The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-12-17

tIon-TesiimOny or . Male Servant
The story or How They Pulled the
Screens from the Windows, but Heard
No sound from the Fatal Room Where
the Girls Were Sunocated.
The investigation into the cause OF the fire at the
Fifth Avenue Hotel was reopened yesterday by
Fire Marshal McSpedon and the following testi
mony taken:-
John Thompson, tbeing duly sworn, said:-I am
fireman at the Fifth Avenue Hotel; my room is 57s
on the Twenty fourth street side, next to Broad
way; think 1t was about a quarter to eleven
O'Clock when went to bed on the night OF the fire
Thomas Owens occupies bed In the same room
we were both woke up by cry of FIRE; don't know
where the cry came from; partly dressed myself
and while so doing heard the
GIRLS SCREAMING ON THE ROOF;
kicked the screen OF my window, and went
across the roof OF the private attic toward the girls
attic; think met four or five girIs standing on
the lower root, near the elevator; they had nc
clothing on but chemise and were barefooted;
helped them to get over TO attic and they went
in at some OF the windows; then went to the
lower roof OF the girls attic met one OF the pantry
men, named william, ana we commenced pulling
the screens from the windows; there was plenty OF
smoke up there; II was blown from the
direction OF the laundry, elevated towards
Broadway; we pulled the screens from those
let girls out of every room; think we pulled the
screens from three rooms; think we pulled the
screens from 52l $40, which is xt TO 5l3 there
the nine bodies were found; heard
NO SOUND FROM 513;
the smoke was very hot and thick there, and we
could hardly stand II long enough TO get the screens
off, there was no blaze up there at the time; moth
log but smoke; II we had heard any noise in
get the screen OFF and get them out I;
think as many as five or SIX girls got out OF the
window we We. opened; they all got out BY them.
on the roof that some OF the girls told me that Mrs.
Ward was in her bedroom, which is the best room
screen OF her window; she was not able TO get out
being
PARTIALLY suErocArED
by the smoke, and went into the room and lifted
her up and pulled her out OF the window; then
went through her room into the passage, and
tns towards the passage
my way along for some distance and was finally
obliged to turn back on account oil the smoke
back through the passage and out to she roof
through Mrs. Wards room; after that went down
on the Twenty-1ourth street side and helped with
The testimony OF this witness closes the investi-
CATION 80 far as the Fire Marshal is concerned.
Offerings for the Help OF the Sister Of
One Unfortunate and for the Ablest
Prosecution OF the PrOprictOrs--Letters
and COntr Thu tions OF Money.
The following communications which contained
money for the purposes stated within them, are
hereby acknowledged, and their contents placed
In proper and safe Deposit
DRAWING A SALARY IN ADVANCE FOR HUMANIrY's
New YORK, Dec. IA, 1872.
no THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
DEAR slR-Encloseo fnd So, TO give which had
give it to him who most ably prosecutes the pro-
pr1et0rs OF the Filth Avenue Hotel for their MUIR
derously inhuman economy in obhging scrub girls
a aI nhuVn
OF DEATH
And this for the sake OF adding few thousands
A. B. Darling, who started in hotellife report says,
as "hall boy''-we ought TO expect more sagacity,
to say the least.
He and his partners bear the highest reputation
for shrewdness in all temporal concerns.
hope now they will learn to economist the lives
even OF the damned" scrub girls.
] could not resist sending you this money and
mastery style in which you came out with your
dered servant girls, Tor which may God bless You,
IL the fervent prayer OF your grateful and devoted
son Of @ "
Hotel, which were as badly managed in my time,
nearly two years ago.
As a citizen ] believe y0n. merit this title:--
PATRICK +. X. ROONEY.
~ ENrtoYE OF THE FIFTH AVENUE HOTEL RISES
TO EXPLAIN.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
1t has been freely circulated, editoriay and
otherwise, by many OF the daily papers that out Of
sleeping in the Fifth Avenue Hotel not a thought
was bestowed nor an effort made by any of them,
with one solitary exception John Kay or Mckay,
to the poor girls, whose lives were in danger
have no desire to detract from the deserved merit
OF John Kay, but l happen to have personally
aided, with others, in the rescue OF several
girls, some OF whose names are known to
me, and greater number whose names l am
ignorant Of Now it is freely said that we were in
scarcely house In the city whose inmates are not
talking the matter over and condemning in the
strongest language such inhuman inactivity. lam
male help were anything but indifferent or mac
tive They did not wait to estimate the danger
they would encounter in giving assistance, yet
am sorry cannot say so much for all. There were
few who were more concerned about their
clothes. trust the rumor OF the mems indiner
ence got circulation through some misunderstand-
whom know were saved by the efforts OF o:her
servants Jane Lockhart Kate Peeney, Mary
Barry, Mary Larkin, Bridget Fitzsimons, Margaret
Enclosed please find one dollar for Annie McCabe
tsister OF poor Mary McCabe, deceased). Though
everyone should be proud OF the HERLAD, more
Gates with noble disregard whether the opposite
parties be mionnaires or otherwise, as is very for
fire, and while greatly admire the spirit which
dictated them yet ] don't think 1t fair to
assail the proprietors in that manner. have
had recourse to many persons who have lived
in various hotels East, West, North and
South, and they unhesitatingly proclaim the Filth
is faulty, how much more so are the majority Of
the hotels in the city9 would not have troubled
you with this communication, but many OF my &C
quantances have, since this sad occurrence,
tainted me and rejected on the male employees
on account OF their supposed conduct on
that occasion Therefore l am anxious that this
libel should remain no longer uncontradicted, and
trust you will give the foregoing insertion at your
earliest convenience and thereby greatly oblge
your obedent servant, AN EMPL0YE.