New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-23
A HORRIBLE PLOT FAILS.
PLANNING TO BURN HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE.
THREE MORE ATTEMPTS AT INCENDIARIsM-
DOORS FIXED so THAT THEY COULD
NOT BE OPENED.

NOT BE OPENED.
Three fresh attempts to burn up tenement
houses In this city were being investigated by the
police yesterday and Fire Marshal Mitchell is
expected TO continue the investigation to-day.
particularly fendi,h plot to destroy both lives
and property in the tenement house No. 2i3 East
Ore hundred and twenty -frst-st. was frustrated by
timely discovery early yesterday. The house is
dOublcdcc<cr." five sJOrcs high. and is occupied
by twenty families. As each family includes sew
cral children, the number of persons In the house
is over 100. Charles Coleman, of No. % Will
am-st, is the owner of the house, and the house
keeper is Philip Fetner who at present Is confined
to his rooms, on the second floor, suffering from
broken leg. Charles BALI. barkeeper, lives on
the third floor with his wife and young children
lie got home from work at . 80 a. n. yesterday
and smelled smoke as he walked upstairs. His
wife was awake, nursing a newly born infant,
and she took alarm when he spoke about the
smoke in tie hail. lie went down stairs again,
and saw that the smoke came from the cellar
The stairways run up through the middle of the
house, and flames in the cellar would soon cut off
retreat except by way of the firecscapcs on the
front and rear walls. There are no ladders to the
escapes, but the iron balconies extend from one
tenement house 10 the other in the row. BALI
aroused other families in the house. The women
and children made ready TO take to the fire
escapes, while some Of the men went down into
the cellar, where the smoke getting thicker.
They found n heap of rubbish smOudcring under
the stairs. close to an old trunk. \ few minutes
more and the stairs would have been abaze.
The fire put ont with a single bucket of
water before any damage hal resulted.
Everybody in the house awake and in
ierestcd in the investigation The excitement was
increased presently by tie discovery that the knob
on tie front door had been removed and that the
door could not he opened from tho inside. Evi-
IDENTIFY the mscrcant who had kndlcd the fire in
tho cellar had removed the door-knob 10 prevent
the families in the lower part of the house from
getting out.
Mrs Fcitner procured chiscl and helped TO
break open the door. Policeman Colligan, of the
Harlem Squad, was called in to help in the in
vestgation lie discovered that door leading
from the cellar into the light-shaft between that
house and the house No 2il open and held
open with prop. The plan, apparently, was to
let the flames into the light-shaft and set fire TO
the next house also. Mrs. Fetner said that the
door was kept closed and locked at all times en-
ccpt when il was necessary clean out the shaft.
ColligaE went 10 the ncNt house t. make in
quircs. and found that the knobs had been re
moved from the front door there Aficrward it
wa; discovered that the knobs had been taken from
the front doors of all four tenemcn-houses in the
row.
INDIGNATION is too mild word to express the
feeling Of the occupants Of the houses when they
understood what dabolical plans had been laid
for their destruction. They talked angrily about
their danger yesterday, and did all they could
10 help Detectives Mott and Price find a clew 70
the unknown miScrcant who had started the
blaze in the cellar. Suspicion did not point
70 any one in particular and late in the day
the detectives were no wiser than they were at
the beginning Of their investigation. IL was
doubted if any information TO warrant an arrest
could he procured.
4 policeman saw smoke coming out Of the
cellar of the tencmcnt-housc No. 2l2 East Sixty
GIst-st at > a. m yesterday. lie awokc the
anitor on the first floor, and together they
went into the cellar. They found slight blaze
in one Of the coabns and easily eAtngulshcd
H. Then they saw that some wood III another
bin on the opposite side of the cellar, was burn
ing and they cAtiuguiShcd that blaze also Inc
DAMAGE by the flames was slight but II was
evident that the fires were of inccndlarT origin
As the door 10 the cellar was unlocked, the
police thought the miscrfant WHO klnIied the
fires had gone IN and ont through thtt dOor:
The house is occupied hy cOlurcd families, ana
bclong, IA Charles SachcS of No. 80 West
Twcnty-Scvcnth-st. There has been no troupie
with the tenants. and the motive Tor the attempt
10 burn the house is not known.
On Saturday afternoon Frederick lioiimah' VINO
keeps "A grocery on the ground iloor OF the t'nc-
nent-housr No. sis ElcVrnth-avc., went INTO me
cellar and found fire blazing near his oil tanks.
He cXtinguishcd the flames III time 10 prevent
scrioIs damage. He informed tnc police of the
His timely discovery had prevented Inc obstruction
OF the house.