The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-08-05
they SAVED THE KHC'
A YOUTH CHARGED WITH ARSON
John Mulroy. Of Pine Brook. Accused Of
Firing HIS Fathers Houss-South Side
Contributes . Biaze-Firss In Rapid
Succession Saturday Night.

AHere were Iour Hre alarms between
11.a0 O'Clock Saturday night and 3
O'Clock a. m, yesterday. one from Prov
idence. one from Pine Brook and two
from the South Side. AS a consequence
there was little sleep for the fire lad
dies and those who lived In the vicinity
OF the fire gongs. which kept up a peri
odical footing for nearly five hours.
The first alarm was caused by a big
blaze ON the notorious Lloyd street,
west Of Bulls Head. Two buildings.
belonging to Attorney r. A. thinner.
man. were totally destroyed. and but
for the abatement Of the high wind,
which had been blowing just previous
TO the fire. a disastrous csnfiagration in
that thickly built locality would have
undoubtedly resulted, as the water sup
uly was very meagre.
One of the buildings was a large ten
ement house occupied by three Polish
families. which, with their boarders,
made fully forty occupants. A Poland
er had a narrow escape from being
caught in the upper floor. where ha was
asleep. He only managed to get out
by jumping from one of the upstairs
windows. AS 1t was, he was badly
burned about the hands and face.
They Saved ths Keg.
When the fire broke out a party Of
the tenants were having a jubilation
in the basement. When 1t was discov-
cred that the hause was afire all rushed
to their respective sleeping apartments
and got out their trinkets and whatever
other portable belongings they could
reach. Then they shouldered the beer
key and retired to an adjacent field,
where they continued their orgies, by
the light Of the burning buildings.
One Polander set up a pitiful waillng
upon returning from a picnic and found
that all his savings had been burned up
in his room where he had 1t secreted.
The tenants. who had loss much of their
furniture and clothing. We're loud in
their threats against the party which
was holding high carnival in the field.
as they blamed them for having caused
the fire.
1t was feared that riot would break
out before morning. However, nothing
Of that sort occurred, as the sober
members Of the colony were afraid of
the men who were in the carOusal, as
they are regarded as the most desperate
In the settlement.
Arson Is Alleged.
The fire sounded from box G2, corner
Of Phelps street and Capouse avenue,
while not serious as fire, will have,
possibly, serious consequences, as Chief
Ferber believes that 1t was a case of
arson. John Mulroy, son Of the owner
Of the house, Is under arrest charged
with the crime
When Chief Ferber arrived at the
scene he saw unmistakable evidences
Of arson. and a hurried investigat tion
led him to arrest young Mulroy for the
crime. Mulroy lived with his father
and claims to have been in the house
asleep when the fire broke out. The
chief claims to have evidence to the
contrary. What prompted him to set
fire to the house has not been revealed,
but WILL no doubt be laid bare at the
hearing this morning.
Two Alarms for Ono Fire.
About 2.3O yesterday morning an
alarm was sounded for the fire that
originated In the building owned by Au-
gust Kranike, between Irving and
Crown avenues. near Drums ice pond.
Another alarm was sent In from box
4S, and the South Side fire companies
responded. 1t Is several hundred yeards
to the nearest fire plug. but the hoses
Of the Century and William Connell
companies were attached to the Nep-
tune hose, and in this way a stream
was got to play on the burning build
ing.
Scarcely had the engine been set to
work when the hose burst and crippled
the efforts of the firemen. All there
was then to do was look on and let
the fire take its course. The flames
communicated to the adjoining building
owned by the same man, and built on
the same lot. This. too, went up rapid
ly. Both structures were small and
slimly built. They burned up like tin
der. One was recently built. The loss
will amount to over $1,000. The insur-
ance carried will go far toward indem-
nifying tine owner. The supposition
Is that the fire originated from an over
heated stove in the kitchen.