Police are seeking a would-be arsonist, who tossed an "incendiary device" at the historic, circa-1870s Masonic Lodge in Manhattan.
The incident took place late on Tuesday, October 8th, just before midnight. According to the NYPD, an unidentified male threw the device towards the lodge, located at 46 West 24th Street, before fleeing the scene. The fire was extinguished, and no one was injured.
The police released video of the suspect:
Last year, the lodge's librarian Joseph Patzner told Gothamist that "Freemasonry appealed to many because it afforded members 'a space for networking between different trades,' as well as 'a space to better yourself,' a pursuit that sits at the heart of the extremely hazy definition of what Freemasonry involves." (Here's a gallery of the lodge's ornate interior.)
Anyone with information in regard to the identity of this male is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, on Twitter @NYPDTips or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
