The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-03-06
Fire Marshal's Once.
IEvEsrIG ALTON OF FIRES.

IEvEsrIGATI0N OF FIRES.
FRI IN BARCLAY srREEr.-On the night OF the Gath Of
February Ere took place in the store Of j. L. Cochran
Mickey, dealers in straw goods, No Barclay street
1t was discovered by the insurance watch The doors
broken open and flames extending from
raj Of straw goods about the middle Of the store
The cases with their contents, dragged into the
street. and the fire extnguished, with but trinng
damage to the building. The porter, William Dennis,
who was temporarily in the place Of the regular porter
testified to he Are being very low in the stovs himself
and Mr. Cochran the two pc the store
to his knowledge closing up prior to closing he
lighted small piece Of sperm candle to light them out
of the store after turning of the gas metre the candle
stick containing the candle he placed a about
the middle Of the store the opposite side to where
the FIRE took place; Mr. Cochran directed him to turn OFF
the gas metre he into the basement and did so;
his return he found Mr. Cochran at the front part Of
the store with the candle standing the counter next
the front door, he then took the door keys from the
drawer. blew out the light and nipped the wick with his
finger to be sure the fire out he next locked the
him letters to put in the Post Oaice Mr. Coo
turned to Gown Barclay street and the porter hurried
to the Post Office dep0s tied the letters aud directly
home to Brooklyn. the Wall street ferry his re-
turn to the store Monday morning he did not find the
piece of sardle the candsstck stood the counter
within short distance where he left it, In the socket OF
the stick he found piece Of paper tw ted around evil
IDENTIFY there to make the end Of the candle M this paper
was not burnt nor were there any signs of the candle
having melted into the socket. The stove was from
twelve to fourteen feet from the spot where the fire ap
he was the last person with the porter in the store on
that evening" that be generally renamed the last one
for the purpose Of writing up his correspondence aud
seeing that all the lights were put out that evening
he wrote some letters for the post Office and requested
the porter to turn off the metre bat he don't reco
lect candle was lighted or not but thinks 1t very
sely as 1t was customary to do the porter locked
the doors anc gave him the sys and he the porter
ford House In Park the KEYS, as usual
in drawer in the hotel Office to his supoer and
afterwards remained all the evening the house. with
several friends, until he was notified fire was in his
store; he then took the keys and went
the store On the frst foor of the ltors Mr. Cochran
estimated the stock to be worth 000 Independent OF
the goods the shelves The loss by Ere and water
and property missing, Mr. Cochran estimated at 81, 500
his stock at the time the fire. he estimated
in goods on band and goods sold but not delivered On
this stock there was an insurance Of $4,000
In reference to the origin Of the fire. Mr. Cochran
an opinion as to whether the fra the work of sn
ncendiary the result Of accident He feels satisfied
Cochran further adds that he has been in business since
1S4l and always kept insured and this the first FIRE
IN h oO nm ts during that pero MT
settled the claim.
Before Justice Dawson
THE EIGHTH AVENUE ARSON CASE The Investigation
into the origin Of the fire at No. 3s1 Eighth avenue
last Saturday night, yesterday before
the magistrate.
The first witness examined was Mr.. Mathew O'Far.
hat of James Hairless the defendant ON Saturday
night shortly before II o'clock that he saw him (Iar
res the hey hole either in the act Of locking
locking the door be recognized the eendan Hairless to
be the man. he passed on up the avenue towards
his lone, and about twenty minutes after he heard the
alarm OF fire. and returning back he found the said
store TO be fire; he mentioned the fact Of seeing
at the store door before the fire to Captain Hanni.
gar cesrbrR his dess and when the captain arrested
Mr. Harries, tine witness recognized him at once to
be the same man. Mr.. William Simpson, Assistant
Engineer testified to being early at the fire, before
any water was put on. He describes seeing
fire on both sides of the front part OF the store;
also, after the fire out he examined the premises,
nd found caps the shelves in the of the
burnt ia curious manner; burnt to ctnder,
while others That were close to them scarcely
burnt and trace of the fire could be from
shelf to the other The inside Of the sashes the north
sdes not burr but merely smoked and blistered
with the heat Mr.. Ruben Burgess. q member of the
Fire Department, testified to the alarm of fire being
about IL o'clock he assisted in taking hose carriage
to the fire. took charge OF the pipe with Mr. Jacob
Tooler Mr. Tooker describes three distinct burnings
the ttoIe-one the north eide, the shelving
other under the counter and the third by show
they directed the pipe first TO and then TO the other
and put out the fame almost instantly There sc
vera Other witnesses yet to be examined but the
sci for Mr. Hsrres not being able TO attend any oher
cay this week. the investigation postponed until
next Monday afternoon at O'Clock. In the meantime
Justice Dawson required Mr. Harres to end bail ia the
sum Of % 0O0 pending the hesrine The required bail
was given, and Mr. Harries then discharged from
the custody Of the police.