The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-13
FIRED THE HOUSE AT LAST.
ONE OF BERNET1,s WEAKNIrssEs WAS
SETTING THE BEDS AFIRE

Last Night Sixty Person. Living In the
Tenement Were Turned Out by Smoke
and Fiame-Three InJured Persons Car
ricd Down From tho Top Fire Escape
His neighbors in tho big fve-story double-
decker tenement house at 81 St Marks place
say that for q number OF years Robert Bennett.
tho husband Of tho housekeeper. has not been
in full control Of his mental faculties, and In
that way they excuse him for tho charge
which they made against him OF carelessly
setting fire to the house about 10 o'clock last
night Three Of them we're hurt In the fire.
Mrs. Annie Bernett has been In charge OF the
big house for five or ak years. She is capa-
bio housekeeper, and so good a cook that hef
reputation has gone abroad around 81
Marks place. and she has had many ens
gagements to get up suppers and dinners
and breakfasts. In this way she has sup
ported the family during tho years Of her
husbands incompctency. He is q harmless,
fellow. but he is an inveterato smoker. and.
never too careful about the spot to which he
threw the burning match with which
he had just lighted his cigar or
pipe. he hos recently developed
strong liking for throwing the lighted
matches on tho Counterpart OF tho bed. His
vito and his daughter Minnie have kept .
close watch on him and until last night suo-
ceeded in preventing any serious damage.
Last night the Bernetts sat out on tho front
stoop OF the house to got as much air 40
they could. They occupy tho rear apart
ment on tho east side OF the first
floor Mimic Benefits bedroom Is tho back
room. About 10 o'clock Robert Bernett
left tho front stoop and went into tho house to
light his pipe Just what he did Is not exactly
known. but his neighbors say that he went to
his daughters bedroom lit his ppo and threw
the match on the bod. Then no went out on
the eacs ot snd STAT s to SE looking
lick its way around the iamb Of The door Of her
tho hail. a ci0ua Oh smoke was r0l''ns out 'n''
sh She jumped Up and ran into the house
her voice. Instantly there was &C oommotio
Seventeen families live In the house. and sixty
Many Of them were asleep. Those who were
awake added their shouts to the screams OF
ID S R@ 2 Re biz the
Ss#s {SsEys sSssy and Ea ss snSass
eqst and sress White hsimet fook sIsS.
without waiting to a trouble with second. The
last time that was done was when the Hotel
Royal went up and nineteen persons lost their
lives. The new engines responded to the
alarm With astonishing sWftne,ss s..
scene The lire mad spread very rapidly. II
H Tsnt baT %sR Sd q sS
time that the 1remen had their lines, Of hose .
laid black smoke was pouring out Of the upper
Nine truck swung around behind the burning
tenement house into stuyvesaant street. AZ she
saw eshins s' on the platform Of the rear are
running up the. nre escape ladders At tho
bovs was by smoke and the
one boy was older and larger than the other
up the woman and started back down the lad
der. Other fremen scrambled up the Opposite
loTEss had the two boys out Ct danger,
w tSs Sarah I widow ths whS
5er tw9, sSRs.2rmin. is Years s 'o cd, and and
was discovored They We're ' awskene d By the
shouting and t1ampling in the Railways q; and
s Ts H bSy rsa te n
opened it. Fire was rolling up the les stairs i
Calling to his brother and his mother
escape 9 se boy osed h%
But their clothing took IRE. and they turned
patforn With their i mother. who had got that
far. but was overcome by the smoke. They
were ,ys, taken into the house at 35 st Marks
-.J SSsph s,arE q iS5s St Marks place was
ff into tS as and hs oana
three little children standing at the first flight
of stairs. He took a child under each i,rm and
a aI brSash out the Third chd no oa'k
Tho tlremen made very short work with the
badr Ga h Sa eenss tG Mo hs
Of the damage was by, water, but the police es-
innate that 5000 will cover It all. The buildS.
ing is owned by George II. Finck. a lawyer ate
So Nassau street