, 1873-10-10

Strange VhEnrAcA of mn lncbrfhtCu
piumbcr-Hae IkcdHcea Lot OF
Household Eurnttttre to Atonas, nnd
then BLOWS Up The House.
The eccentricities Of 4 weak-mindcd pl,lmbor,
whose Hlop Ia oil tho northwest cornor Of Cot
tago GroYe avenue aud Twenty-third street,
culminntod yesterday morning in an event which
threw TINT quiet looality into atato Of ununual
excitement. Il. T.. Durna, tho plumber In queR-
tion, haB been known for some ttmo pnHt aB
hhrd-drnking man, and ono who when In
his uups, Ia IN ugly customer. Recently his
mind has givon indubitablo RlgnB Of weakness.
Among tho little peculiartiea which bis noighbors
have noticed. ind which hnvo strengthened tho
belief that he was non compos, were hla sceirg
in troo, about n week since. forty benutifut
canarieB, which wero invisible to other oyos; his
hearing their singing, which, to other enrs, was
inaudiblo; Ills showing a nefghbor lady, a fort
night since, riding black horse through Hyde
Park at mfdnfght-Bhe being at the timo safo in
bed his firmly fixed belief, frequently an
nouuced of late, that the police were
alt shortly to be turned into starB aud
Mark Sheridan into their Bnn aud the
central point of their revolutions. Tho night
before last Burma took d very eccontrio turn.
Tho boda annoyed him, 20 ho took m ok aud
epiit them up, etrewing tho Fragments all over
tho floor, together With HhrodB Of tho bed
c1othea, which he toro up. A lounge ho troa ID
In tho Same way. Tho family clock ho disjoint-
cd, aud half Of tho works hn nliled to ono wall
OF liB bedroom, the other half on the other,
while tho facs was fractured and thrown among
tho debris Of the bed and bedding. These little
cccentrictiea did not call for moro thnn gon.
tlo roproof from Airs. Burns, although they
caused material discomfort to another family
who lived above the shop. At last nnrna satis-
{o1t, inm
toarlng down an awning which oyerhung his
B]lop-window. In the morning ho was unusually
busy, and evidently lad somothtng wejghty on
hiB miud. At about 0 o'clock no ordered hia
from the house, adding to ono Of bis boys, who
psrt @ d tie shop Yosd u'"5 bettor tor 'aSt eet
AWAY from there boforo the fire comoa."
Together the family Of four lett tho place, and
neighborhood, as It WAS we'll kuown TINT Burns
was considerably in tho debt OF bis landlord,
who had takon Legal proceedings against him,
and had made tho remark TINT ho would get eyon
with his creditors. About live minutes after tho
tho house for a moment. 4 minute after his
second departure u loud explosion was hoard, tho
house shook from cellar to roof, aud windows
and doors aaw into tho street. 4 man who mas
tho flying glass, which. strange to say, was tho
only casualty arising from tho explosion. The
family living above wore bndly frightened,
but escaped hurt Of any kind. Tho
shop in which tho explosion occurred prosontB
pancs, almost powdered, were oil blown into tho
street; tho partitions wore torn asunder in sew
eral placos aud shattered chandeliers, wishing
basiny, gas-ppes, and other plumbors' wares
atrew the floor. From internal ovidoucos 1t il
apparent TINT tho explosion WIS caused BY gun
powder, but how It was used or In what qlantity
will not bo known until BurnB, whom
the police arc nfter, is caught, mud
makes confession. Tile building is owned
owes him three months ront Of the part OF It he
occupied. Ho had suod Burns for its recovery,
md tho case WAS to como up for trial on Sntur-
day. Woodruff has $4,000 policy of Insurance
On the house, but it is doubtful whether. under
tho circun8taucos, he can recover. The FIRE
which followed tho explosion did not amount to
much, being extinguishod by the fisherman "
tre-steamer in few minutes.