New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-17
ALLEGED INCENDIARIES IN COURT
NO EVIDENCE OF THEIR CONNECTION WITH WEST
SIDE FIRES-ONE DISCHARGED AND TWO
SENT TO THE ISLAND - THE
FIRE MARsHAL's VIEWS.

FIRE MARsHAILs VIEWS
Central Office Detectives Titus. Valley and Evan
hoe still at work Investigating the recent mye-
terious fathouse fires the West Side So far.
no clew has been obtained that would lead TO the
arrest o, the person persons responsible for
the outbreaks. The detectives and the police OF
the West One-hundredth-st. station are making
every effort to unravel the mystery surrounding
the origin OF the fires The police are exercising
unusual vigilance in the district whore the nrcs
occurred. The patromen have orders 70 give
special attention to fathouses their posts and
to arrest any suspicious characters found lettering
in the streets. The police still believe that the
fires we're started by lunatic. and are working
that theory.
Thomas Fitzpatrick who was arrested on Sunday
afternoon at Ninety-hfth-st. and Central Park
West on suspicion OF being concerned with the
numerous supposed incendiary fires in that neigh
borhood last week arraigned before Justice
Koch, at the Harlem Police Court, yesterday morn
ing by Policeman Mcehan. OF the West one
hundredth-st station. The officer said that he had
made a thorough Investigation OF the case. and
had been unable to connect Fitzgerald with the
fires. On the contrary, the officer said that he
had found that the prisoners accoun, Of himself
was true; that he lived at No. Il North Second-si
WILLIAMSBURG and ne was employed truck
man by a Williamsburg firm, the members OF
which gave him "A frst-class character. Fitzpatrick
said that he lef; home Sunday morning TO
visit friend named Eugene Collins, VINO lives
somewhere in the neighborhood OF Ninety-ffth-st:
that he drank until he became intox cated and that
his conduct in the apartment house at Ninety-h'h-
st and Central Park West due to his drunk
enness, he had recollection OF what had
occurred. Justice Koch discharged him, with a
caution TO be careful in the future
John Ryan and John Murphy. who were arrested
or Sunday evening while trying doors In Ninety
ffth-st., between Columbus and Amsterdam ayes.
on Sunday afternoon. were also arraigned IN court
Policeman Mullen, who arrested them. said that
they belonged to a gang who infested Riverside
Park to the great annoyance Of the residents OF the
neighborhood, but that he had been unable TO con-
meet them with the fires. Justice Koch committed
them 20 the Island for two months each.
Fire Marshal Mitchell was seen yesterday after
noon at Fire Hall Wher asked as TO what conclu-
sion ne had arrived at relative TO the unprece-
dented outbreak of fires on west SIDE or CentraI
Park last week. Mr. Mitchell said:
with three exceptions those fires were OF purely
accidental origin. The three in question were at
No. 70 West Ninety second-st.. No. IS West one
hundred a i'd fourth-st, and No. l6 West One-hun
drcd and third-st Even here have direct
evidence OF incendlarism. but we learned Of a
strange with ostensible business having
been lettering about the premises just before
and during progress OF the fires In these houses
robberes were reported by some OF the tenants af-
ter the fires but those seem incidental TO fires in
fiat and tenement-houses."