New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-23
THEY SAY IT WAS ARSON.
SOME SCOUNDREL MAY HAVE KILLED SIX
PEOPLE.
DETAILS or TIE FATAL FIRE IN BRooXLYN-
MARROW ESCAPES.


Careful investigations into tac circumstances
surrounding the terrible fge Of Saturday night in
the tcncMcnt-house Nos l29 and l3l Sands-st.,
Brooklyn, leave little doubt that tie SIX lives
mat were lost there were sacrificed as the result
'i deliberate attempt on the part Of some person
or persons IL burn mp the building II IS probable
tAal arrests will soon he made.
Yesterday afternoon Fire Commissioner John
INNS Di,trict-Atiorney James w RIdgwav and
iTc Marshal Benjamin Lewis went 10 the sceLe
VI 'he IRE ard made a rigid examination OF inc
pace and Of all witnesses to the tragedy that could
pe found. The result of ther work Is embodied
IN The official report of Fire Marshal Lewis to lie
IRE Commissioner. II says:
iursuant 20 niy oil,cial duiIcs have made an ex-
animation the origin and circumstance, attending
,n1 , lTe Ia the doubl, brick tenement nos. l3o and
- nahqssi. on the evening Of February Il whereby
tle burning premises, 4 large number of witnesses
am fully por.upicd that tins fire. together with two
of an inccnG Iry
kcro.enc o.l had been fouud saturated around the
second floor adjoining the d. waiter in the build
lng No. 10. fired in he cellar. close to the dumb
waiter which wa, Constituted Of wood. ard proved
T"iiF conductor to carry lam" and smoke along IT,
Dl'u''ioc slait, without interruption from cellar to
-, The General condition Of thf bniling clean and
tldy and the only canso OF c0mpllut was that rc
Of h, ,ispldon attending tho origin Of the fires ot
Scpi"mlcr and =. The building, are amplf provided
WIN hrrc~c1pcs and no doubt constructed In keeping
win IN" r"lu rcmcn;s of ti" BUilI ng Department
occ.,{ nI{,A A flmcs. consisting Of aooui l2o Pcr,ons
attending the fire. the SIX persons lost their lives IN
an attempt 10 reach tie ro3. \ few ycarN ago. while
cation 70 he Police Commissioner. recommending that
som" action lc taken for the introduction OF law
on cN'1r ft1r of buildings where air and dumb walter
shaft exist. Had th- been law. would not have
fire. desire - recommend through you the enact
ment u -nch law. 70 ~ l. m james W. l|idgway
a,'!''d'c rendered I'D 'l' cNdi,n1i'oh 81 l' DnIh"l
prc-r, ana IT, vitut '~ cNi, nc! and lii our com
hnol efforts together with That Of captain Ea,0n. we
encouraged .u 70 belief tlat oar efforts will be
ces,ful In the capture Of the inccndiay.
Coroner Rooney impancled a jury ard after
they had viewed the six bodies at the NorGue
he gave permission to the friends Of the victims
to have ricm removed.
The bodic- Of Mrs Margaret Domcy. her two
children. Daniel and Mimic. and her aunt. Miss
MarN,rct Griffin. were taken 10 an dndcrtakcr'S
shop M 1GS Olivcr-st. The bod; of Hiss Griffin
was not i'm tie pile of The dead in the cocliloft
leading - the roof When Miss Griffin turned
back TO lclp Mrs. Dorncy and her children, she
was met by the flames. Snc vaa "a strong woman
and lraspiu. the cIcht-ycar-old Daniel, che man.
aged TO reach tie roof. while the others sank
down IN the stairway. Her ciiurts. however,
we're unayailine She 'nct a picket tcnce. which
separated No. 20 from 40. l3l. There woS H.
.atc. AID she could not climb over the piclir''.
Size Vas terribly burned. ana i'Aalcd som" of
The smoke. Stretching oHr her arm, = shield
her face. she stood crying for help for a minute,
ard jhou fell down exhausted. Ilct boIy and
that Of lhc boy were foInd on the roof THIS
sccrr was Witnessed by Mrs. \. ChcValhz who
lived ON the third floor OF ~. l29. To Tribune
,oltrr She told this story Of her own almost
miraculous escape:
a, Miss Griffin rushed pat ne She was al!
ahazc. and nav clothes tool, ire from hers Wy
child was with ne. | hurried after her 10 gam
the root L. wa> hcarircndiug 10 SOC her trylnS
10 climb the fence. hut rhc could not. and
was uaab.c to help her. threw my child ov'f
tire fence and then climbed over Tie rctehh'fs
;hcrc pat oui thr ire around me and then We
escaped to the street through tie s'utt' IN the
next house
The body of tie old man. Jacob Bcncd + and
his LITTLE grandson. Edward Benedict. were taNrA
to j. llisr.rss undertaking rooms. W. lJ' jay
ST. The mother of tac little fellow escaped. she
had the ciiid in her arms, bat gave 1t np 10 tHc
olI man. who sad hr was tie stronger MS
I"nclict wa, broI-ht - N-W(ork hN Nr. Inlli.
\ r p,oprctor of the printers 0o0rdIn@-houNc ~
No. . Fnukfort-st.. yesterday. .orS j. Bch'-
dic'' u'r HuS''','' f' ,,ii i,s. rycning
"l ms ih''t 3nI h"I '',.' ,,,iI Iii I. Lis mind
fralN I'ai'u 't' IT, '''r '.rr.. ..1nrs wa. Mrs
- Nuui"i- 't''' >I' iii - a Trihlir reporter:
,lar1 ,.,rI"n .o,nch,,lT tuori, n nv door. and
n|iu s''I' '"'t ,.,,,d ,be Loudle Of thc
cry, ire. Ai' -'',P Il, r'v hand
'"'I' "ut ,' n""" t.,. L,t .oo, thourbt
'""u-h' ~ "'S '"'.I J,iocn and ruf orc
-, .'r Hi,SI' "' ,. ,,' InIc and 80 on,acd the
"I ltI' ""''S III ''' ~
ilr,. !. =. Griffin, who lived on tac fourth
loor. nearly LOST hcr llc. Her escape from the