Evening star., 1953-10-25
Boy, 16, Held
For 100 Fires
Set in 4 Years
Served as Suburban
Volunteer Fireman.:
Tells Thrill Motive

NOIultSSI IIISIIIuHT
Tells Thrill Motive
A teen-age boy was arrested
yesterday and accused of setting
more than 100 fires in North
west Washington during the last
four years.
81 like to see the fire engines
rum" police quoted him as say
ing. 'It's too quiet in that neigh
borhood of mine"
The boy, who is Is and on pro-
baton from Juvenile Court on
a houSebreaking charge, lives in
the 700 block of Ingraham street
NV. He has been working as
a laborer for construction COM
pany. All of the fires in which
he is believed involved we're in
sheds, garages or fields.
One of the places to which the
boy set fire, police said. was a
shed belonging to his uncle.
Juvenile Squad Detective Rich
ard R. Crawford, ir., said the boy
was a member of the Woodland
Beach Volunteer Fire Depart
ment in nearby Maryland on
week ends.
His fire activities during week.
days, he added, were confined
to the section of the city east
of Rock Creek Park and north
of Soldiers Home. All of the
fires were in this area, roughly
that covered by No. 6 Police
Precinct.
Under Inquiry Since April.
Deputy Fire Marshal Kermit
r. Mullins said the arrest of
the boy climaxed an investiga-
ton under way since last April.
Juvenile Squad Detectives Gran
ford and Robert w. Haun made
the actual arrest and said they
obtained a confession.
The Investigators were amazed
at the consuming interest the
boy had in fires and f1re-fighting
equipment.
Detective Crawford said the
boy loitered around Engine Co.
No. %, in the 500 block of Geor.
gia avenue NV, in his spare
time. He attended all meetings
of Civil Defense reserve f1remen
at the flrehouSe.
He had a radio at home tuned
into the fire department fre-
quency. He kept log of all
fire calls he heard, including
those he set. He also had memo
rized the number and location
of all fire boxes in that section
of the city.
He knows more about ire-
fighting procedure than most
f1remen," Mr.. Mullins COM
mented.
Boy Seen Often at Fires.
Mr.. Mullins said they first
began suspecting the boy be-
cause of the frequency with
which he would be seen stand
ing around at fires. His move
mentS were followed for several
months.
Finally. the investigators were
convinced he was involved be-
cause he would show up at fires
too soon to have heard the frs
calls.
Detective Crawford said the
boy denied everything at first,
but then began crying and said
he had set more than 100 fires.
He began reeling off places and
dates, the detective added.
He was charged specifically
with II counts of arson and
four counts of turning in false
alarms. He was sent to the
District Receiving Home to
await Juvenile Court action.
Accused OF Garage Fires.
Two of the arson counts in
Volved garages in the 600 block
of Gallatin street NV, which
burned last Wednesday. A num-
ber of fires were within blocks of
his firehouse hang-out itself.
Detective Crawford said the
boys juvenile record included
two cases of houSebreaking and
one case of larceny. He is on
probation on houSebreaking
charge at present, he added.
Police said he was charged with
these specific cases:
Oct. 21, garage fires at COL
Gallatin street NV. and 619
Gallatin street NV; Oct. IL,
shed fire, at 708 Farragut street
NV, the home of his uncle;
Oct. l, brush fire, 5765 Georgia
avenue NV; Aug "a, garage in
rear of 643 Hamilton street NV.
Aug. 20. brush fire, $500 block
of Georgia avenue NV; July
%, trash fire in rear of $500
block OF Georgia avenue NV;
April %, grass fire in rear of
570O Georgia avenue NV.
April 20, grass fire in "ear of
500 block of Georgia avenue
NV; June 8, woods tire in $500
block of Georgia avenue NV;
May 8, trash fire in 5700 block
of Ninth street NV.