Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-24

Incsndiarism Thought 10 he the Cause Of Re-
cent New York Fires.
Following close upon the tenement house
horror ut Hester and Allen streets, in New
York city, in which four persons persisted, and
the East 18th street tenement fire, which cost
two more lives, with a strong suspicion that i'm
cendiarism was the cause Of each FIRE, came re-
ports to the New York police yesterday Of two
clear and indubrtable cases of attempted in
cendinrism Of . particularly atrocious kind, .
third case almost AZ clear, and o fourth in
which there is good reason to believe that such
scoundrelly work was planned. In all the lives
Of fifty-eight families comprising probably
800 persons, were placed in jeopardy by these
attempts, each fire having been started in q
tenement house. In only one case were there
any arrests, but In this the proof seems to be
positive, as policeman, by peculiar good luck,
saw the would-bs ''frs bugs" in the very act.
CAUGHT IN THE ACT.
This latter case occurred in the fve-story
tenement numbered 2o1S Catherine street.
The top floor of this building is occu-
pied by Michael Schrsnder, John Strogenis and
Andrew haschrids, Polish Jew tailors. who
slept and worked there. The policeman in
question happened to see the windows Of those
apartments bloom with Light. Then there was
sudden burst OF fame, which illuminated the
interior OF the room, and the policeman saw
one Of the tailors with . can in his hand, the
contents Of which he was emptying around the
room, while the other two Poles stood in the
background. The officer staruod for the
npnl tments. and when he reached there quickly
smothsred the fire with q mattress. The three
tailors looked on without showing excitement
or anxiety, and did not offer to assist the
officer in quenching the flames They we're ar
rested. They said they had upset lamp.
ANOTHER FIENDIsH ATTEMPT.
Another fendish plot to destroy life and
property was discovered in the tenement 243
East 121st street. which is occupied by over 100
people. Charles Balse, q barkeeper, smelled
smoke when he went home at $50 am. He
aroused the inmates. and search revealed the
fact that heap of rubbish under the stairs was
burning. The plot evidently was to cut off es-
cape by the stairs. The fre-escapes are some
what deficient. The inmates were Mortified to
find that the knobs to the front doors of this
and the three adjoining tenements had been
removed. so that the people would have been
trapped like rats.
Another case was at 212 East 6lst street. A
policeman saw smoke coming out Of the cellar
at 2 am. The several colored families in the
house were aroused. 1t was found that fire had
been kiudled in a coal bin, and also in pile of
wood in another part Of the cellar.
A fire was discovered Saturday afternoon in
the cellar Of the tenement s4S llth avenue. 1t
was near some oil barrels and doubtless incen-
diary. A tenant located the fire in time to
save the building and Its occupants.
INcENDIARIKs IN BROOKLYN.
The Brooklyn incendiaries are still at work.
Sunday night fire was found to have been
Hndled under the stairway in the basement Of
the tenement 929 Myrtle avenue, occupied by
several families; 1t was in store room,
which ID generally kept locked. The lock had
been broken. The people in the house were
panic stricken, but all got out safely and the
hre was sxtinguished without doing much dam
age.
THE INCENDIARIKs ARRANGED.
Hugh c. Miller of Brooklyn, the young
man arrested last Saturday Tor the setting
fire to several tenement houses and who
confessed his guilt in one Of the cases, was COM
mitted after examination in court yesterday. 1t is
claimed that his mothers illness and the excite
nient caused by many recent fres has turned
the boys brain and led him to commit the
crime.
John Strogenia Michael Schaides and An
drew Maschrides. who were arrested char ged
with setting tire to the five-story tenement, POI
Gathering street, were also yesterday renan ded
after examination.
Another incendiary fire vas reported Sunday
night. The landing and second floor Of the
four-story tenement house, 60 East 1i3th street.,
had been saturated with kerosene oil and was
on ire. The families in the house were awake
u thc sAiho nud tuo uiC was put Out UtlOEo IL
gained any headwsy.
NEWARK ALSO VISITED.
Newark has also its fire bugs. Late Sunday night
fire was discovered the second floor of the
tenement 81 BOYD street, Newark. The flames
rapidly communicated to two adjoining tene-
nients. There were about dozen Polish
families in the three tenements. There were
many narrow escapes and two persons who
are missing are supposed to have persisted in
the flames. The buildings were burned ou.
The floor in which the fire was discovered was
occupied by Solomon Epstein. His apartments.
1t is said. had been saturated with OIL The
police are making an investigation.