The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-08-27
TINE FIRE IN JOHN STREET.
Inquest On the Body Of Mrs. Catha-
rine Clevess
The Losses and Insurance on the
Property.
Ae., &C.. &es


The inauest on the body of Catharine Cleeves who
Yves burned dung the late Gre in John street, Was held
yesterday the Second precinct station house, by coro
ner Cover assisted by Or John Beach The particulars
or this unfortunate fully recorded in yester
days IIgRarp The lower part of the building was,
mas been stated ,sed fireworks store The evidence
produced yesterday Of course incomplete, but su
cient establish in the minds Of the jury that consdera
Die blame will be laid ut Che hands Of Mr. Jones the pro.
prebor, the quantity and description OF fireworks
,soraa in a'toge,ner oppOseu
visions of ta ordinaDce from which extract the fol-
sowing bearing the point
Chapter XII, PAGE 2S2-No person or persons shall
store any fireworks Of any kind description, other
shan Chinese iresaackers, within the fire limits OF the
city Of New York except Us is hereinafter PROVIDED
Fireworks excepting coored pot and lance whees ana
ether works OF brilliant colored fires not exceeding IN
within the limits from the tenth day of June to the
tenth day Of July of each year and no longer on ,,
written permission; such PERMISSION W DC sa"'" ny
Hhe Chief Engineer of the Fire Department
HUNTING UP JURY.
The Coroner being In atteDdance at four yester-
day the next thing be done was to md jury ana
accordingly officers sent out for that purpose
They Of course did their duty, very much TO the
-chagrn of intended jurors who with one consent,
began to make excuses One was in great hurry; an
other was going Boston, third was not a citizen or
did not lv. In the city; Of the gentlemen
reporters Each anxious get or but the Coroner
was determined to have jury and, more than that to
empanne all those gentlemen II was no use in the gen
aleman who always under similar circumstances posi-
lively going by the next train TO the country TO declare
ne would lose thousands Of dollars If he could mol get
Off; all taken, even the reporters Both or these
gentlemen are wen known highly imaginative
writers for two OF our daily papers, one OF
them admirably adapted for inquest on the victim
of a fire. having graduated in the ianes at Barnum's
Museum and received diploma OF proficiency as
truthful delineator Of the female "human form divine
from United German societies Mt the late saeDgerest
The other equally capable was, in consequence OF his III
concealed anxiety to get away, chosen with admirable
by the Coroner foreman Of the jury All having
the FIRST witness called and gave the
following evidence:-
TESTIMONY OF RICHARD JONES.
Richard Jones, 234 Bergen street, Brooklyn being
duly sworn, Opposed Am clerk In tho firm Of
Jones Co.. of 16 John street, fireworks and
ammunition dealers; am employed by my brothers;
gun and pistol trade also carried on; the business
Is carried the situated the street
floor; had on hand at the time of the fire no gun
powder the stock of ammunition and fireworks
small 90 this season; necessarily larger at other
Seasons cannot how the ire originated the fire.
works are manufactured at East Williamsburg;
about half past four o'clock sitting outside the Office
railing; talking TO boy, with my back to the place
where the Gre broke ont when something struck
the back turned round 20 find signal lights the
shelf lire; showed the boy aud ran towards the
safe unable TO reach the safe and then started
OF the door ana up stars M order TO give the alarm
after swing the alarm down stairs and into the
street and remained there till after the fire. the
nearest 10 the signal lights when they got on fire. the
signal lights the shelf done up in half dozen
packages minutes after the broke the
envcoped IN ames could not reach the safe in
sequence OF the fireworks surrounding IL; cannot say
&hat struck me in the back-suppose il was one Of
tho fireworks there only Of the packages In
the store the signal lights purchased Monday
last and manufactured by Mr.. Edge, Of Jersey City
received the lights the after giving the order that is
Tuesday had four dozen sold all but the one pack
age; caution Is required used In the storage
Of these fireworks never heard Of any explosion from
them BEFORE the signal lights in question colored
6re; not chemist pyrotechnist; the explosive
stock in the store at the time consisted OF Roman
xIla I..,bt NJ E.a
crackers there about three thousand dollars worth,
half OF them stored down stairs; had about six
eight dozen rockets all in the cellar generally for
shipping purposes; the number OF Roman candles
small and all stored in the cellar; know nothing OF
the compost OF the signal lights above referred
they intended TO be held in the hand by means Of
wooden handles alter the manner of Roman candles, but
do not send out balls; never heard Of any person
warning us OF the danger OF keeping so large
stock OF fireworks the premises; have heard Of
ordinance prohibiting the storage OF colored works,
which dangerous than the white lights have
never read the ordnance the boy whom was talking
TO nowhere the shelf where the lights
Mary Muldoon So willet street. being duly sworn de.
poscd-Am employed by John Filio a fur sewer;
worked the top door Of the premises 10 John street.
knew the deceased, who worked with me; about half
past four O'Clock in the afternoon heard explosion;
looked out OF the back window and smoke in the
yard, and made my way down stairs quickly as pos
sbe did not deceased after looking out Of the win
dow; there six girls working in the at the
time; think was the first who left the room
down far the FIRST 1oor; when, seeing much
smoke did not 20 any further seeing Mr. Robinson
going out OF the window the store front, which
ne had previously broken open, ! followed him, and
walked along the coping TO the next house and found
myself in the street. don't know how; met person
coming up stairs 10 give the alarm when was going
down.
This comprised oil the evidence adduced yesterday.
The inquest rs adjourned to wedn esday next, ten
A. NJ, and will I've held at the Coroners room, No
Centre street.
ACCOUNT OF THE LOSSES AND THE INSURANCE.
The following statement Of assurances the
late John street fire have been oba ned from the Office Of
Superintendent Warren OF the Fire Insurance Detective
Agency j. Jones' gun and pyrotechnc establish.
mont, No 10 John street has insurance Of 1000
the following companies Relief, g. 500; Firemen's
Fund 81, 500; Rutgers $4,000, and Commercial Elk.
change "a, 600 The basement occupied by e.
Combs, Brooklyn Express; loss estimated at 5000;
no insurance Second floor occupied by J. Dunn,
policy dealer, and several others no insurance
platter; inquired for $3.50; damage about 500
Fourth floor occupied by J. Fllo fur sewer insured for
$500 In the Hsnbodt The furs In his shop the
Of the IRE were the property Of Harris Russak OF 1873
Broadway, and insured 81 500 in the BROOKLYN
Insurance Company No IA John stree-First floor occu
pied by Connolly, dealer in Yankee notions sc In.
sured In the Williamsburg City for $4,000 and
The Mercantile for 500 socond floor occupied by
Waters Thorp plated ware insured for $40 900 the
8tna OF Hartford No is John street-Second floor &C.
cupied by W. NJ Smith, plated ware; insured
tn the Mercantile for So 900 and in the Yonkcrs and New
York for ~ 900; only slightly damaged. Buildings Nos
and 10 John street belong the Anderson estate and
were damaged about 50 900 No. is, owned by W II
Smith, u insured for 50 900 in the Mercantile and o. 600
IN the Croton.
Police Intelligence.
ALLEGED HEAVY ROBBERY ny NEWS AeENp--