River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-11-20
A NEW YORK HORROR.
Terrible Scenes at a Tenement Hous
Fire

A New York telegram Of the 18th
inst. gives the following particulars:
Early this morning, fire took
place on the second floor of the
tenement at No. 60 Canon street.
Mary Bodiski. who occupied apart
ments on the third floor, leaped
to the second and was probably fatally
injured. Joseph Botzkie. being unable
to escape by the roof or stairs, threw
himself from window and was killed;
his entire family, consisting of his wife,
two children and mother-in-law, were
suffocatei. The damage by the fire
will not exceed $500.
When the cries of the neighbors
brought the police and firemen TO the
house, BotZkie was seen rushing wildly
to the window of his bedroom and re-
turning as II endeavoring to drag some
thing within. The smoke drove him
back, but he returned again; this time
sheet of flame shot into his face, and,
with despairing cry, he seized the win
dow frame and sprang out. The dis
lance was not SO great, but, in his de-
scent, the mans feet caught on win
dow below, and he was turned head
downward; in this position he struck
the pavement with a sickening thud,
and he was dead before he could be
raised.
The flames now poured through the
upper story windows, from which not a
groan was heard, and no sign of life was
seen after the fall of Botzkie, but the
firemen were at work, and soon the
flames were under.
When at length the top floor was
gained four human bodies, closely hud-
died together on the bed in the little
side room, met the eyes OF the firemen;
half cons cious probably, and struggling
to rouse herself, with the cries of her
husband ringing out from the window,
whittier he made his two Intellectual at
tempts to come to her assistance, the
wife had rolled upon the floor and
reached her children's room, her first
thought being for them; while there
the smoke had overcome her, and with
her last strength, feeling about for her
boys, she had fallen upon them and
died there. Their drawn-up limbs
showed the agony of their death strug-
gle together. Their cheeks were slight
ly scorched; otherwise the fire had not
touched them; the smoke had done the
work effectually.
L. Cohen and his family were regard
ed with suspicion by their neighbors,
yesterday. Mrs. Cohen was observed
carrying from the house several large
bundles few minutes before o'clock.
Cohen and his wife and children dress
ed in better clothes than they ordinari-
ly were, left the house carrying large
bundles. Patrick Lynch, the Injured
fireman, three times reached the fourth
floor and tried to bear out the uncon-
scious women and children, each time
he was driven back and finally made his
own escape by a tottering fire escape.
In his descent he passed the flames and
was borne away to the hospital, where
he lay at midday. Fire Marshal Shell
don came early and made an invsstiga-
ton which is now going on. He points
out the fact of there being no scuttle il
the roof. Cohen was arrested at the in
surance Office, where he had 500 on
his property. His wife was found also
and locked up.
While the police were endeavoring to
discover the whereabouts of Cohen and
wife, Mrs. Cohen appeared, and at the
sight of the scorched house called to
her neighbor: my God what is the
matter with our house?" "You may
we'll ask" said the neighbor; "four
persons have been carried out of here
dead. What did YOU do to your rooms
last night?" 9" am insured; our prop
erty is all right" was the answer. Mr..
Sheldon, an insurance man. on post
at the door, interfered and spoke to the
woman, who defiantly replied she did
not suppose she had any business to
give him information. He turned
her. away, and she was not seen
again until twelve o'clock, when
the detective brought her to the police
station prisoner. AT o'clock Cohen
himself had come there. He, too, was
bent on money, bringing with him a
lawyer, who was the guardian of his in
surance policy. He had reused him
from his bed at seven, stating his house
was burned, and he must come with
him to the police station to show his
policy. No one had seen him near the
burned house before that. Cohen
could hardly tarry till the lawyer
put on his clothes, and rushed
him at once to the station,
where without word or thought for
the dead, he exhibited the paper, prov
ing he was insured for $500 in the Pa
citic company. Sergeant Griffiths in
formed him he was a prisoner. A sense
of his position appeared to slowly creep
over his mind, and he made haste to
inform the sergeant that he knew moth
ing about the fire; had heen to work all
night at his trade at 205 Delany street;
his wife and children had spent the
night at his brothers house, 105 Hester
street; his brothers. wife had met with
an accident.and they had gone to spend
the night with her and take care of her.