Alexander Kinderman, caretaker of the West End Synagogue, was arraigned in Felony Court this morning on a charge of setting the three fires at the synagogue last Saturday. He was held for the Grand Jury and committee to a state institution for observation.
The arraignment came after the 49-year-old German Catholic caretaker, entangled in a net of contradictions, admitted setting the first two fires, blaming an “uncontrollable impulse.” He steadfastly denied, however, any connection with the third fire, which caused damage estimated at over $200,000.
Kinderman was arrested early today on an arson charge. His confession was made under questioning by Fire Marshal Thomas P. Brophy. According to a statement by Fire Commissioner John J. McElligott, Kinderman “said he suffered from sinus trouble and believed his brain was affected.”
Officials of the synagogue, where the caretaker had worked more than 24 years, were shocked by the arrest. Harry N. Wessel, president of the synagogue, who was present when the confession was made, said: “I am convinced his action is the result of a mental condition and that no vicious tendencies animated his act.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
