The evening world., 1894-08-11
NEARLY MOBBED Her.
Excited Women Threatened Aged
Mrs Mary Leddy.
Accused Her Of Firing Her Store
and Endangering Their Lives
Policeman Heeney Intcrfered In
limo to Save Her from Harm.

As the result of the fire which broke
OUT shortly before IL o'clock last night
in the four-story brick tenement ooo
West Forty-second street, there was
good siz ID riot. The greater number OF
the twenty people In the house were ON
one side, and on the other was sixty
year-od Mrs. Mary Leddy. who Keeps
the little candy store on the ground
floor. where the flames originated.
The woman was accused OF setting
fire to the house, and the timely arrival
OF Policeman Robert Heeney alone pre-
vented a violent assault upon her.
At u30 o'clock the policeman passed
the house and there was no sign of fire.
Ten minutes later man walking
through the street heard a woman
| scream and saw a bright flash light up
the hallway OF the tenement. He ran
into the hail. saw through an open door
that the room In the rear OF the little
shop was on fire, then hurried away and
| sent in an alarm, crying loudly as he
/ ran.
| His cries ana those Of the woman who
had shouted first aroused the tenants.
The woman was Mrs. Lcddy, who stood
in the back yard wrEging hcr hands.
while the people In the house, withcu
moments hesitation ran down the stairs
in their night clothes and out into the
| street and yard.
When Policeman lJeero; arrived Mrs
l.eddy stood on the front Sidewalk sur,
| rounded 10y number Of screaming
women who shook their clinchcd fists
in her face
she moved her things out" cried the
house and almost roasted us alive"'
! Behind the crowd of women there was
a line Of srilen-faced men. They We're
Leddy chung TO the policeman for pro
tecti2n., Gryins bitterly Thsn more more
charged with ell manner of things.
The ttremep. came aud put out the
fire, which did not get beyond the sore
Leddy was accused Of,
Then he heard disconnected story OF
how the woman had moved all her tur-
candy. stock and then fired the house.
II looked ike serious matter, and &c
wanted to place the woman under arrt 1t,
with him to the station-house.
But that was a different matter: and
and when the policeman began to uues'
ton them separately he found that they
haunt me snshteSt ground Tor suspl'
cion OF incendiarism.
fire Chief Giquei made a careful .eX.
annation Of the place. The fire hat
started H. the rear room. and guttec
that as we'll as the candy store in front
He found not the slightest sign OF any
thing suspicious, and said the fire coult
easily have been caused, as Mrs. Leddy
said. by the overturning of a lamp.
MrD. Leddy acknowledged that she hat
moved some OF her furniture out, for sh
had hired basement at $40 West Forty
there In the future. A thare was n
me to make the complaint. she was no
arrested. The fire marshal was not evel
asked to Investigate. as the fire chic
did not think II necessary.
Mrs. Teddy has lived in that SAM
house for thirty years. When her hus
band died. eight years ago. there wa
no one to support her. 10 she opened tn
candy store and soda-water stand. II
the reighborhood she Is highly spokel
OF, but recently she has quarrelled wit
e the people In the house. The police III
y not consider that there is any tIutl
+: In the story told by the tenants.