The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-10-05
DIED In AGONY.
Another Tenement House Horror
Tragic Ending of Fireman
MurphY's Honeymoon

New York shuddered over another
tenement house horror this morning.
Three of the victims are dead, the
fourth dying. One may possibly recover.
They are Mrs. Annie Murphy, aged
thirty-two years. Miss Katie Dunn, aged
twenty-five. who boarded with Mrs.
Murphy and Josephine Ryan, aged five
years, neice of Mrs. Murphy. The in
jured are Martin D. and John Toohey,
sons of Mrs. Murphy by former hus-
band. Martin. who is eleven years old,
is fatally burned; John. who is nine years
old, may possibly recover. They are now
at St Vincent's Hospital.
At twenty minutes after two o'clock
Policeman John McGrath heard sound
of breaking glass which he thought was
the work of burglars. The noise came
from No. 262 Hudson street, near Domfn-
ick, on the lower floor, which is occupied
by l. Kratzenstein, furniture dealer and
upholsterer. Rushing to the spot he
struck his night stick against pane of
glass, and instantly it was shivered 10
pieces, and volume of smoke that
nearly blinded the officer poured out. An
alarm was turned in almost instantly.
Meanwhile the horror had begun. Some
of the fifty people who occupied the tene-
ment had heard the crash made by the
policeman's club, and alarmed the others,
and white clad forms were seen in severy
window, while screams filed the morn
ing air.
The first piece of heroic work performed
by this department was done by Patrick
T. Lucas of Engine 30. Lucas found on
the fifth floor, rear, Matthew Ryan, q
boxmaker. widower, and his three chill
dren, Walter, Mary Ellen, Matthew j.,
on the point OF saffocation. He dragged
them to the window unassisted, where
pure air was found, and then one by one
they were passed down below.
Little Mary Ellen had a narrow escape.
She slipped from brave Lucas arms, bu
he caught her between his knees, and
with one hand on the ladder recovered
the precious charge. The child, four
years OF age, was takeu safely to the
ground amid the cheers of the people.
Then Truck No. 8 arrived.
L AFEARFUL DISCOVERY.
"Heavens! It's my house My wife
and my children Where are they?" 1t
was Fireman Matthew Murphy, of truck
and with wild cry he dashed up in the
building. The house was a death trap.
The stairs wind and wind upward and
make clean chimney of extraordinary
draft. The flames were blazing up for
two stories, but Murphy paid no heed.
On he went to rescue his loved ones II he
could.
When those who followed got to the
fifth floor, Murphy stood over the form of
his wife, blackened almost beyond recog-
milton, lying just outside her room. His
two stepsons, Johnny and Martin, were
near by while little farther away the
blackened form of little Josephine Ryan,
the dead woman'S niece. She was not
dead, but died soon after.
The firemen on the top floor found an
other body, that of Kate Dunn. She was
dead at the foot of short ladder reach
ing to the roof. Her charred hands were
clasped about the lower rung, as if she
had tried to pull herself up to safety on
the roof, but died in despair. She was
horribly burned, but not SO as to be un-
recognizable The bodies of the two
boys, John and Martin Toohey were
carried to the Mon ticello Club.
Fireman Murphy told a reporter the
story OF his family's death as far as he
knew. Mrs. Annie Murphy he had mar
ried one month ago She was then the
widow of Officer Toohey, of the Prince
Street Station. Her first husband died
eight years ago and left to her the two
boys. Little Josephine Ryan, had ar
rived from Washington yesterday on
visit. Her father was dying and her
mother died some time ago. The step
mother was cruel, and her aunt, the dead
woman, had taken her away from the un-
natural woman. Thus she came to her
death, just when she thought she was
finding happiness in a new home.