Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-03
F|REBUG SUSPECT
SENT TO GALL|NGER
BY POLICE COURT
Police Report Lingan A. But
Ter Has Signed Full
Confession.
FIRE LOSS DECLARED
MORE THAN $250,0OO
Alleged Incendiary Fled to Escape
Flames-Says Discarded
Matches Started Blaze.

truck loader of the Hub Furniture Co.
who, police said, confessed starting -four
fires in Hub warehouses in the past
year, was committed to Gallinger Hos
pital today for observation by Judge
Gus A. Schuldt of Police Court.
Members OF Buffers family of 1858
u street southeast informed Judge
Schuldt that they believed the man OF
unsound mind and requested the magis-
trate to have him examined. Hearing
of the charge of arson against Butler
was postponed until the court receives
the report of the Gallinger doctors.
There was no testimony in Police
Court today. Butler stood in court, a
small, unshaven, unkempt man who
seemed unable to realize what went on
about him. He seemed satisfied to leave
his fate to others.
Said to Have Confessed.
He is said to have signed full con-
fession late yesterday for Inspector VII
liam S. Shelby, chief of detectives.
The four fires caused a loss Of more
than $3.50 900, according to official re-
pDIJS OIl dL AC A(CPdA AAOON
quarters. Police are still investigating
NTH fire at the Hub Co., in which But
Ter, a shipping clerk and a Hub employe
Tor more than six years, has denied tax
ing any part. Butler in signing a con-
fession ended an extensive investigation
conducted by the homicide squad of the
Detective Bureau for the past nine days,
and In which Detective Sergts. Carlton
Talley and George E. Darnall played the
L. ha
ton of Lieut.. Edward J. Kelly. They
were assisted by Detective Sergt. Thorn
as F. Sweeney.
Sergts. Talley and Darnall were as
signed to the case by police officials
after fire wrecked the ware house of
the Hub Co. at 80 l. street northeast on
September "a, causing $50, 600 damage,
according to fire officials. The blaze
was the fifth on Hub Co. property with
IN two years.
Arrested After Week.
The detectives arrested Butler after
more than a week of work on the case
He was questioned at length Wednesday
night and again yesterday. Shortly
after noon, police announced, he began
to unfold the story of how he started
the four fires.
Butler was taken to the sixth precinct
station and held overnight for arraign-
ment In court today after he reputedly
had completed his confession and
signed a statement for police records.
In his confession, Butler, as quoted by
police, said:
IT want no cloud of suspicion to
attach itself to my working mates"
Butler Is said to have admitted start
ing three of the four fires which ap-
psared at the company's former ware
houses, and a fourth at the L street
structure. He told detectives that each
blaze was set on without any pre-
liminary plans and in q careless
manner, probers reported.
Blaze Started by Match.
The first. Butler reputedly said, was
started accidentally on September 10,
1929, when he struck a match to read
the serial numbers on a kitchen cabinet
and then tossed it into pile of papers
at the M street warehouse. The second
blaze was begun in a similar manner on
November 81, 1929.
Butler, according to police, said he
was afraid to tell any one Of striking
the matches because he was aware that
in doing go he was breaking strict
rule of his company.
The prisoner told detectives that there
was q good deal Of discussion among
officials and employees of the furniture
company as to the possible cause Of the
second fire and that he joined In the
talk.
TT wasn't exactly amusing, but I
got satisfaction out Of the fact that
they didn't know I had caused the
tnterogators.
Ran to Escape Flames.
The third fire. which followed on
July 20 of this year, had it's origin in
a pile Of excelsior and papers, accord
ing to the man, who said the fire was
started with a match from which he
had just lit a cigarette. Butler told
police he had to run for his life TO
escape the flames.
The most recent and perhaps the
most spectacular Of the Hub Co. fires.
occurred on September "a last, about
IL am, at the L street warehouse.
Il loaded o wagon and went to the
ONCE and wrote a sheet for Henderson,
a wagon driver before he left" Butler
said, according to the report on the
case. while talking to Henderson
took out q cigarette, but did not light
It, later going inside, where struck a
match on the wall and threw 1t into
some excelsior"
Fire Was Ignored.
Inc man, pOlACG Sdlu- thpldlLleu Nildl
he set off three OF the fires near quitting
time and walked around in the vicinity Of
the building until they were discovered
by some one else. He also waited fol
some one else to discover the blaze nine
Gays ago, which caused Acting Fire
Chief P. w. Nicholson 10 ask for 6
police investigation.
Three of the fires are entered on hrt
records as major confiagrations eacf
requiring virtually every resource o
the departS.1snh before they wer,
brought under control. Several firemei
were injured, while the lives Of man!
others were endangered.
The first fire of the Hub Co. series
which occurred on February 8, 1925
with a loss estimated at $78,300, Is tn
only one to which Butler did not con
fess when questioned yesterday, 1t wa
said. Police are hopeful of some de
velopment that might solve the myster
of the first fire, II it was Of incenSiar,
origin.
Losses in the four fires mentioned Il
Buffers confession were reported a
$500, S497, $l49,294 and $4,000.