Three Hill School Buildings Afire at Once; All Set Ablaze, Police Belie re
HARRISBURG SflSSilli TELEGRAPH
LXXXV— No. 12
THREE SCHOOL
BUILDINGS SET
AFIRE ON
Flames in Vernon, Shimmell and Forney Buildings Cause
Property Loss of $15,000 and Leave Nearly 800 j
Pupils Without Place to Study; State and City
Police Trying to Run Down Incendary; 'lndisputa
ble Evidence of Incendiarism Says Expert
I
Oil Poured Over Woodpile a t Shimmell; Think Firebug
May Have Been Demented Person or Juveniles "Tired
of Going to School"; Firemen's Leg Fractured in
Fall; School Directors Planning to Assign
Youngsters to Other Buildings
Fires in three Allison Mill schoolhouscs thi> morning between
2 and 7 o'clock—the Shimmell. Vernon and Forney buildings—caus
ed damage amounting to about $15,000.
That all three tires were the work of an incendiary or incen
diaries is the belief of the police. Every effort is being made to-day
to learn the identity of the firebugs.
Acting State Fire Marshal Charles 1). W olfe, co-operating with
the city authorities, deputized two trained men to assist in running
down the one whose hand started the fires.
Nearly 800 pupils will have to be |
assigned to other buildings. It is be-1
lieved the 400 youngsters in the Shim- (
mell building can be back at their j
books within a short time. The 360 j
boys and girls in the Vernon building •
will likely have to be assigned to j
some other building for the rest of the ;
year. The damage at the Forney
building will not interfere with thej
studies there.
One theory held by the city police ,
is that the three tires were started by j
boys tired of going to school, who 1
imagined they would get a good long,
vacation if they burned down the
three big buildings nearest their
homes. Juveniles of known criminal
tendencies in the district where the
fires occurred are few. but the au
thorities will make a thorough inves
tigation to learn if this theory might
be correct.
Another plausibility is that some de
mented person committed the arsons.
First Blaze in Shimmell Building
The tirst Ore was discovered at the
Shimmell building, Seventeenth and
Catherine streets, shortly after 2
o'clock this morning.
While this fire was underway,
flames were discovered at the Vernon
building, Fifteenth and Vernon streets.
Shortly before 7 o'clock this morn
ing, Edward Sheetz, janitor at the
Forney building. Eighteenth and
Chestnut streets, on returning from
the Vernon building tire, noticed a
blaze in the boys' toilet in the base
ment of his building. He extinguished
the tire with a small hose stream.
Vernon Suffers Most
The worst damage was at the Ver
non building, which was gutted, and
part of the roof fell in. The flames
had gained considerable headway be
fore they were discovered, and the fur
niture is a total loss. At the Shimmell
building the greatest damage was done
to the floors and steam heat plant.
The woodwork in the toilet at the
Forney building was destroyed.
All Three Fires Start in Basement
The belief of the police that all
tires were the work of an incendiary,
is strengthened by the fact that the
flames started in the basement of each
building. At the Shimmell school the
tire was discovered in a pile of lum
ber in the rear of the basement. 30
feet away from the boilers.
At the Vernon building also the
llames started in a woodpile in the
basement. At this building the glass
in the front door was broken, allowing
an opening large enough for a man
to crawl through. The door is located
in a different part of the building from
that in which the fire was discovered.
THE WEATHER
For IlnrriMlitirß and vicinity: I n
•flllcil, probably llwlit rain to
night ninl Friday: Nomenhat
«armor to-night, with loweat
temperature about Stt degree*.
For I-.axtoru l'emiMyl vanin i ltain
10-nluht and Fridays n armor to
uicht: warmer Friday la eaitern
portion: increasing Mouth wind*.
River
'I bo >nK(|uehanna rl\er and all it*
l»mnf*hon will probably rotnaln
Kenerally icebound and nearly
stationary. A Htaice of about ,"».0
feet la indicated tor Harrinbtirs;
Friday morning
(•moral Condition**
The center of tho tventeru diNturb
nnce Ihut nm located near Salt
l.nke City, Wednesday mornlnis,
haw moved northward to Alberta,
I anada. and tho preaatire baa de
i reonoii decidedly over the IMaiiiH
%»t"te». the oentrai laliejn ami the
Inke rearlon; It ha* iuoreaxed in
tlte Atlantic state* nnd remained
nearly Ktatlonari in the Kant
Ijtalf State* and ICnxteru Teuiie*-
*ee.
I.ight rain* and inoim have fallen
generally la the central and north
diatrlctH from the Plain* state*
eastward. except atonic the At
lantic eoaat, where the weather in
cloud). Scattered rain* and
xnonx have occurred over tho Pa
cific xlopc. % general rl*e of "i to
:iO decree* ha* oeeorred in tlio
temperature over praotically all
the country alnce laat report, e*-
• opt In Idaho, I tab. \evada anil
California. where It is from '£ to
•'M> degree* colder.
'I eniperature: S a. in.. 3!!.
Sou: Hi*ex, 7:23 a. m.< neta, r.:(»0
p. in.
Moon: Fall moon, to-day, at 3:20
River Stagei 5.1 feet above low-
Mater mark.
t o«terday"« Weather
tllafcOHt temperature, X'J.
temperature. Ml.
Menn teinporatlire, '24.
-■Normal temperature, S*.
|The fire in the Forney building was
| started in the basement toilets.
11 Wd Oil Cans
j Discoveries made shortly before
, noon to-day, further substantiates the
; theory that the tires were the work
lof an incendiary. At the Shimmell
I building t> cans of furniture and black
■ board oils were missed. Three of the
; cans, empty, were found near where
| the fire started. A search is being]
made for the third can in the vicinity!
lof the Vernon and Forney buildings.)
j It is the belief the oil was poured over!
, the wood.
! At the Forney building, water con- i
j nections leading to the tire service i
~ pipes running through the building I
j were cut off.
I . Begin Investigation
, William L. Windsor, superintendent'
the Bureau of Detectives, and Joint
C. Klndler. tire chief, began an early
j investigation to learn, if possible, who
|set the three buildings afire.
A. Carson Stamm. president of the
i School Board, called a meeting of the
board for 3.30 this afternoon, when
provisions were made to take care of
the pupils from the Vernon and Shim
mell buildings. Plans for the imme
diate reconstruction of the Vernon
building and for repairs to the other
two were also considered by the
board of directors.
State Export Says Firebug
W . J. Lloyd, the State's new fire pre
vention expert, who has made a spe
cialty of investigations, to-day declared
that he had found "indisputable evi
dence of incendiarism" at the school
buildings and in addition that entrance
had been forced into the Forney
building by the firebug.
Mr. Lloyd's investigations, which
were the first he has made for the
State, were thorough. Ife came here
a day or so ago fresh from a series
of investigations in his home city of
Pittsburgh and being thoroughly fam
iliar with school house construction,
was detailed at 4 a. m. to-dav to "get
busy." In company with M. P. Fred
ericks. factory Inspector for this dis
trict, who had inspected the buildings
for the State in its survey last Fail, he
went into things carefully and reported
1 to Lew R. Palmer, chief factory in
• spec-tor, this morning that there were
'■ abundant evidence of incendiarism.
Telephone M ires Cut?
! In addition to telling of the discov
• erics Mr. Lloyd reported that he had
1 found lour residences near the Forney
building where telephones were out of
| order this morning and that he felt;
■ confident that they had been tamper
| ed with. This was regarded as most
> serious in the chain of developments!
j and the facts will be communicated to!
1 the State Fire .Marshal and the citv
1 police.
The firebug, said Mr. Lloyd, picked
out the very worst places for a fire to
start. In the cases of the Vernon and
Shimmell buildings the tire was start
ed among the fuel supply in additions
to tho buildings. Undoubtedly the
fireproof construction of tht* Shimmell
building prevented very serious loss.
The three empty oil cans were report
ed on by Mr. Lloyd.
A Trail of Matches
in his investigations at the Forney
building' Mr. Lloyd found a grating
forced and burned matclies about the
spaces where the man had gained ac
cess to the building. A trail of burn
ed nfatche; was found in the base
ment.
What makes the Forney condition
very serious was that the fire had
smouldered and that the janitor was
starting to prepare for the day's ses
sions when he discovered the "flames.
In a few more hours the building
would have been occupied by children.
The report of Mr. Lloyd will be
given to the proper authorities and he
will co-operate in behalf of the De
partment of Labor and Industry as
much as possible and give the benefit
of his experience.
State Had Acted
In connection with the fire Investi
gations this morning it was learned
[Continued on Page 5.]
Fireman Crashes Through
Vernon Building; His
Left Leg Is Fractured
While fighting the fire in the Vernon
building early this morning Paul Shaff
ner, aged 21. 328 South Fifteenth
street, of the Allison company, crashed
through to the first floor, sustaining
a compound fracture of the left leg.
He was taken to the Harrlsburg Hos
pital. Shaffner had climbed to the top
! floor to help other members of his
I company when the flames ale through
ithe floor where he was standing,
hhaffner crashed down with the burn
ing wood.
HARRISBURG, PA., THURSDAY EVENING, JANUARY 20, 1916
THREE OIL CANS VSED BY FIREBUG TO START FI I
BUILDING AND YOUNGSTERS,
The one photograph shows the corner of the Shimmell building basement where the fire was started after oil was poured over a wood pile. The three
oil ians are within the black ring. The other picture shows a crowd o£ Vernon school youngsters who gathered for the ringing of the bell only to find
there was "no school."
CHILDREN SAVED
FROM FLAMES; 3
FIREMEN INJURED
Father in Excitement Rushed
by Bedroom Where Chil
dren Slept
Two small children were rescued
from a bed enveloped In flames and
three firemen were injured during a
blaze last night which destroyed three
houses and a storeroom at 1113-15-17
North Seventh street causing a loss
of at least SI,OOO.
The children who were carried out
of the burning houses were:
John, aged 8. and Mary, aged 7,
son and daughter of Peter Lechliter,
of 1115 North Seventh street.
The firemen who were injured:
Michael Conway. Cumberland and
Current streets, Shamrock Company,
fractured left wrist in fall from lad
der. Treated at Harrisburg Hospital.
James Connors, 1820 North Fourth
street, Reily Company, fractured
[Continued on Page 9.]
CAPITAL CITY
REPUBLICAN CLUB
"BOOSTER" RALLY
Senator Beidleman's Campaign
For Renomination Launched
at Meeting Last Evening
Harmony was the keynote of
rally at the Capital City Republican
Club last evening. James R. DeShong
one of the oldest members of the club
sent out invitations to a large number
of well-known Republicans to attend
a "booster meeting" of the organiza
tion, but the gathering soon developed
into a "get together" session at which
the campaign of Senator E. E. Beidlo
man for renomination and election
was launched by DcShong and the
(Continued on I'agc it. ]
Decision of Umpire Is
Disappointing to Miners
By Associated Press
Hazieton. Pa.. Jan. 20. —Certain con
tract miners in the service of the
Delaware and Hudson Coal Company
were disappointed to-day in a decision
by Charles P. Neill, umpire of the
anthracite conciliation board, in tlieii.
demands for 91 cents per lineal foot
for rock yardage in the Dunmore vein
of the White Oak colliery.
Umpire Neill says that the language
of the rale sheet was ambiguous, but
that the evidence shows that the
91 -cent rate was never heretofore ap
plied on the work in question.
COFFEE SCAI.DS BABY
John Boy, 18-month-old son of
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Boyd, of 1008
Berryhill street, was seriously scalded
last "night when he pulled a pot of
boiling coffee from the stove, the
contents spilling over his face.
| THE DAY IN CONGRESS
By Associated Press
Washington, D. C., Jan. 20. Sen
iate: Met at noon. Senator Smith, of
I Georgia, attacked as illegal Great
Britain's blockade of neutral com
merce. Secretary of Agriculture sub
j milted report on private owners of
water power sites asked for by Sixty
third Congress.
House: Met at noon. Naval and
military affairs committees continued
j hearings on national defense. Heaping
on literacy test section of Burnett
immigration bill began by immigra
tion committee. Began debate on
"further urgent deficiency" bill.
CLAIMS MURDERS
"LOGICAL FRUIT"
OF U. S. POLICY
Representative Asserts Admin
istration Has Lost Confi
dence by Stand
By Associated Press
Washington, D. C\, Jan. 20.—The
Santa Tsabel murders were declared
to be the "logical fruit" of the ad
ministrafton's Mexican policy in a
speech in the House to-day by Repre
sentative Mondell, of Wyoming, (Re-
I publican) reviewing at length out
; rages committed against Americans in
: Mexico since the overthrow of Ma
dero.
"By following, not a policy of
'watchful waiting' but of mischievous
meddling." said Mr. Mondell, "coupled
with base betrayal and calloused In
difference to the welfare and safety
of American citizens, has the admin
istration lost the respect and confl
, dence and earned the contempt of
[Continued on Page 13.]
ASHTOND. PEACE
TO BE APPOINTED
CLERK TO LYNCH
Last President of Common
Council Slated For Thomp
son's Job. Is Report
Ashton D. Peace, 121" Chestnut
street, the last president of Common
I'ouncil, under the old bicameral sys
tem of government,-will be appointed
to succeed James C. Thompson, as
chief clerk in the department of
streets and public improvements, ac
[Continned on Page is.]
Four Groups of Derby
Recruits Called Out
By Associated Press
London, Jan. 20.—Grouus 2, 3, 4
and 3 of recruits who enlisted under
the Earl of Derby's plan were formally
called to the colors to-day, in accord
ance with tliqfproclamation of Decem
ber 13. These groups, the first Derby
recruits to be called out, are composed
of unmarried men from 19 to 22 years
of age.
In order to prevent congestion at
the recruiting offices and to cause the
smallest possible inconvenience to the
men, only the first drafts will actually
begin training at once. The other
drafts will be summoned on succeed
ing days.
The men have been warned of the
necessity of reporting for duty imme
diately, the recruiting committee hav
ing stated that anyone who is sum
moned and does not appear will be
treated as a deserter.
The number of men in the first four
groups, after subtracting
and postponements of service, is esti
mated roughly at 100,000.
FIRE IN GARAGE
The Washington Chemical Company
shortly before noon to-day responded
to a telephone call from 10 North
Court street. The tire was at the Wil
iard Servtce Station and Garage, own
ed by the J. G. Duncan, Jr.. Company,
and caused about $33 damage. It
was caused by hot metal overflowing
from a melting pot.
DIES FROM INJURIES
William Steely, aged 27. of Enola,
brakeman of the Pennsylvania Rail
road died this afternoon in the Har
risburg Hospital from injuries he re
ceived last night when he slipped and
fell under a shifting engine. The
locomotive passed over both of
Steely's legs, which were amputated
later at the hospital.
ALLIES' ACTIONS
ARE DENOUNCED
BY GREEK KING
In Interview Denies Necessity
For Occupying Corfu and
Blowing Bridges
The King of Greece on last Thurs
day summoned the Associated Press
correspondent in Athens for the pur
pose of making a protest through the
I press of the United States which he
! said was the only forum of public
| opinion open to him against the re
icent actions of the allies in their
operations at Salonild in blowing up
the bridge at Demir Hissar, in occupy
ing Corfu and other islands which
Greece claims.
He said the situation is as if a
foreign power had occupied that part
of the United States which had been
won from Mexico after the Mexican
war and that the plea of military
necessity advanced by the allies was
like that given by Germany for in
[Continued on Page 9.]
EAGER HUNDREDS
AWAIT OPENING
OF CHARITY BALL
Finishing Touches of Detail
For Big Social Event
Added Today
Hosts of people won't really care
to-night whether the weatherman mis
behaves or not. To-night's the night
of the Charity Ball.
i By early afternoon the decorators
I will add the finishing touches to the
| adornment of the smaller hall of the
j Chestnut Street Auditorium. By the
I time the workmen are ready to quit
i for the afternoon, that little hall will
j have blossomed into a %vistaria-trel
[Continued on Page 5.]
Police Charge Man
With Assault Upon
Woman in Hospital
William Leo Lusard, aged 40 years,
was arrested last night on a charge
of felonious assault and battery with
intent to kill. Lusard, it is said,
was the last person seen with Lena
Brennan, the young woman, who is in
the Harrisburg Hospital with a frac
tured skull. Lusard admits that he
had been drinking with the woman,
but says he has no knowledge of a
quarrel.
Sight Burning Steamer
but Find No Survivors
By Associated Press
New York, Jan. 20. The British
steamer Penistone arrived to-day froni
Havre and reported having sighted on
the night of January 2 a vessel on
tire. The Peninstone steamed around
the burning ship during the night in
a vain search for lifeboats.
Soon after daylight, the olllcers
said, they made out the burning
craft to be a sailing ship which hail
a Norwegian flag painted o nher star
board aide. The Peninstone again
steamed around the vessel which had
almost burned to the waters edge, but
failed to find any trace of lifeboats or
rafts.
WARM Kit AND RAIN
Warmer weather with the possibil
ity of rain is forecasted for Harris
burg for to-night. The thermometer
at S o'clock this morning registered
32, degrees with the mercury rising
jslowly all day.
1C PACES CITY EDITION
One Killed, Four Hurt
When Train Jumps Track
By Associated Press
Trenton, 110., .Tan. 20.—Louis Col
lier. engineer, was Killed and four
trainmen were injured near here early
to-day when a double-header on the
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific rail
way. made up of the Golden State
Limited and a Chicago passenger train,
was derailed.
AM the steel coaches left the track,
but no passengers was injured. Coin
ing into Trenton at forty-five miles an
hour, the train, which had two en
gines, was derailed in passing a curve.
The second locomotive turned over
and crushed Engineer Collier to death.
The mail car. baggage car and smoker
i also turned over.
STILLWELL HEADS THIRD BRIGADE
• Harrisburg. Colonel Frederick W. Stillwell, Scran
ton, c • .t! - Th: 7-hr y ~L: d Brigade,
wa ! t-vi'-. l : t " atbsug 1 "*: as Brigadier
Gener* 1 -' » r. -e Thi;d Brigade, suc
ceeding Brigadier General C. N. B. Clement, who recently
was appointed Major General. The appointment was an- |
nounced by Adjutant General Stewart.
WOMAN CLEARED OF MURDER CHARGE
Lancaster, Pa., Jan. 20.—Afttr b«4ng out almost forty- j
five hours the jury in the case of Mrs. Annie Eisenberger, i
charged with the murder of her husband, this afternoon, 1
' ■ ■
.
Harrisburg. Noah Maulfair, 1725 Fulton street, who *1
was struck recently by a jitney driven by Augustus Wild- i
Harrisburg Hospital. A |
post mortem was held late to-day to determine the cause of '
death. Coroner Eckir.ger is in* , the case.
4,000 MALCONTENTS THREATEN AMERICANS I
El Paso, Tex., Jan. 20. —About 4,000 malcontents are
operating near Torreon shouting for Felix Diaz and declar
ing Carranra adherents and Americans are to be killed, and 1
all property r,to''er. according to reports of arrivals from i
Torreon to-day. About 300 Carranra troops are centered at '
Torreon. A week ago they had not taken the field against
the malcontents, it was said. * 9
BRITISH SUBMARINE GOES AGROUND
London, Jan. 20, 4.30 P. M. A British submarine has ■
gone ashore off Holland according to an announcement by £
the official press bureau to-day. There was no loss of life. #
SOLDIERS UNINJURED IN MEXICAN FIGHT J
Washington, Jan. 20.—Major General Funston reported #
to-day th2t in the fight between a detachment of United M
States cavalrymen and Mexican bandits near Doyle's Wells, C
N. M., none of the soldiers was injured although they were £
fired upon by Mexicans and one of their horses, was killed. »
• MARRIAGE U/
A dure John Schaffer nnd Maricarrt Stefan, city, £
HOSTILITIES ARE
AGAIN RESUMED
BY MONTENEGRO
Rejects Peace Terms Offered
by Austria ami Is Again
Fighting Along Front
INTEREST IN GREECE
Numerous Reports From Gor
man Sources Say Allies
Adopted Aggressive Action
From Rome to-day comes (lie defi
nite announcement tliat hostilities be
tween Montenegro and Austria have
been resumed, Montenegro having: otll
cially notilied Italy to this effect, the
dispatch stated.
A note presented to the Italian L'or
j eign office by the Montenegrin premier
I declared that Montenegro hud rejected
I the terms offered by Austria and that
I hostilities had been resumed along the
j whole front. King Nicholas remaining
I with his army to organize his country's
defenses.
Greece avrain is a point of signal
interest on the war map, although Iter
territory lias not been the scene oC
hostilities.
There has been a paucity of direct
news from Athens and other points in
Greece during the past few days, but.
there have been numerous reports
from German sources of further ag
gressive action on the part of the
[Continued on Page 12.]
Action of Blockade Will
Be Rushed by British
Special to I lie Telegraph
London, Jan. -o.—lt may be taken
as certain that the question of repeal
ing the orders in council and estab
lishing by declaration an actual block
ade of Germany and Austria is now
under consideration.
The Government probably will give
facilities for a debate in the House
of Commons on the projected block
ade of Germany and Austria before
the prorogation of Parliament the first
of next week. The declaration of the
government policy is anxiously await
ed.