The evening world., 1894-01-19
F|REBUGS AT WORK.
Three Attempts to Burn the
Building 80 Monroe Street.
Kerosene-Soaked Rags Set AbIaze
Each Time.
The Structure Occupied Principally
by "Sweaters."

less attempts were made to burn the six
story brick building 80 Monroe street,
between the hours of 10 o'clock last night
and 9 o'clock this morning, when the
last blaze was discovered.
The accidental discovery of the fire In
each instance prevented a confiagration.
Had the flames obtained the least head
way a fearful loss of life might have fol-
lowed, as the building Is surrounded by
tenements, the inmates OF which were
nearly all wrapped in slumber.
Following go soon the work of the
fire-bugs in AVENUE c. Avenue ID and
other places, this latest attempt to de-
stroy property regardless of loss of life
has served to stir the fire officials into
increased activity.
Fire Marshal Mitchell and Assistant
Marshal Freel are already at work on
the case They hope to run down some
clues before the day Is over.
The ground floor of the Monroe street
building Is occupied by l.. Arininstz,
manufacturer of iron ware, and with that
exception all the other floors are used as
sweat shops" FRANKIE is the nam of
the man who uses the first floor. Penn
and Cohen occupy the second, Goldman
and KLEIN the third; Cohn and Michaels
the fourth, and Brodsky and Zalinsky
the fifth. A man named Zellich with
his son used the upper floor. They are
an IN the coat. pants, padding and
The entire building is a regular tinder-
box, with narrow wooden stairs, having
little, II any, ventilation; An elevator
shaft runs from top to bottom of the
building, while on each landing at the
head of the stairs is a closet.
Some time g complaint was made
thu nlnunf m tho Rrat H21r la
cause it was always open. -Janitor
Abramowitz complained to FRANKIE about
It and told him 1t should be kept locked.
FRANKIE retorted that 1t might remain
open; that he was not going to take the
trouble of closing 1t. The %janitor, how
ever. gave him a key and said he would
hold him responsible for anything which
might happen.
The first fire was discovered about 10
o'clock last night by Zellick, who was
working late. He smelled smoke and,
out and gave the alarm. Janitor Abram-
owitz hurried around to the quarters of
Engine Company No. ?. and two firemen
first landing. The fire was speedily ex-
tinsuished; Investigation showed that
with kerosene, and the firemen, on going
away, remarked that the building had
a narrow escape.
Janitor Abramcwitz was ~denouncing
the perpetrators of the outrage nearly
two hours later to his family at his
home, three doors away. when he was
informed hat the building was again
on fire, and he started on a mad run
for the engine-house. The fremen turned
out with engine and hose this time and
prepared for q stubborn blaze. Nearly
T asleep.
! The firemen found the halls and stair
could not locate the fire. Finally there
was a roaring noise from the air shaft
and a jet of flame shot out into the first
landing. The door to the elevator was
the blaze was stamped out.
A bundle OF tailors' trimmings, pieces
S 6ss cloth n1; lining padding n and and the Ike had
wooden elevator. The rags had been
thoroughly soaked with oil and the
sides Of the shaft; Of wood, had also
The tremen whistled, but said moth
miraculous thai the whole building did
not go up. Then they nailed up the
The %ianitor had swept down all the
halls this morning. and about 6 o'clock,
near the door OF the building. he thought
he smelled smoke. Rushing inside he
sprang up the stairs and ran straight
for the closet about which there had
found a pile of paper and pieces of cloth
thoroughly soaked with kerosene, blaz-
Ing away merrily. He stamped it out
himself.
On the arrival of some Of the enant
this morning, they were made acquainted
with the main facts. and a chorus Of
Ployees were particularly Indignant.
Whether the sweaters" are insured or
not; they would not say;
WITT to an "Evening world" reporter
worth Of stock there. Had that building
.E one =, up te l WGula have lost everything.
There is nothing on the .blotter Of the
Madison street police station to indicate
that any attempt at incendiar ism had
that there had been three fires. The
entry reads:
Fire in the slx-story brick house 80
Monroe street. Nc damage. No alarm"
When the Sergeant at the desk was in
formed of the facts by an Evening
World' reporter this morning he seemed
We'll, we have a man on the case. any
way he said, "and / suppose we will
hear from him. You cannot do anything
With these people unless you catch them
In the Essex Market Police Court to-
morrow morning Henry Gottlieb. who Is
under arrest charged with the explosion
last, will be arraigned. Fire MarShals
Mitchell and Freel are hard at work on
the case, and promise to. introduce some
btltSdtlOIdl ttotllilougs fAliionb az VIZ
nesses to be examined is Mrs. Dunn,
who lived on the same floor with the
alleged firebug and his family.
She said to an Evening World" re-
porter to-day that Gottlieb had moved
house three weeks ago., and took
there instead a couple Of Old mattrssSes'
Is seriously III, as the result OF the ex-
p!osion. The attending physician a
system. Since the day OF the explosion
the child has eaten nothing.
Maggie Dent, who lived over the Colt
llebs, has made the most important
statement to the Fire Marshal. Gottlieb
has contended that he was not in the
building for several hours before the
explosion. Miss Dent saws that he and
his wife We're in their rooms at 4 o'clock
as she saw them there. The explosion
took place Mt 4R O'Clock.
Fire Marshal Mitchell thinks there
were two bombs used, one In the north
west corner Of the kitchen and another
In the southeast corner OF the front
o. room, and that they were connected by
the same fuse. He also thinks the fuse