New Britain herald., 1928-03-09
Bristol Me,,,
fIREBUG ATTEMPTS
 TO! FIRE 1HEA7ER
Caught h Act, & Hurk Em.
 plays From Stage


 SET BLAZE NEAR CURTAIN Po'tee Bead E1orts to Arrest I.cea-
 diary@oha l.. Fitzpatrick. Onco
 widely Known Singer Doad-sal.
 vattoW Arnav Campaign.
 An attempt to set fire to the Bristol theater at 1s% Main street at lo:lS o'clock last night was fctled by the psompt action of John Guertin. 1s, es 3so North street. Young ouertin. who is employed at the theaAer aS . sweeper. had complet- ed his work. and after leaving with . companion by the front docs. had walked to tho rear of the structure tor . parcel which, he had hidden near the rear exit. To his surprise he found the door open and upon looking in, noticed that the Aood of lithts were still burning on the stage. His curiosity aroused he entered the building and upon reaching the stage dtscArned . man in the act of lighting bundle of papers near . silk curtain. The intruder. noticing Guertin. stamped out the hre and grabbing the boy. hurled hin, through the curtain to the orchestra pit several feet below.
 Guertin, upon regaining his feet. dashed for the front entrance and continued his flight toward police headquarters where he told his story in an excited manner to Captain Thomas F. Guckin. Officer James Keith returned to the theater with the boy, but tn the meantime. Of- Acer Arthur Messier, in trying the dsors on the North Main street beat, found the front door Of tho theater open. 0uertin forgetting to close 1t h hts haste. The officer walked through the building and finding the rear exit open. became suspicious end made . thorough search. The wouid-be incendiary had dtsap- psared. however. By this time Of. Aesr Keith had arrived and the two efRscsrs, upon investigation. found a partly burned candle. a bundle Of newspapers and one burned match on the heavy carpet at the base of the curtain. Daniel Peters, preat- dent of tho Colonial Theatess. Inc. which operates the Bristol theaters and tho Cameo theater on Main street. was also present at the in- vestigation. The articles left by the intruder were taken to police head quarters,
 It is tho optnion of the police that the firebug. of whom they were fur. nished . good description by ouer. tin. made hts escape through tho rear exit to the railroad tracks in the rear after the boy had dashed for the front entrance. A peculiar feature, revealed by the tnvestiga- tioa, c that . small candle, slmtlar to the ono used by the inoendiary. was found in the allcyway leading to Highland court two doors away from the police station by officer Edward O'Connor.
 The Bristol theater was ths scene Of . dtsastrous fire on December H.. ls3s, when the building was gutted. The lon was estimated at approxi- rnately 1s%,oo0 and the cause attri- buted ID defec&ive wiring. The own- crs immediately rebuilt but since the opsnlng of the Cameo theater on Main greet carly last winter. noth- ing but motion pictures have been shevp at the Bristol A little over a year gro the theater was also hurSjartsed. vl.Soo being removed frosA the aafe. Only few weeks later thS safs h tho office of the Prinessp thsa4er on Riverside av- eauA, operated by the same owners but eIoeed since the opening Of the new Cameo theeter, was broken open aaa | sum similar to that taken at the Bristol theater was stolen by tAs barsiars.
 The investigation of last nights attempt at incsndiarism is in charge Of Detective Sergeant Daniel Mo Gtllicuddy.
 6AlvetjoQ Army Campaign Fund
 The campaign for funds to enable the Salvation Army to carry on its work ia the city for the next year WIS officially opened yesterday. when letters were mailed to residents so- licitipg assistance in raising the S3,- 500 required. This communication. bearing the signature of Judge Will itam J. Maione as chairman of the drive, is ss follows:
 "Your friends on the committee have suggested that an invitation bs extended to you to join with them ia making 1t possible for the saiva- don Army to continue its work in tAip community during the aext |: Renths.
 T am confident you will be glad C this opportunity to help the Army eeatiuve its noble and sacrificing work ef social uplift by mailing your check or cash contribution to Mr. JeesDh Valentine. Jr- of the Bristol Nake1al hank. treasure1.