The evening world., 1891-12-12
Landlord Cohen Had Threatened
to Dispossess Them.
Another Tenants Little Daughte,
Thought to Have Perished.
Twenty Families Driven from
Delaney Street Tenement By
tho Flames.

Five people are missing as the result OF
fire that broke out shortly before midnight In
the big double five-story brick tenement at
3l4 and $40 Delaney street. The fire was
not extingulshcd until nearly o'clock this
morning.
-Four OF the missing ones are Herman Nor.
genbesser, his wife and two children, In
whose apartments on the second noor the
flames first broke out.
The other is Gussie sprauch, two years and
a half old, the daughter Of Jacob sprauch,
who lived on the third fioor. Whether sho
perished In the names or wandered away in
the excitement that ensued is not yet den-
nitely known.
Twenty families, comprising one hundred
people were rendered homeless and destitute
by the fire, which Is believed to have been the
work OF an incendiary.
The FIRST outsiders to discover the flames
were William Murphy, q bartender in Alder
man Clancys saloon near by, and Policeman
Monaghan, who ran to the nearest box and
sent in an alarm. Then they turned their
attention to arousing the inmates Of both
houses and getting them out.
TENANTS FLED IN A PANIC.
When the nremen arrived the flames were
| pouring out the windows Of $40 and the ter
rined, hall-clad inmates were rushing panic-
stricken into the street and up the ire-es-
capes to the roof Of the adjoining house.
second and third alarms brought more en-
gines and TRUCKS, and Capt. Doherty and all
the reserves OF the Delaney street police
! station.
Bernard Cohen, the owner OF the building,
who lived on the third floor, back, opposite
the Morgenbessers' apartments, told an
EVENING WORLD reporter this morning that
he was Just about going to bed when he heard
some one shout flre r. outside his door.
| lie opened the door and saw Mrs Morgen-
besser standing In her own doorway. She
had her baby In her arms and was holding
the other child by the hand.
! All were fully dressed ana the woman had
shawl over her head and shoulders
She continued to scream at the top OF her
voice until cohen rushed past her, when he
says she disappeared with her children. Her
husband was nowhere to be seen.
! When Cohen saw flames in Mrs. Morgen-
besser's rooms he, too, shouted. and. grab
blng his wife. dragged her downstairs into
Eddie Arnice, who livea on tho same floor,
! front, with his mother, had just returned
from the theatre, and was telling MS MS mother M
| Rushing into tho hall he saw Mrs. Morgen.
besser In her doorway, screaming. He pushed
by her and saw that her wardrobe only was on
fre and quickly got pail OF water and threw
on the names
SOME ONE WANTED THE FIRE TO BURN.
The woman stood by watching him and
screaming all the time. Arntce ran for
another pail OF water and she disappeared:
When he again reached her rooms the names
drove him back and he, too, ned for his lie.
/ Arnice also says that while he was bring
ing the second pail OF water some one struck
red spot on his forehead in confirmation. He
said the smoke prevented him from seeing
who his assailant was. but he knew 1t was
man, because II felt IKE % T." ,,,. 49,.
hairbreadth escapes Indeed 1t is wonder
that many lives were not lost.
Jacob sprauch, his wife. her cousin, Moritz
! Kastenbaum, and Two children were on the
third floor. Mrs. Sprauch gave little Guste,
the baby, to Kastenbaum, who clamoered up
the fire-escspe towards the roof, escape b.
low being cut on by the names.
! Mr. and Mrs. Sprauch and the other child
! escaped by creeping across a narrow plank
into the rear Of Burihsrdt's stables on Goerck
street, but when they met Kastenbaum In
the street later he did not have Gussie.
| lie said that when he reached the top ire
escape man took tho child from him. kas-
ten6aum crawled through the scuttle to the
roof and the man followed him, he supposed,
but he didn't know who the man was and did
not see him or the child again.
J This morning hAStshDaum was hanging
around the house weeping and wringtng his
hands. Search was made for the child in vain
last night, but IL was abandoned this morning.
NAY BIZ AT THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRsHAPr.
There were several feet OF water at the bot
tom OF the airshatt east or the house that had
not been searched.
Rosie Miller, a widow, and her ten-year-old
boy Max, who lived on the top floor, escaped
In their night-clothes TO the roof and were
cared for all night at the Delaney street
station.
She lost everything she had in the world,
and SerRt. Germaine took up collection
among the oricers to get her and the boy
some clothing.
Fire Marshal Mitchell will make rigid
Investigation. The Morgenbessers have not
been seen since the iire broke out, and Cohen,
the owner OF the house, said this morning
that he believed MorgenDeSser or his wife had
set the building on fire.
HE owed me for rent continued Cohen,
"and was gong 10 dispossess him some Time
ago. His wife's confinement caused me 10
delay the proceeding.
He threatened tnen 10 get even with me,
and ! think he has taIel this way of doing IL.
For several days he anu his wife have been
moving out their things In small quantities"
Cohen valued his building, which IL nearly
new, at S25, 900, He Is insured for $4,000
and the loss win probably not exceed $4,000
although the building Is practically gutted.
The loss TO his tenants may not exceed
$4,000, but all they possessed was destroyed.
Seighbors are caring for them to-day.
| mr. hn,a. a, a1x n nUpah nv Rufrher A n