black smoke famed by d iigh
breeze again hhngefed Lile work Of Ih
tlfemen. several of whom were partial
~ overcome and the tprneup conditi0,
VI Tenth street made 1t difficult Tor tA
apparatus " yet through Chief Wat
. Son declared That The lark Of q heay
wind, no dDibt. prevented Widespread
ilOloeaakt,
Eei0fa the already depleted ranks q
tlls Fire Department couin respond /
Lhe new alarm ths wIole central p0r
tloa VI llc block bcenlsa IN flames. Nh