A mental patient at Billings Hospital here confessed to police today that he had tried to set fire to three synagogues in Chicago and to two hospitals conducted here under Jewish auspice.
The man, James Saraca, had previously been a patient at two other hospitals here at Mount Sinai and Michael Reece, both of which are under Jewish auspices. He was caught yesterday trying to set fire to Billings Hospital.
Upon interrogation, he admitted he had been responsible for attempted arson at Mount Sinai and Michael Reece as well as to three synagogues. Police continued to check the man’s story and to ascertain how much damage, if any, his efforts had caused.
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.