The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-14
The Burning Of Metropolitan Hall.


INTERROGATION BEFORE JUDGE STUART, OF THE
CHARGE Against JAMss NoGENr, FOR SETTING
FIRE TO METROPOLITAN HALL.
The court room denssl, crowie ed yesterday after
noon at the opening of this case Many unaoe to
Captain Charles Wright was frs sworn 4 live At No
nth street; my business Is hotel keeping the
only lessee of the L, F.rse House tn. Is Fargo House
neve tho Ere brcks out about hall. past twelve
o clock Saurdsy night in the southwest cor.
hsv. been told; was At the hotel abou on tho
night ot.e ns there then are back OF tie stage
In the concert room there was no FIRE anywhere that
coud comm unieate with the concert room; fre
In the cooking range Of the kitchen Saturday Eli
Cay, to my knowledgs this cooking range is uaser the
cnceit room the concert heated BY steam only;
dry heat be communicated to tie concert room
tn, ste that heats the ncsrt room IL generated Ia
the vault une Mercer street. on the southwest corner
had been used In the engine room every day for
rating steam stesm TO knowledge, conveyed in
the cert SAurday It necessary tbs
lighted heated the steam Is brought into the
room by iron pipes hrace coal used 10 heating the
away BY fse; the Cues conducting the smoke, gas &s
from tho d; under the boilers (under Mercer stres
lead t. an upright fus Meeting In the sub cellar ia
Hall, and through ohss formed Of bricks and
tar. the wall being twelve inches thick, with wood
within three 70 four feet OF connection with the aus
which Leads up above the roof there are
appertues In the ue which communicates With Metro
potAa HALL the bricks are snchosed in alernats
oriek being let into the end VI the ws have folio we'd
other business bu that Of hotel keeping watched
the sonit, ucten Of the hue pyed from iss worry com
neneen emit with view Of having 1t perfectly secure
sgast the chances OF are; the aue as built by days
work there timber within eight inches Of the
outAde Of the fus throughout Its whole length; have
never felt sby heat In the Hue beyond moderate one
while the engines running the Ore began At dis
Of fifty feet frsm the face OF the Ere use
there hot al furnaces In the boldng and
constuced for the pu potes Of uts; tasre open
tIsce uDter the platform OF the stage, ~hch used
for slowing away thisss not much used DO not know
~ha nder It at the time OF the 6re orders had been
given week previous to have cleared out ths engine
only usedior the raft Of boilers the steam sas
oarisd into the hotel BY iron pipes beaeath this hoor
uncer the bA'tment; the kttohsn in tn, busm-nt,
uncer the dining saloon had but in,ervs~ 9TH Mr.
the 6re he aid he left the Hall about half ~, nice
n. the hight before; he'd oher couversAtton With
him; Mr. Nusent bad the keJs Of this Hall; it
cssrsry for him TO be there at that time. that
aware Of.
Mr. Mabel, q witness here wished to ask question.
and leave vac granted
nor 10 my kno~Ieegs was any washer there fr
wasbfng; never the keys Of the doc. on Ne ctr
street TO Mr. Nueen never hal the keys Of tie Hail. Mr.
Nulent was responssle for the Hail. the Hus from the
cooking apparatus separate from Others all the es
soisg up In stseh the Goes ell sound at this tss
having examined taem myself
Roter; Orr testified foows-I live In West Tsenty
seventh street; my business Ia carpenter and buuier
spehe With Nusent about the merely sntioa ed the
thing 70 him; he said the Are must have csught be-
Lnt the staes under the stage, he stated this
past nine; ! built the Lafsrge House. left there on
saturday evening abou. Eve o'clock; In the
eorotrt from Oh Saturdays was 10 tbs dining tan
or hfteen timer; there was are ON SATURDAY In
the ccokirg range in the dining room my know
there possibility that fire could originals from
the fne, there vas eight inches Of scld ms4onry BE-
tween the foes and any wood work; Am prastioai
carpenter and joiner; have been builder for sixteen
yeafs v this ey; Am not mason, but hAys had mach