New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-04
rHuDREN BURNED TO DEATH
ru,nTY FAMILIES RENDERED HOMELESS

WIRE IN TENEMENT-HoUsEs IN FIFTY-FoURIH-sI'-
MOTHERS CARELEssNEss.
Civ four-story double frame tenement,ho uses
sending in a row and extending from NO 9 20
West Fifty fourhst southwaId distance Oh roS
Zee &c yesterday. The buildings have been known
as Terrace Flats but for a1 Sigg SIX RoW
narrow narS Oe Courtyard in front of the houses
ssnarstes them from the grounds of the Amity
Raptist Church, while the Ninth Avenue kallToad Va
tbe bouses furthest from Fifty-fourth-st; Inc
houses were built Twenty-Five years age, anG d
GUS last May they We're 4ScTpSa Gy was
chased by Kramer Brothers, whose agent IS sam9ei
M;liiSap. of No. 269 West Thirty;;fourth-st. IN
May all the white familos WHO od nae and anIv
colored people were admitted as tenants; Inc
change displeased the occupants OF the large
stone apartment houses on the north side OF rdty
fonrth-st 1t was thought by number OF people
residing IN the street that the owners OF the tehe
ment-houses wished to make them 9bJectionaOie 70
Caoped pepple lived in the tenement houses yeser
Mrs. Elizabeth Judson, who occupied rooms on
the first floor of the fourth house, went out at p M
leaving her three small children locked IN rear
room 1t was supposed that one OF the cil tatla
pulled lighted Kerosene oil lamp from tne MrS
and set fire to the house. Ten minutes after MIS-
Jndson had left the building the flames were DIS
covered by John L. Edwards the janitSr ne mage
attempt door to be @ drove him
from the room but he saw two OF the chnuTen
and heard their cries. The little ones were
70 death while other inmates of the houses were e
GAMING An old negro named Floyd, who was nearly
Hind inmped from fOurth-stOry window and es-
caned with slight injury. The flames spread so
ranialy that the women and children III the houses
were unable to save much property. lhIee
alarms summoned enough firemen and policemen 10
prevent q further loss OF life. o fGaGe
into the building and rescued number OF small
children whose mothers had neglected them III the
endeayOr to save furniture. DETECTIVE james, n;
Riley found two babes alone Ill the room Illil VI
smoke and carried them out, one under eacn aill.
He afterward saved gold watch ana chan Which,
a colored woman had dropped in hallway.
So rapid was the spread of the flames that all Oh
the six buildings were on fire before the hremen GOT
to work The streams from eleven engines pre-
vented the fire from extending TO the caI-staoie
and the fire was extingushed before the tenemeht-
houses were half burned up. The bodies OF Mrs
.Judsons children were found burned beyond rec0g-
milton. The woman was searching ior
her children for some time a1tef tne
recovery of their bodies, the police nIa MI
kept her in ignorance OF their fate; one siu I3
were Hattie three years old Mabel, two years OLD,
and Eogar. a baby Her husband, she SAID was q
white man employed as janltor In q WaI-st.
building but she would not tell his name. lhlrIy
of the forty-eight families in the house were nade
erty. Alderman Grant let them stay In MS
rooms at No. 303 West ty-fourth,st. untll iiney
could find other lodgings for the night. INC uain.
age 10 the buildings estimated by the ponce aI
S5. 600 but il would take about twice that sum W
mt the houses in good repair Few OF the cOloreu
families had their furniture insured. Inc amount
of insurance on the building was not known.