New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-05
TRYING 10 BURN A YELLING.
EFFORTS WORTHY A BETTER CAUSE.
BEDS SOAKED WITH KERosENE-CoMBUsT1BL
MATERIAL ENOUGH TO DESTROY THE HOUSE

BEDS SOAKED WITH KERosENE-CoMBUsT1BLE
MATERIAL ENOUGH TO DESTROY THE HOUSE
HOW THE ATTEMPT WAS THwARTED
Firemen and policemen aroused to indigna-
ton yesterday by an attempt burn down the house
No 1875 East Elcventhst., next door to the once OF
the Commissioners OF Charities and Correction Con-
sidcrng the pains which had been taken TO prepare
the house for speedy destruction was most surprs'
ing that the attempt not successful The house
is threestory brick dwelling
patch tailor. who is innocent OF arson lives In
tho basement. The rest OF the house has been occu"
pied for some time By the family Of Herman schaefcr
German laborer Of middle age lie is described as
quiet, nofcnsve man. who goes out to work pretty
regularly at such Jobs he get and submits 10
the rul, Of his Irish wife.
Mrs Schaefer Is said 10 have hot temper but until
yesterday she had not been suspected Of dishonesty
Among her neighbOrs she passed as Jealous Chris
tlan woman, despite her infrnty OF temper, and for
several years she has been a communicate at st.
Augustine's Chapel In Fast Ifoustonst. She has two
daughters fifteen and eleven years who recently re-
turned from the country where they had been board
ing the expense OF the Protestant Episcopal Church
The family revenue has been increased largely by the
efforts of Mrs schaefer who has let furnished rooms
in the house to six odger, all Of them men,
schaefcr went TO work yesterday morning and the
six dodgers left the house usual about the same
daughters to 20 an excursion and that the
house would be closed up until late in the afternoon
Mrs Schaefcr and Of tho daughters were seen to
leave the house after locking the front door, shortly
before a. m The other daughter had probably
been sent away in advance The mother and daughter
had not been gone many minutes when an Italian Ice
cream vender living in the house noticed smoke
issuing from the windows OF Mrs. schaefers back
parlor on tho first floor. He pred open the shutters
and saw that tho room fire. Running out to
the street he gave alarm and the remen arrived In
time TO break in and exnnguish the flames before
much damage had been done. A bed in the back room
had ruined but the fire had not extended beyond
that room.
Then the frcmen began to make discoveries. The
halfburned bed had been soaked with kerosene On
the front parlor floor was gallon can OF benzine All
the doors on the first floor had bcen left opcn ann
the walls Of the had been wot with bcnzine IN
many places. Cans and bottles which had contained
oil and benzine found the floors of two bed
rooms over the back parlor Closets of the rooms
had been wet with the lnlammable liquids. Worse
still ackages OF gunpowder and cartridges were found
on the shelves Of the closets. An excelsior mattress,
soaked with oil, had been squeezed between the
shelves In one closet. Pieces OF burned paper were
found in each closet. Evidently the paper had been
gnted and thrown into the closets with the eXpecta-
ton Of starting the mines Of oil and powder, but the
fire fend who had made all tho extensive preparations
had made blunder at the last moment and had shut
the closet DOORS keeping out the air and smohor-
Ing the flames Sheets and bed-quilts wet with ben
Zine were hanging Of the open drawers OF bureaus
In the upstairs 1t was noticed that nearly all
clothing Of value had been removed from the rooms
used by the Schaefcr family.
The police and hrcmen came 10 the conclusion that
many articles had been removed from the house by
schaefer OF his wife. 1t believed that the family
property was insured f'r moro than It's value, and
that Mrs schasfer had started the fire with the eX-
uectatiOn OF collecting the insurance money Hah thc
fire gained much greater headwly before 1t was dis
covered the house doubtless would have been burned
out So completely that the origin cf TIE hames could
not have been discovered
Fire Marshal Frank was summDne 10 me mouse,
and he made q careful survey of the rOOns lie LEFT
the place in charge Of the police with instructions TO
arrest Mrs. schaefer as she could be found
schaefer came home early last evening and ap.
peared to be struck dumb with surprise when he heard
about the attempt burn up HIS home. His remarks
TO the police showed that he suspected his wife and
that he was not the best OF terms with her.
Mrs. schaefer home from the excursion OF
Grace Chapel about p. M, and was arrested. IN
her pocket we're several articles Of iewery valuable
private papers and two fire Insurance policies, each
Tor 81 600 on her furniture She denled her guilt,
but the police said the proof against her was positive