New-York tribune., 1895-10-26
WORK OF AN INCENDIARY
ror,R FIRES IN AN EAST SIDE TENE-
MENr WITHIN SIX WEEKS.
..,voRx SATURATED WITH KERosENE-No
TRACE OF THE FIRE E5UG-THE POLICE ARE
LOOKING FOR CLEw-TERRoR
AMONG THE TENANTS.

AMONG THE TENANTS.
ror the fourth time within the last six weeks irs
h-oks out in the big fve-story brick tenement
80. No 545 East One hundred and-forty third-st.
:, ridngh; THURSDAY. doing slight damage. 1t was
,aentlv the work OF an incendary, as the wood
uork where the fire was burning was found 10
y. soaked with kerosene The tenants OF the house
-. hexildered and unable TO give any c,ew to the
,1sn,itv of the fire hend although 1t appears GER
.aln that the las, two fires. at least were of in
cendsry origin.
The ars, fire Was caused by the explosion OF a
,,mn late at nigh, In the rooms OF John Falters on
the fourth floor. Three days later a lounge
discovered In flames in the same room while Mrs
r,ters was away and her husband at home
drunk After these TWO occurrences. G. Gunk,e
the owner Of the building. who then kept sa:oon
a, One-hundred -and-twenty sixth-st. and Thirdave
=, the demand OF the other tenants. ordered the
rsl,ers family 10 leave the house. which they did
on Oc,ober l.
soon afterward Mrs. Falters returned to ;he
house and, borrowing candle and matches from
one OF the tenants went TO the cellar TO obtain
something she had forgotten few moments after
she had gone a fire broke out in the woodhouse
.bs had used and the result that several Of
,he tenants Just escaped with their lives through
the binding smoke. Mrs. Falers was relieved from
snv blame. however. by the police who said that
the FIRE was caused by boys throwing match into
a Pile Of excelsior.
Two days aIier the Hlc Man AioH"' "'O ',~~S~
paint shop at ed-and-fourteenth-s'.
and Third-ave went TO the house and announced
that he had purchased 1t. with the two adjoining
houses Nos 5iS and 547. all of which had belonged
10 Gunkls He discharged John Mulvey. the jani-
tor who then took apartments on the second hoor
and put Mrs Carroll in his place
Several tenants moved away after the previous
6re and those who remained had barely recovered
from the effects of their fright when the fourth
FIRE broke out =, -, ,,,.o.
Amanda Erickson. eighteen years old, who lives
IAhv m
turned home from a party at ll:45 o'clock Thurs-
day night with a young man, and saw hgnt IN
the basement. She realized in a moment that me
house was on fire. and rang the janitors gong IN
the front hall. There response from Mrs
Carroll. who asleep. The girl could pialily
hear the cracking Of the flames, ana, running her
finger over all Of the bell buttons. sent sinui
taneous alarms throughout; the house. bringing all
OF the tenants out into the hall.
Mulvey sitting on the edge or MS Ded Wneh
he heard the alarm. and. seizing a pail OF water
from his srk, ran downstairs In the mean uIiae
Mrs. Carroll had opened the front door ana au-
mitted Amandas friend. who Joined Mulvey IN the
basement. and together they managed to extinguish
the flames. , ..
out the entire building Haf-clad and carrying
their babies in their arms. the tenants rusned
dowr the stairs into the street, only 70 ma me
danger passed. and the two men drenched 10 'he
wooden partition shutting off compartment IN me
front OF the basement badly charred
strong smell OF kerosene chung to the wood. and
the floor was with the oil goblet and
Mulvey. who had lot OF furniture in the compar.-
ment where the fire was, informed the ponce
Acting Sergeant Titus and Deputy Fire Marshal
Iolster visited the house yesterday morning
They will continue the investigation.
The building insured, but the amount could
not be learned