New-York tribune., 1886-07-18
CHIEF MCABE PUT ON TRIAL.
WAS THE HARLEM FIRE MISMANAGEDf

Mr.. PURROY RUNS Tht\GS IN HIS OWN WAY
CHIiF suAYs TESTIMONY.
President Purroy's office at Fire Headquarters
was crowded by members of the department. law,
Vers and reporters Yesterday morning when Second
Assist ant Chief McCabc was called up for trial On
charges If incapacity and lack OF Judgment IN the
management OF the big Harlem fire on the eveh'h..
OF July ). Mr.. PurIOy pr, sided and iran things
with his accustomed energy Commissioner 'rohri .
was abse eut and Commissioner Smith did not inter
feIe with the pondoru president who proceeded 10
override all the objections and attempts AT deaS e
which were made by McCabes three lawyers KOS
we'll ID. Hatch, George h. McCloskey ana = ~
Clarke. The charges were read sta ing that Johh
McCabe, beng In command OF t,c mieIen d. ob o,bo
hundred twenty ffth-st. and Ihird-aV. OH Wy
evening Of July s, sent ont simultaneous ca.
for the engines above Fourteepth-st. TO go 10 W
fire that many engines were not needed, ana ana
that large dstiic of the city was lett unprotected
at a critical time. Mr.. Nee abe was asked 10 plrau'
his counsel objected but Mr. Purroy tod the sten-
ographer TO enter the plea of mot guilty; a mn @ u
the lawyers made row IN concert ana n,,u U ~, nav
tioas aud object ions right and left ont MI LILY ii
hammered the Table with his big hst 0Verrueu AZ, W
The obections and notions and ordered the ila 10
proceed When the LAWYERS made an e,lor, 10 al"
dress Commissioners Smith, MI. fuiroS '"u"'''"
Address your questions TO the chair
Mr. Hstch-Are you the chair ,,o.,oms
Mr. PurroyYes pnt our anes.,o', ,o s :" R"sra, "e
Mr M no. a1 after WIN coeaGe
Mr. IIatch-I don't see that you consult ANYBODY;
sf,,rward Mr. Turvoy introduced comlcal elc-
mcnt iutc tie rial by using he phrase after con
when ne GyerSaGd e Smtb boO'ec'0HS wn0 ne
pa.u pasu'n"pntcndcnt mv smith, of the Fire Telegraph
Pureau. testified regarding the Dumber and tlmeot
he calls which were sent ont IN account OF the big
frc After the first alarm was received a second
and third alarm were sounded and several speclai
calls fr engines and trucks were sent out before
The simultaneous call was rung. Battalion Chief
Reilly who sent the third alarm and the special
call described the progress OF the hIe up 10 lne
Chcf Met abe. Reilly did not think 1t was neces-
sar, TO call more help III order TO prevent inc names
from 81, eadng further, although eight puhdihgs
recess was taken at 1 p. M. and after
ward Mr.. Shay the Chef OF the Dcphrtment,
tc>f fed. He SAID that he was on his way To- III"
fire when the simultameous call was sent ont men
4, got 10 the fire Mr.. McCabe SAID nothing about
sending the call and reporters hTst informed MN
tlat The call had been sent. At first he thought
he reporters were kidding" hun. but when en-
.Ilc> nom long distance began TO arrive he sent
mc-scueers TO turn otheIs back. lie tn"ueh'
II. extra engines were not needed and told Me- anc
that Inc cal ough not 20 nave been sent & McS Inc M
acil ~ md Chef NAV thought 1t would have necn
boiler 10 let haf the block burn rather than cave
Gus night OF the year The fire was
pr.ctlcay under control before any com
names could respond 10 the simultaneous call.
Mr. rurroy-ts there the slightest donht IN your MIND
s.miing tho caill
Chief Shay-IEere ia not
Counsel for McCabe submitted large photoGraphS
of the ruins. to show the extent OF the iIro ana
;fciward put Chlef Shay through a cross-examlna-
ton vii ch lasted several hours. lie was prevented
by NJ. Puuoy from answering number OF ques-
t;,us hut WIS rcrulttcd ~ say that he could not
Ietcilher five above Fifty-ninth~>t whch was
hircer than the fire July and that no great
BARN resulted from McCabe's error OF Judgment,
Mr purrOy having once decided to prevent
answers to the questions and aiterward changed
his mIni in view of the objections by the lawyer
Regarding a simultaneous call whichn eX-Chlci
Bates sent on the occasion of fire III Icarl-st IN
.hr;Ialv 1869. Nh. Shay sald he thought Mr.
Fa'es made mist axe on hat occasion, but the er-
Z + was not SO bad as McCabes.
Chief SHAY was asked If he considered McCabe
irc. pable of performing the duties OF second As
sisiant Chief of the Department, and his reply
was:
Thought he showed incapacy on that night
Other questions calculated TO draw out the
chefs opinion of McCabes ability as fireman;
were met III the same way. First Assistant Chief
P1nner did not 20 to the Harlem fire until 1t was
under control, but lie also thought McCaOe had
S1ndeTed.
Cn,cf Bonner-Yes. think 80.
Nh Clarke-DO you think II would be gross error 10
send cali before three four solid blocks
OF honses in Harlem were on fire
Cnirf Bonner-Ies
Mr. Clarke's attempt to lead Mr.. Bonner up to
ttlii stronger statement caused another row, and
NJ. rurroy declared that the witness must not be
"bulldozed" As TO the lawyers, ne would suppress
then. If he saw fit. Colonel Jussen. secretary OF
the board. produced a statement OF the fourth OF
Juv fires After some motions TO dismiss tne
charges had been denied. McCabe testified. IN ms
OWE de ence eGescubed the fire in detail and SAID
he did not send the simultaneous call unill
il seemed absolutely necessary In summon more
help Eight bulldogs were on fire then ana lhe
flames threatened to extend to a Oie apai tmehi
10 a nig stable One-hundro -andtw y-hfth-st.
The streams of water did not appear To have much
effect because they not large enough. Before
Chef Shay arrived however, the roofs OF two
burning buildings fell IN, and the danger was less
ened greatly. He did not agree with Chlei Bonner
that II was an error to send simultaneous call be-
fore three or four blocks of houses IN Harlem were
on fire If he was again confronted with exactly
the same prob which h. had TO deal with on the
evening of July . lie thought he would send an
O., her call, because he thought he had acted with
good Judgment. Chief Shay's judgment OF the hre,
he thought was wrong because the Chef was not
present at the tine OF greatest danger.
he trial adjourned until tomorrow al III