New-York tribune., 1874-01-14

A calamity by which three human hVes wcTo
sacrificed, occurred this cy. yesterday under soeh
circumstances that Imagination fails to CONCEIVE o'
death more terrible.
In sixtiethst., between Fourth and Madison' 'aves.
there is Of four-story, brownstone dwellings OF
which No "a Is the most magnificent and Costly IN ""
fittings. 1t occupied by Mr.. Jacob stner, Hebrew
and millionaire tea merchant, the senior OF WIDOW
sale tea firm composed OF himself and sons, the arm
having branch establishments In many par~ OF the
city, senseess figure to say that their residence
was paatia 1t having been newly furnished about
month ago the most costly manner. at an expense OF
nearly 100000, and 1t was certainly one OF the Manu-
soonest private dwellings in the city. MI snner vase
years OF age, Of Bavaria, but an old resident OF
New York The other members Of his family who hved
with him at home silima, his wife, aged o.,
Deborah stner, their daughter. aged al her younger
sister, Flora sner aged II and one son. Joseph suner
aged years. The wife and children were all born IN tho
West Indies, but had lived in this country many years.
There were two other married ca'gh"'s'
Mrs Lederer, and Mrs. NJ H. Mos'r,
but neither OF them Lived in the family
home one residing in East sxtyffthst, and the other
at No. 69 East Fifty fourthst Beside the husband and
wife and three unmarried children, the only occupants
of the house in sixtiethst. were two maidserVants
Mary Mcguire and Mary Kahn; and nan-serv"pt
named Alfred F. Schultz. Mr. stiners bed-chanber Was
the OF the second floor. Mrs. suner and her
aughter Deborah slept the adj dining front foo";
Flora stner and apartments were on tha
floor above and the domestics beds on the uppef
or fourth floor the house These eight persons were
all the dwellers In the house.
On Monday night all the family except Mrs. stinef
went evening party at the house OF some friends ~
the neghborhood Mrs. stner remaining at home, bena
a very corpulent woman, and having been confined "
her room time, suffering from dropsicai CON-
piaint 1t Ia said. 10 very late before the father and
children returned home and IL was or o'clock IN tho
morning probably, before the family retired to Their
rooms for the night little thinking Of the terrible fso
which was TO destroy three of their number before
another day dawned Shortly before o'clock yester
day morning watchnan named Fitzgerald, fra-iDsu
rance patrolman named Ii. N. Hardy, and the
keeper Of liquor store at the corner OF Fourth
ave. and Fify-ninh-st saw flames and smoke pouring
forth from the secondhoor windows front and rear oi
Mr.. stiner's house. The lastnamed person heard the
agonzed screams OF woman, and theD he states three
pistol shots in rapid succession. Fitzgerald and the
insurance patrolman gave alarm at the fire alarm
box and ran to tho hOuse and made an ineiiectnai
endeavor to get in. In the meantime, young Joseph
Sner and his sister Flora aroused by the roar or
the flames both hurriedy dressed and managed 70
make their down stairs Miss Flora gong in'o ner
fathers room and her brother running the gauntlet OF
the flames until he reached The neigbbors
had by this time been aroused Mr.. Manuel 7. BaImer.
and his son, Manuel De Forest living IN the al
Joining house, No. 26, among those who saw tue
necessity OF Immediately rescung any one VINO re-
mained in the burning house. The young gentleman
climbed over upon bay window in the back parlor OF
the Sner of which reached nearly 70 tbe
windows of the floor BY standing upon this roof
he was enabled lift Flora sner from her perions po-
stion the fame through the window and carry Der
to his own house, to place OF safety Mary kahn ana
the man-servant ran TO the scuttle when they wero
awakened nearly sufocated by the flames and smoke,
and creeping upon TIE roof succeeded III making
their escape through the scuttie OF one OF the
other houses in the row. Mr.. stiner, 10 IL evident,
was not aroused by the fire until he was nearly SUMO
Gated blinded and he appears 10 have become con-
fused and lost bis OF mind After his daughter
Flora had rescued be got out upon the roof OF the
bay window and tried to jump into the yard OF the next
house. This was rash attempt, as the y1rds of those
houses are several feet below the street level making
the hight of Mr. stiners three stories above the
ground He Jumped aud struck on his head againrt tho
fence between the two HIS skull was tern-
bly, fractured. and he must have died instantly.
few moments afterward Mary Maguire, the rema,n-
ing servant jumped from upper window TO the root
Of the bay window, and then nsanely made the sama
terrible leap which had caused her employers deathy
She fell near him and fractured both thighs. Here shs
was found by police OF the 18th Precinct groanins
with agony and was removed Ill an ambulance " bele<
cred that Mrs suner aud Miss Deborah misslng,
but Joseph the and the neghbors hoped they had
until the fire had entirely put out an hour after
ward that their sad fate was ascertained Then inc
members Of the Fire Department searched throueh tbH
ruined house, scarcely than the onr walls OF wheA
left standing, and N what had been the room oA
Mrs. Stner, their eyes beheid a horrible spectacle
Perched amid the still smoking RUNS sat beautiful
parrot saved from the flames by some singular acedentJ
which filed the arr with shrlll ang1er as d 10 osky
OF the terrible fate OF Its owners On the bed lay The
mutated and almost unrecogniz1bie body OF MIS-
stiner. burned to crisp and partially consumed 10
chair beside the bed, rd aud black were the ehsre9
OF her daughter Deborah she mao been urgeu
by her sister Flora to iee ffon tne mouse Win bsrl
again and again, but "No, she had firmly and caImy y
not move from her mothers side. She had herocay1
remained in the room. and there she was fouho ueau
beside the body Of he her @ d essns a 's
The anguish OF the remaining members OF the FANNY
their friends, at the house OF Mr Stners soinaws
NJ H. Moses at No. 81 East Fifty fourtlst where tho
remains removed by the Coroner's perinlss'ou,
Morgue is indesc crbaDle The this house lars
evening was heartrendng III the extreme The servce.
crowd OF morbid curiosity seekers rhe bodies had
taken there, and Coroner kesser impaDeled nuneer
Of gentlemen jurors who. after they had looked ST.
the bodies or tried dismissed until the inquest 10
held, which will be during next week probably. the
names of the Jury follows: Christian ScnwartI,
President Of the German Uptoyn tow Savings Bank; Co;
j. Maidnof ofNo "a East siItiethst; ben H. Hertz OK
East sixty-secondst Daniel Beurimo OF the g. Cloud
Hotel; jeremiah OF No o. East liity.foSrtnsa; -
Courcey OF No I64 East Fify-sixth-st; John Emm0n8
Of No "a Esst T1s ana COY Aaienser oI NO. @
tho Temple Emmanu HI Oh Thursday afternoon next.
Fire Marshal Sheldon Investigated the cause Of tho
fire. and is OF the opinion that originated FROM de-
bv furnaee In the cellar from which heat ~ sonyevd
in tin pipes through the house. The house In almost
mated At s6Sut The res, % Of the iosses resulted
from the destruction Of the furniture and probable
that thers wss sso aSeut yorGS OF
destroyed BY the fire. These losses are alb covered
Insurance the adjoining sOSse Of Mr. ssSss d.; -
is insurance for t2so The mex. house on ne Ssaec
TO the extent Of eoo0 furniture and 800 on the build
At special meeting of the Imperial Club at No. 10
hat.