The evening world., 1894-04-23
FIEND'S CONFESSION.
Blumenthal Tells How He Helped
to Fire Tenement-House.
His Employer, Tailor Silberburg,
Wanted Insurance Money.
Others Implicated ard Startling De-
velopments Expected.

The full story of the attempt to burn
up the fve-story tenement, % East
broadway, about midnight of Saturday
Eas told this afternoon in the EsSeX
darket Police Court to Justice Hogan
was in the form of n confession
fo:n one Of the hends engaged in the
stardiy work. Justice Hogan fitting
described it when he said:
"'rhis is the most cold-blooded at
tempt to destroy life and property that
ever came to my notice. You want me
to fix bail for this prisoner. l will do
3d. He must give bonds in $4,000 and
the securities must be of the gilt-edge
order before / admit him to temporary
liberty"
Hyman Blumenthal. the fend who
was caught in the act OF setting fire to
the building, was the prisoner, and 1t
was his confession that had startled the
Justice.
comprising, all told, ITO persons. They
were asleep when the torch was ap-
Piled and it was no fault OF the IN
cendiaries that every one of them was
noS burned to death.
occupied by Herman Silberburg as,
tailors' trimming store. Silberburg also
did a lot of tailor work. being assisted
by his son, Jacob S.. and by Blumen-
thai. over the store, floor upon floor,
We're the living apartments of the
The confession charges that silber-
burg, nj order to secure the INSURANCE N ,
building. Everythihg WAS to be de-
stroyed, the stock. or the greater part
of II, first being removed to place Of
safety. The matter of 100 human lives
being In danger was not considered.
Blumenthal was caught in the act of
ng the ap RaSs fsSge ksser % Who ysso 1e
there. was returning home from party
at that hour when he detected an odor
of kerosene. He awakened the janitor,
down to the cellar to Investigate. There
they found Blumenthal engaged In his
tiendish work. Barrels of wood had
been made nto heap and saturated
The incendary attacked the men, and
he would have succeeded In escaping
had not other tenants who had been
Powers, OF the Madison street police sta
ton. also arrived, and the man wa,
taken to the station. He was arraigned
and remaLded in the Essex Market To-
lice Court yesterday morning.
1t was ythe. advice Of his counsel
that Blumenthal made the confession,
make up his mind to do so. Fire
Marshal Mitchell and Assistant Marsha
Freel finally induced him to tell his
His story in substance is that on Fri
day morning last his employer; Herman
Silserhurg, told him that business had
run down to great extent. and that II
was absolutely necessary for him to
get money. He knew OF no way save by
setting fire to the building and burning
Blumcn,hal to help him, and the latter
ac.e9rdimg to- his story hesitatGd oon
tinned when | was at my home, 2oi
FoT9yth street, sIlberbnrg Same I to IN. me
ars Mt a Il a
der the influence of the liquor, | con,
scented to help him set fire to the build.
Ing in East Broadway.
entered the place and got down to the
coal bins, and he pulled the wood out
can Of rosin, lot Of benzne, kero
a eene and heap of trimmings from his
Il helped him to saturate the wood ant
rags with the oil, as well as to lay thc
fuses and scatter the matches.
s,'S 'When h We we had everything ready, he h'
store again, In order to get out a large
parcel of cloth which he wanted me tC
garry home. I understood that the bun
De was the last of the stock, the res
Of It having been removed. Before go
Ing. he, set nre 70 once of the fuses, bu
u vent out; While he was away th'
and my arrest followed. Slberburs
must have run away"
AS soon as the Fire Marshal hearC
SnxS confession he at once started after
sllDeTburg, but the latter could not b'
iouhd At the store early this morn
mg Silberburg's son, Jacob, was dis
covered, and he was promptly placed
uIiuer arrest. A good description o
are, now scare hing for him. They hop,
10 have him before night.
me Fire Marshal also found out tn,
name or the man to whose place Silber
purg had his stock removed, and al
aitempt to arrest him was made, but h,
also hau disappeared
Az ESQ this afternoon Blumenthal wa
Srralgned In the Essex Market Polio
court again, and Lawyer Goldsmith, OF
ms behalf, said he was willing to tell al
ne knew, SO that the real criminal nigh
De arrested. The confession was thcI
gone over, and bail fixed as alread.
SIated The prisoner was remanded 70
Wehty-four hours to the custody of tn
from him.
sllberburg's son, who was also II
puTt, was discharged on the ere Mar
hal suggestion, because there was n,
proof connecting him with the crime
The Fire Marshal says there will b
some startling developments In the cas-
within the next few days. He intimate
mat many Others who are we'll know
IN insurance circles, are implicated
Il cannot tell you all would like to
ne said to an Evening World" reporter
nut j expect to get the gang that ha
peen at work for years. II we can re
legal proof the story will be startlln