FULL WIRE REPORTS OF THE UNITED PRESS
THE DAY BOOK
500 SO. PEORIA ST.
398
TEL.-MONROE 353
Vol 2, No. 33 Chicago, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 1912
One Cent
GIRL, 16, CONFESSES SHE FIRED .HOTEL BERLIN AND
CAUSED DEATH OF FOUR, "FOR FUN" .
'St. Louis, Nov. 5. Barbara
Gladys Arnold, 16 years old, '.to
day confessed that she set fire to
the Berlin hotel last Friday night.
The woman and a retired bank
er were burned to death in the
Berlin hotel fire. A fourth per
son, struck by an automobile go
ing to the fire, also died. A fire
lieutenant is now near to death
from the injuries he suffered, and
two firemen are seriously hurt.
The girl confessed tdday short
ly after she had tried to set fire
to another family hotel, the
.Windermere.
She would give no reason for
her incdndiary attempts than that
she had wanted "to cause a little
excitement.'
She had no regrets over the
lives lost in the Berlin hotel fire,
and admitted that she had
thought it possible that 'other
lives would be lost if the Winder
mere burned.
The girl is a nursemaid in the
family of Rev. William J". Wil
liamson, one" of the" heroes of the
Berlin hotel fire.
This 'morning, Mrs. -Williamson
found a blazing" towel hang
ing over the transom of her room.
. Mrs, Williamson put out the
blaze and entered the girl's room.
She found the girl in-bed, feigning
sleep.
Mrs. Williamson made the girl
get tip" and dress and then ques
tioned her. For a time the girl
denied all knowledge of the blaz
ing towel. But at last she turned
to Mrs. Williamson:
"Oh, what's the use?" she said.
"I did it. I threw: it up there hop
ing the whole place would tgo up
in blazes. It's1 such fun to See
theLflames roar through a build
ing, an dsee the people, so fright
ened as 'they are trapped."
Mrs. Williamson sat aghast for
a few minutes, and then sent for
Captain of Detectives Allender.
When Allender questioned the
girl shewas just as ready to admit
her attempt to fire -the Winde
mere to him as she had "been to
Mrs. Williamson.
."What do you know about the
Berlin hotd'Are?" Allender ask
ed suddenly.
"I did that, too," the 'girl said.
"I stood 6n the second' floor and
dropped matches into a pile of
papers below.
"I saw the papers begin to
smoke and curl, and then they
burst into a blaze, I waited, there,
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