A 42-year-old man recently released from a state mental facilitywas being held without bond Thursday on charges that he set fire tohis boarding house, killing one of 11 other people who lived in theSouth Side bungalow.
Kenneth R. Maney was charged with murder and aggravated arsonafter police said he admitted setting the fire at 8821 S. Union earlyWednesday by igniting a pile of clothing and papers near the cot inthe basement where he slept.
Police said Maney told them he set the blaze, which killedWillard Jones, 42, and slightly injured Ralph Noble, 37, because hewas unhappy with the conditions at the home, owned by Edward Bell.
Firefighters who fought the blaze asked the city InspectionalServices Department to investigate whether the 1 1/2-story brickbuilding is illegally operated as a boarding house and has safetycode violations.
"It doesn't sound right to us and it doesn't look right to us,"Fire Department spokesman Jerry Lawrence said of conditions. "So, wereferred it to the experts."
Bell, whose home was extensively damaged, could not be reachedfor comment.
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