Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1838-02-23

theatre, to raise and fall the ys; le the theatre on
Saturday night at quarter past after raising the
curtain. DePonents were stationed at the hys, or
what is called the carpenter gallery; il Is on level
with the third tier OF boxes and the carpenters shop
10 above said tier of boxes; and sad shop was OPEN
50 that there had been any light there these depo-
nsnts must have seen 4 where they stood. They
were in the fys from till II on Saturday night and
saw person pass them to 60 the carpenters shop,
through the carpenters gallery, which is the usual
way 10 go the carpenters shop They put out all
their lights and left the place SAFE They don't think
it possible said shop could have been on fire except il
was done designsdly.
Patrick OConnor has attended the Bowery since
il was opened by Hamblin seven or eight years ago,
as doorkeepcr to the gallery has attended the the
are as night Waterman for some months His
duty required him to shut and fasten all doors in
front Of the house but one, through which person
belonging TO the theatre was permitted to pass; but
deponent opened il for him TO pass and shut It as
soon as ne got through and bolcd it. Between ii
and IL on Saturday night, all persons belonging, to
the theatre left; deponent and Farley, the other
Waterman, then went through the house, and saw no
light in any part of it, except in the stoves and Ian
tern which they carried. few minutes before de-
ponent was walking backwards and forwards in the
front lobby, when he saw the reflection of light up
the stage from the upper part of the house; he then
ran on the stage, and called 10 the other Waterman
that there was light or candle burning in some part
OF the house, and deponent started to go up to the
carpenters shop; and whilst going up the stairs, he
saw the fire spread so very rapidly that he concluded
il best to give the alarm he ran into the Bowery
and cried Fires" and returned to the theatre, and
removed the IRON chest DESK and furniture from the
two front Offices. Deponent did not leave the the
atre from the time the audience left TILL he saw the
fire.
Michael Turley sworn.-Is a Waterman at the the
atre-went round and examined eupper part OF the
buding-evcry part very closely and particularly and
saw no light in the building; got through his rounds
about one o'clock on Sunday morning and found all
safe. At two o'clock sa~ the lght of the firefiom
the roof which appeared 10 have begun in the carpen
ter's shop, Immediately under the roof
Augustus M. Bea,h sworn.-Worked in the said
carpenter shop on Saturday till between and 6
O clock he then threw water the stove, and put
the fire completely out as he always did. The work
men never worked in that shop by candle light for
some months past bat left off work before dark
Left the theatre at half past ii there was light
in the shop them or he would have seen it. From
his knowledge of the premises and the crcumstan-
ces the fire could not have originated from the steve
but must have been the work of an lncendiary.
VIM. Daverna, further examined, says there arc no
partitions in the rear of the shop, the whole being
open, so that any light in the shop might be seen on
the stage. Three persons worked there en- Saturday,
viz: Conover, Dodge and Augustus. There was ne
person at work in the shop the night Of the fire.
He left the stage without any disanangement of the
scenery. The fly border could not be lei down unless
the ropes were unloosened. Witness was at the fire
and tried to get in the house, but the fire too ge
neral throughout il.
Michael Turley further examined, says-He closed
the windows the back part of the theatre; the back
Witness in the carpenters shop short time af-
ter the audience left, and saw all was eight.
There are other affidavits, but, they contain
names of persons not altogether free from suspicion
we refrain from publishing them al present.
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