The New York herald., 1878-02-05
SUFFOCATED IN BED.

FIRE IN AN EAST SIDE rENEMzNr-FoUR
SCENES.
Ope OF those fires. the mysterious origin OF which
is rarely solved, discovered the six story tene-
msnt house, No. 65s Sixth street, about eleven
O'CLOCK last night. causing a damage of about slO
in money and tho loss OF four lives No. 554
is a tenement house, with stairs narrowly con-
sructcd that Two persons oil ordinary hardly
pass, ana haa not tho FIRE been providentally dis
covered when II the hvcs Of the thirty
occupants OF the building would have been
placed in jeopardy II not lost. AS II was, the
timely discovery OF the Ore prevented more than an
ordinary panic among tho inmates Of the house,
although four children, whose father was attending
to his business below and whose mother was out
spending the evening" werc sunocated to death In
their beds
OHBcer Mayiorth, OF the Seventeenth precinct was
standing on the corner Of Sixth street and L.
when he was startled bv hearing cries OF 'FTcI''
coming from ono The windows the second floor OF
the tcnomont house. He TO signal box No. 274 an
sounded an alarm. 1t was quickly RESPONDED to by
the district engines, aud in less than three minutes
line OF hose carried into tho building by dozen
or more frcmeu. The ire had broken out IN u
mattress In the 'front.' room on The second door IN tho
apartments is occupied by Thomas Cassidy, junknan,
whose store was In the basement oil the building At
the time the fire broke out there were asleep IN an
adjoining room Mr.. Cassidy's children. four boys
aged rcspectivcly-Joscph, i've years; Thomas, four
years; John, Two years, and James fourteen months
The hrst one who discovered Tho lire was Maria kIns
try, servant employed by Mr. Cassidy. who was
about TO retire for the night. Mr.. CASSIDY was
on tho flight OF stairs below when the servant
discovered the smoke and gave The alarm, which
heard by ihe oicer. Tho father bong apprsed OF
tho danger frantc and, Ia said was unable
10 repaer any assistance.
BRINGING CHILDREN.
Edward McIain, young man, residing ut No. b3s,
same street, was standing al his coor and heard the
Out Thomas and Joseph in an unconscious condition
rho other two children had been taken out by
tho servants minute before They were also
UNCONSCIOUS Information was quickly carried to the
Seventeenth precinct station house, and Captain
Mccullough, with his reserves, promptly hur-
RED TO the scene and rendered valuable assist
ancs In rescuing the other inmates from their
perilous position on the upper noors An ambulance
was telegraphed for from Bellevue Hospital, which
rived in charge OF Dr. Leveridge. DR.. Thompson. OF
No. Isl First avenue, mad been summoned IN tho
meantime. and on examining tho children pronounced
John and James DO dead and the other two probably
dying.
THE sRRvAxT's STORY.
Maria Kinstcry, the servant was examined by
Captain Mccullough, TO whom she nude Tho
following statement About seven O'Clock this
evening | went up stairs With the children % and and
wore all asleep, after which went to the basement,
whore ! stopped until a few minutes after eleven,
whom lett to go to bed. Before leaving the room
wnere tho children slept | extineushed the
lamp anu also the candle and placed them
where they rS0ro 1Suna no rs Snon m inc rS m
the room where my bed found on fire.. am un-
able to say how " broke out. am sure that there
were NO matches In the either. Whom
reached tho second flight OF stairs l discovered
smoke and / ut oponcd the room door
found lhe apartment 1llod with smoke. made
my way to the front window aud gave the alarm al
ter which l went the bedroom ~nero
the children slept and took tho Two youngest
in my arms and carried them aowp stairs
and gave into the custody OF one Of the neigh
bors. | about TO return to the room for tho
others when met a young man who was carrying
stairs in his arms. atterWQrQ learned
that the two had carried down had been sun0cated
70 death."
The burning mattress was extingushod by the 1rc-
men, and the loss occasioned by It's burning will not
exceed $40 Mrs. Mary Cassidy, the mother Of the
unfOr unutc children, had left her house To visit
friend and did Of her sad bereavement until
her return som0 timo later.