The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-29
The M0RR1SANIA HOLOCAUST.
Investigating the Cause Of TIE Celamity-A
Terrible tory ss Tod by an Eyewitness
Unavailing Cries for DC livery from TIE
Flames-Tke Mysterious Harness
xaksr on the Witness stand

ponce stafiOu by Coroner hN.e.. yesterday afer-
noon, 6ucning the awiul manner IN which Mrs.
Mary Burns ana three OF her children lost their
lives in tenement house on Tnird avenue, be.
tween last and IA d streets, last "Wednesday
morning Contrary tO general expectation chris
tian y. HottenrOth, the saddle, beneath whose
store the fire was first seen, voluntarily put IN an
appearance be. ore the proceedings were begun. He
was accompanied by his foreman, James Murphy,
TIL Native iioernian, wearing sp ctac es. and who
seemed particularly ANXIOUS To exonerate himself
AID his enlp oyer from amy suspicion OF comp..cty
Ia Bringing about the catastrophe. He nrI
highly laus lie story to gliby renearsc, VIII Oh, II
1t contains the important element Of truth, ac-
counts iOr every circumstance pointing the way
10 lncend,arism. HOttcnroth, who occasionally
got m senence wnie Murphy, in Ills extreme
vOlublht,, Would pause to recover BREATH informed
the HERALD representative that an Ong other
proofs OF ms innocence. ne hal reD ted apartments
in the doomed building, which he was
to nave occupied wltn his lamly yester-
day. lie also u MED having kept away
nom tie Locality since lie fire, saying that he ana
Murphy have been ~ or mean the spot every day
slnce but aLed 10 mention the name @, any per-
son VINO saw him hose OCCASIONS HotJen-
roth Is q German, about twe nty eight years old,
and says lie las u vile and Blk children. His testi.
mony before the jury IS gwen below.
the Testimony.
The first witness examined was John G,astatcr
who, from the apartments he occupied on the
OPP Oste side Of the avenue. was OF the first
III cover the fire. he first saw the danes OH the
nortn SIDE OF the hallway, which WAS situated in
the centre Of the building, ana even Ihen the ire
had gained sucn lealiu head Way that there was
no smoke, only u sheet OF flame; HOOn and Ladder
Company NO. II, when he nsd NO lled ny calling
rom us W .ndow, had reached the lie by the lime
Ina mad atln- MT RI
VI MS neighUurs; at rms time man and woman
we're sitlins on WINDOW y II over Vna lager beer
saloon, cryiug or heip; u ksuuer was speedily put
up ny one OF the nremen ANA Oy ms means the
Witness THINKS one woman was saved; IL was I'M
IOssiDle Tor any vi the inmates to nave escaped by
the hallway, as 1t was hed WIN names wnicn
I0areu ana CracNed upward IA Ou the IN error OF
the pu1illns; the Bur.s lamiy lvea n tie nortn
side and on tMe top moor Of TIE house; on tue
sou sioe Of this iUor Was a w.EuOw, overlooking
Tic rOOi vi in adjoining Duliung waCh VAS some
lee, lower fhan JIe WlndO" 10 peculiar OuOr Was
Noticeable about the premises; tAe s.0uicis shop
was az ioinng AMI on the north siAe o. the nall
way, that ON the south si0e beng LACE beer
sa.Oon; me Witness asked one o. ii i LexnDurs to
s. " tne rear o. the Du uIn1 Duildlns AID If
any OF tue inmates were descending by the fire
escape; ne quicny reiu' ned and sIu there was no
Ohe is'n; tue IRE escape, Dut nc heIru some per.
son above
CRYING FOR HEAP;
ladder was inst1nGy raised, and one OF the fire.
men went up, Dut speedy came dow II, SAY ing that
he could not see an tl,ng aUve as TIE mousse was
MASS y! name; Mt THIS iiMe no more than zen
Mlnutes had ela sea since the lire hSt
hOLAceu dC u IcN initiates neiO tarce COCK
A. y. 1t WOu.d nave Ueen uiiiCuiJ or woman to
have descended aiUne ny Tue fire e.c.pe and the
tasN would aave been almost IN. Cssisle II sne at
tempted ~ TAKE u chiit uOwn Win nei; the Turns
itiIy cOud nave escaped inuch easier IVY the w,u-
GO" on me SOU u side OF re gaHic end; 80. Al en-
gine arrived ABOUT ten or lIieen MINUTES a. ter the
nook ana ladder COMPANY, and ia tAiee minutes
had stream vi water ON the Dal,na mousse.
Yhe :LuuVe was niainly corropOrLteu Dy the testi-
mOny Ui Anthony Speaker, wac h,sC noticed that
the ire vas lcaping ABOUT the ira 400. . Gel.
lar on the hor,n side OF the GUIDING Like Inc
roe G.tn did mot In NAT
tcu.ar purpUse the cellar beneaCn the saddler's
store was used lor. H. thiI.Ss
THE HALL DOOR WAS OPEN
wien the fire broke Out as he had often seen 1t
open wucn closing his own pace across the street.
~ nnt. TINS wltIess also testiiteu 10 b.e speedy
ARRIVAL at the Ere OF look aha LADDER No. Ii.
CHRISTIAN q. HotlenrOth tes theu tuat he ives on
diery and harness stO.e situated IN the uurLed
building; has another sore at NO. 297 Bo"ery.
where ne stlll does business; was IA the bur ailg
wnele the fire occurred since The ID day VI March;
was pt NY store Ii North New fOra taUOther D9Vie
Tor the loca'ity III which tie Ire broke QUIZ nearly
every day only spent one who.e day there since
March =; ON that OCCASION had carpenters
at work; was generally ttere in HE Morn
rom g Ipa c evening on m s6snt way to hand and
there each time; occasionally nelped To Close The
store myself; wlnie absent nom t.e store Ia North
New York, or Third avenue James h.urphy, my
lOreHlan mad charge Oi the business; he present;
he lives IN CORTLAND avenue, near William street;
MUIR by generally went nome " tn me III Inc even
ing; sometimes got there before him in the morn
Ing and opened tne store myself; the evening
beoie the fire Murphy ana ie,t the st re to-
gethcr; my little girl, ten years Old. was along
with us: the value 81 my stock ana fixtures vas
s3 100 at least; my store vas he aIcd by Little par
Tor stove; the stove was lighted every morning;
HAD NY PLACE INSURED
in the Lancashire Insurance Company tor $4,000;
the insurance was enecteu Malcn 10; dld not try
TO OBTAIN any further Insurance since that dat ;;
wnen the lire took place was at nome; did not
know vi the lire until about seven O'Clock on Cnat
morning: no person ever slept III the store; have
never ucen Dulncd out before; have only one man
ut work at my place IN the bowery, ana had only
New YORK; i do not Manufacture all 1T the he
work sell; have purchased STOCK III Newarn aud
on Broaeway anu Wooster stree, New York;
also on Broadway; Kept books at tine Mott Haven
snop, III wnlca put down everything chat was
sold; portion OF my stock had moved ron
COul tland avenue to the Store That was burned
down: since my removal there / had purchased
moving to thai store have received In cash less
than 500, but cannot tel the exact amount, az
THE BOOKS ARE BURNED;
was in my store not quite an nOur the evening
before the hIe; Murphy and my little girl were
there at tue time; am quite sure tha did not go
to the Office o. Jonn L. burnett to ef1ect an III sur
ance ON my property two days oeiOre the lire; lett
CORTLAND avenue because my Wlle dld not like the
neiKnoors there; had = small corner IN the cellar
empty barrels and other things; there was nothing
OF comDus.iole character Kept there; suppose
other persons IN the nOuse mad the privilege the
cellar as we'll as myself.
me testimony OF Hottenroth having been given,
an auJOurninenG OF The inquest was agreed upOn
until to DlorrOw afternoon
The remains OF the four human beings whose
lives were doubtless sacrlhced 10 cruel and In
human avarlce were delivered to the grerstlcNen
husband and father ON Friday evening, and to-day
the cay winch shall cover them " III ne mOlstened
with the tears oi sOr owing relatives and friends.
IL may Lere oe stated that the cost OF recovering
tie missing bodies rom the runs was delrayeu by
Captain Robbins, OF the Tnirty-tnrd precinct it
being understood that the expense amounting to
less tnan SlO), VIII be equally borne by the men,
bers OF the force Of thar precinct.
T1o TN,
paper Iregord 10Th amazement ana anaiety, ana,
IN n,y judgment, such issue mould be a detri.
HleRt ana q ShdmP.-CHARLES SUMNER.