New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-04-05
{ RUSHED UNDER A WALL.
TWO CHILDREN KILLED BY FALLING
BRICKS.

L
BRICKS.
THREE PERSONS ARRESTED FOR AL1EGEDsNEd11-
GENcE-wHAT THE CONTRACTOR SAYS IN HIS
DEFENCE.
A part Of the wall of the four-story brick build
ing which formerly stood in the rear of No. 8
Janss-st' fell at 240 p. IN. yesterday killing two
Gnllldren, John Donnegan age fourteen, and Louisa
Doehncke, age three. The building, which was for
merry brewery. had lately been used q carpen-
S Rs q T The M sha %sS' his
was in process of demolition, twelve
tho ,n, being employed in tearing down
tne walls The bricks were carted away in wheel
SaIrpMs ana piled up in order, for convenience in
inrther use One Of these piles had been piled up
since Saturday to height of nearly eighteen feet
and at right angles the section of the wall which
fell The fallen wall was about sixteen feet high
a1 divided the premises from the court in the
in the yard, John Donnegan who had
peen at home for several days suffering from a
lame foot was trying to mend saw. His position
was directly under The wall. Dennis Whaley, a boy
living IN the neighbOrhood, was standing in the
court at the time and saw the wall shiver" as he
expressed IT, lie called to Donnegan to get ont of
the way but owing TO his lameness the latter was
unable to move RAPIDLY, and before he could escape
was struck by me falling brick and instantly killed.
Louisa Boehncke, the other child killed. was in the
act OF crossing the court. having come through the
long nall OF No. James-st.. on her way to her
home, which is III the building in the rear of No g.
The girl had just gone INTO the court when section
of the wall fell on her, crushing and killing her m
stantly.
The time of the accident was such that most of
the children IN the neighborhOOd were in school,
Otherwise. the probability is that MANY children
would have met similar fate, for the court was a
common resort for the boys and girls in the vicinity
The girl who was killed was not old enough TO 90
to school, and spent her time AT home playing with
dollS OF. as was the case yesterday, in building toy
houses in the court.
As soon the news of the accident had been spread
the street III 'front.' OF the scene Of the accident was
hlled Tor two blocks with women and children, who
gazed either curlOusly at those who passed in and
out OF No. or sought informal on Of the policeman
on duy at the entrance to the louise as to whether
any of their own family was in The ruins After the
remains OF the two children had taken out of the
RUNS and carried to the undert ker's SHOP report
was circulated that one OF the laborcrs had been
buried III the debris. An invest CATION proved that
the report was not correct ALpnt 1870 o'clock a
detachment OF pohce ARRIVED ON the spot
and succeeded in keeping back the crowd. |
From the workingmcI 1t was III !icul To learn any
thing in regard to the disaster on its cause They
continued carrying away the bricks which had
fallen INTO the court and seemed utterly OblviOus OF
the tact that anything unusual had occurred that
they were IN any way concerned The DICKS which |
they had piled up against the wall and which |
caused rs fall, still stood, and according to one of
the workingmen, have been there since Saturday. |
Another SAID the pile had been there erl |
days. A corner of the fallen wall 1ell |
INTO the basement windows of No. ., |
crushing the glass and breaking the sash Aside |
from that no injury done to the surrounding |
buildings. When tho news of the accident reached
spot and arrested ths contractor. - 'A'
All yesterday afternoon and until late last even
ing wrnkled old women and squalld children |
poured into the rooms occupied by the parents Of
John Donnegan, whose remains had been taken |
there from the undertakcr's shop.
Daniel +. ManOney, tho contractor, who was |
arrested and taken before Coroner herman was |
bailed IN the of $4,000 to await the InYestI-
CATION INTO the oi the accident Mr. Mahoney's
is at No. 63 Aladison-st lie stated yes |
terday evening 10 a Tribune reporter that at the |
time OF the accident he was at his home Plke-st.
and the first lie knew of IT his arrest by po-
Hcemdn. Mr. MahOney maintained that he was not |
responsible IOr any negligence III pling up the brick
against the wall as he had sublet the contract Tor
pulling down the walls and doing the mason work |
on the new building 10 Hermann HOfker
lie IS German" he said, and good careful
man. Mr.. Holker and myself looked at that wall |
two or three times day, and no one could think it
would have gwen away. 1t was eleven feet high,
perfectly perpendicular. sixteen inches thick and |
the pile of brick that lay against it was only feet
high ami II feet square. MIR llofker was not pres
ent ut the time of the accident but the work was
going on uhder the supervision of his foreman.
exact workman. III Il hundred children had been |
killed wouldn't belcvcit was his fault have put |
up buildings i'll all parts OF the city and never had
an accident happen to them bcfore1
to the Oak Street station, were delivered
by Coroner Herman to Undertaken Moran Tue |
mother Of the boy John DOnnegan is a widow, who |
scrubs and washes for a living, assisted by her
as far as his lameness allowed him to. James |
DOcnnChe, inc lalcf OF the tte girl Louise, Is an
agent for oIl-paintiogs, and lives with his wife on
the second story of the rear building. They have two
other children; 1t is shame" SAID Mr. Boehnckc,
" that they did not put up a post or prop to pre-
vent that wall from falling. Ii 1t had fallen alter
school hours ii certainly would have killed dozens
whore it has killed only two'
Officers Maher and Carr last night arrested the
Herman Hofker at his home. No.
l73 Delancy-st., and locked him up in |
the Oak Street Station. About ii o'clock |
they arrested lIolwel. the foreman, at No. rs |
Division-st lie was also locked up The men will