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 Heency Interfered In
Time to Save Her from Harm.

As the result Of the fire which broke
ou' shortly before Il o'clock last night
IN the four-story brick tenement BOZ
West Forty-second street, there was
good-siz d riot. The greater number OF
the twenty people in the house were on
one side, and on the other was sixty
year-old Mrs. Mary Leddy, who Keeps
the little candy store on the ground
floor where The flames originated.
The woman was accused Of setting
fire 10 the house, and the timely arrival
Of Policeman Robert Heeney alone pre-
vented violent assault upon her.
At il.3O o'clock the policeman passed
the house and there was no sign of fire
Ten minutes later man walking
! through the street heard woman
scream and saw n bright flash light up
the hall way Of the tenement. He ran
into the hall, 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 and those OF the woman who
! had shouted first aroused the tenants.
! The woman was Mrs. Leddy, who stood
in the back yard wringng her hands,
while the people in the house, without u
moments hesitation. ran down the stairs
| In their night clothes and out into the
| street and yard.
When Policeman Heeney arrived Mrs.
Teddy stood Oh the front sidewalk sur
rounded by number of screaming
women. who shook their ciinched fists
"she moved her things out" cried the
women. she wants The thousand dol
lars insurance! She set fire, to the
| house and almost roasted us slive"'
Behind the crowd of women there was
ljne Of sullen-facei men. They were
the, male tenants. Of the house. Mrs.
Leddy clins. to the policeman for pro-
clin"hrd fists. were thrust before the
policeman's face. and he. too was
charged with all manner, of things.
Ore. which did not get beyond the store,
Lsddy was, accused Of
Then he heard disconnected story. of
how the woman had moved all her fur
nture out Of the house, also part OF her
candy, stock. and then fred the house.
II ,ooNed ike a serious matter. and ..e
so he took hold Of her and told three
| or four of the complaining women to go
with him 10 the station house.
But that was a different matter, aud
they began to quiet down. Not one of
them would go to make the complaint,
and when the policeman began 10 qucs-
| tlon them separately he found that they
| hadn't the slightest ground for suspi-
| cion OF incendlHrism.
Fire Chief Giuuel made a careful ex-
animation OF the place. The fire had
| started II. the rear room, and Quilted
| that as well as the candy store in front.
he found not the slightest sign of any
thing suspicious, and said the fire could
easily have been caused. as Mrs. Leddy
| said. by the overturnng of lamp.
Mrs, Leddy acknowledged that she had
moved some of her furniture out. for she
had hired q basement at 545 West Forty
second street, and was going to live
there in the future. As there was M
me to make the complai int she was MOI
arrested. The fire marshal was not ever
| asked TO investigate, as the fire chic
did not think 1t necessary.
Mrs. Ieddy has lived in that same
| house for thirty years. When her hus-
band died. eight years ago. there was
no one to support her. SO she opened the
candy store and saltwater stand. In
! the neighbOrhood she Is highly spoken
OF. but recently she has quarrelled with
the people In the house. The police dc
not consider that there IL any truth
In the story told by the tenants.