The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-04-30

4 n
meeting when coming out Of the door was met
by my and this man. who it appeared had been look
ing all over for He informed me that my store
O. How long did you remain at the meetingS A. I
remained there until ten O'Clock; when heard the
O. Was there any scuttle your store' A. Yes, and
q skylight also.
O. Was the scuttle open or was it generally closed
A. never went up but once twice and then it was
always closed; never had any occasion to tell my
O. How high were the buildings around from your
budingY Can you pass from building to the others
A. There is but very little difference; step
from one house to the other.
Here basket containing frockcoat and pair of
pantaloons was produced by the Coroner.
goods that were in your store nrev;oys 10 the rsS
cam by looking at the tickets find they goods;
the pants evidently new and have been
fpr day. the frockcoat is also portion of stock,
and was, suppose, taken from my store.
O. DO you know when? A. could not say but l am
that were stored in the fourth story 5eins heavy winter
goods, we kept them stored on this floor.
soas was snen @ S 70 s a
just inside the door, within four five of the store
@ Had you removed any goods previous to the ires A.
Question by Juror-Did you consider the build
O. What the why the big iron safe was put
in the basement A. thought it was the most proper
O. DID it ever occur to you or did you ever express
wish that you thought it would be better to have it in
the second story but it was not strong enough to hold
O. What is the name of the person who after you
to your house to inform that store fret
A. do not know his name he dtdche Of the Light
Guards, and informed some time previous
that he in destitute condition, and told him II
he would to my house Monday morning, would
give him something to do. He came, and gave him
some white wash work to do, and suppose in return
alarm, and told me my store on FIRE.
Q. Who did the work of alterationsa A. Mr. Goodwin
Q. Do you know where Mr.. Goodwin resideds A. He
O. TO you belong to the Light Guards2 A. Yes Ihave
for the last twenty years. said that of the build
ing had settled il part of the American Hotel
the wall of my building.
Q. What was Mr.. Goodwin A. He mason:
@ when you were informed that the walls had
settled why did you not inquire further about ts A.
did not understand had settled positively and
not judge of the matterno further mean than that
it was told me by some persons:
Mr.. Genin--Q Did ysu give the the of
the clerks who caused the goods to be removed to the
fourth storyS A. No, sir but can if necessary.
TESTIMONY OF JOSEPH BOX.
at No IA Church street, employed in the dead house
of the New York Hospitals had the bodies of those
who taken from the house burNb II Broadway.
Witness then examined the contents Of the basket and
recognized the coat as taken off one Of the men, but
could not say which one, or who he He stated he
could not say they belonged to- they there
of the bodies; this was on the 26th Of April.
A citizen behind witness wished to know if these
clothes did not come off of those two men who were not
members of the New York Fire Department. He asked
from the New York Fire Department.
The Coroner said the clothes did not come OF either Of
those bodies outside.
trey and of the other bodies the clothes remained in
the dead house Witness then said that those clothes
iii the basket before the jury not those found
Keyser, Christman, Flynn.
Mr. Jennings then came forward and examined the
pantaoons and coat and said that who got the
coat would have tight fit If he got the pantaloons
TESTIMONY OF HENRY K RICHARDSON.
Henry X Richardson, being duly sworn, deposed that
he was partner in the firm OF W. T. Jennings Co.. has
since September ls4s witness resided at No. 55 Amos
street; there previous to the alteration which took
when Messrs Taber s. Bayley occupied the building;
heard the testimony of Mr.. jennings except the first
part; coincided with him in all he heard
Witress said he would like to have 1t read to him.
raid he could not do that would be pro-
per for him to correct Mr. Jennings testimony but II
Jennings himself would like to have any part, or even
the whole of it read will do so with the greatest plea
Mr. Jennngs-I would like to have it read if it would
not be too much trouble.
Coroner Hilton then read the whole of Mr. Jennings
testimony that the witness might be able to corrobo
rate it without q lengthy examination. Mr. Richardson,
after hearing the evidence read declared that he
agreed with the body of Mr. Jennings statement There
was beam from the yard of the American Hotel to
support the iron girder this beam through the wall
of the ladies' ordinary and cut through their ceiling to
support the iron beam under the arch.
O. Was the wall weakened by this operation9 A. 1t
weakened that weresobliged to put up grder
in basement the wall Of the American Hotel where
the beams were laid sunk think about two nches-so
much that they obliged to put wooden girder,
about ten feet long to make an additional support Also
in addition TO the girder two columns under It,
feet H0" long was the sFd'F' A. About eight Or ten
o. In what part of the building was it placedp A. In
the front part at the top of the extension there
three windows which communicated with the adjoining
buildings and might walk from these windows to
the roof of the extension.
Coroner-Q Have you anything else to say9 A. Moth.
ing except that can identify the clothing Witness
here identified the coat and pantaloons clothing that
had been taken from the evening of the
The witness then recognized the Clothes the coat and
pants, as property belonging to Mr. Jennings, corrobo-
rating Mr.. jennings statement.
O. We're you in the store at the time OF the frey A.
O. Where were your A. was at Sherwoods saloon.
a. What time was 1t when you heard the alarm A.
Atouta quarter past eight it may have been halfpast
| O. How did you hear about tS A. Some came in
while was Sherwoods and said the Astor House
Gre got up after few minutes and went out, and
found our store on fire. When got to the corner Of
Park Place said ii the American Hotel that
burning; ran as fast as could and found it was
our store.
O. When you got to the store there any persons
tbereS A. saw of the clerks, and some said
| there were fremen up stairs
O. Did you ask the clerks where the fire took placer
A. One Of them said he standing at the store door
and up to him and said the store on
fire. that the first the clerk knew about It. he said
O. Did you open the door first or did the fremen
break 1t openY A. The clerk opened it, he had the keys
in his hand the clerk said that he near the store
| the door, and was just starting to go away.
O. Was there much fire there when you got theres A.
Immediately went up stairs but could not tel was
excited where the fire exactly whether 1t in
the basement the top of the house at the tme could
scarcely say think ordered the baskets to be taken
from the basement to the clothes in the build
ing could not Re positive to this did not know
whether was standing my head or my heels.
Q{Whst did you say when you went up stairss found
the Gremen had broken open my desk and one OF them
sad lis there anything in this you would like to savea
said 'there is nothing there worth looking after"
O. Were you in that part Of the store then where tn
/ FIRE was? A. No.
@ where was tho fire at this timer A. 1t appeared to
be burning the ratings Of the third story the flames
| were raging IN the fourth story.
@ What did you do thenf A. went out of the build
ing had heard pre- viousy that IL unsafe did
1 not care absut risking my life in It any longer
O. Who told you IL unsafeS A. A clerk had in
employ, about Ayear eighteen months ago, named
/ John Cochrane
Q. How long was he in your employ A. About seven
| or eight years
| @ Was he in your employ then? A. No, and had not
| for eighteen months past.
| O. What did he say to your A. He informed me that
the fire wardens had il recorded unsafe building