The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-20
INCENDIARY.
SpruCeStreetFire
Was Set.
Closet Near Entry Was
Saturated With Oil.
Blaze Followed Stairway and
Cut Off Escape.
Francisco Masucci Suffocated In
His Bed and Burned.
Ricci at the Hospital and Will Probably
Die--Several Others Injured.
Francisco Masucci Suffocated In
His Bed and Burned.
Ricci at the Hospital and Will Probably
Die--Several Others Injured.

at 2 o'clock this morning, In which
Francisco Masucci lost his life, while
Michael Ricci ana a man whose surname
pital badly burned, the first named being
IN a very critical condition.
Just before 2 o'clock this morning
Mary Cont, who lives at So Spruce street
went to her closet to get a drink of
water. She saw a slight blaze in the rear
or side entry of the house next door. She
watched 1t for moment and saw that 1t
grew large-, then she shouted "fire." Her
cry was heard by James McGirr, who
runs night lunch wagon at the corner
OF Spruce and left streets, and he ran TO
the fire station at the corner OF Atwells
avenue and America street The COM
pany responded quickly and as soon as
they reached the street the tiremen saw
dense volume of smoke which led them
to the conclusion that they had a bigger
fire than they could handle, so William
Sullivan OF Hook and Ladder g, sent in
an alarm from box 90.
When the hremen arrived at the scene
they found that the blaze was confined to
the-rsa entry, which furnished the only
means OF exit from the house. The flames
had already made their way to the attic
OF the 3i2-story building.
house. Is in all, were making their escape
by jumping from the windows on the
east, north and west sides Of Il Q
house for the fire had full possession OF
the narrow and crooked stairway at the
west end of the building.
The work of extinguishing the fire oc-
cupied not more than ten minutes, and by
that time it was thought all the inmates
had got out in safety, but such was not
the case. In a bed under the caves the
firemen found the dead body of Masucci,
who had been suffocated. At the time he
was found the Rhode Island Hospital am
bulance with DIR. Partridge, was on the
scele, word having been sent to that in
stitution that several were injured by
jumping from the windows. DIR. Part
ridge worked over the dead man for some
time, but without avail.
Medica Examiner Palmer was notified
and the remains were given to Under
taker Ferrera for burial. Michael Ricci.
who had a room on the third floor, and
near the door leading from the entry, was
badly burned about the head, face. chest
and arms. Before the arrival Of the am
bulance the patrolmen from the Knight
Street Station did what they could for he
injured man by bathing his burns with
sweet oil. Ricci will probably die from
the effects of his burns. Francisco will
recover.
The house is occupied by Joseph RIcci,
the ground floor being used as a restau-
rant and the upper floors as sleeping
rooms Frank N. Spicola. who was in a
small room on the third floor, was the
everyone in the room. In Spico-
las room was Adolf OrsKilli,
a boy 12 years old, who had given .up
all hopes OF getting out OF tho room alive.
He got down on his knees and began TO
pray. Spicola picked the boy up while
he was still praying and dropped him out
OF the window, and as soon as he landed
on the ground stopped his prayer and
was soon asleep IL. house nearby just
as IL nothing mad happened.
Donate Paolucci, who lives at 81 Spruce
street and Nicholas Pattey, did excell-
ent work and were probably the means of
saving lives, for as soon as the alarm
from the box was struck they ran out
into the yard and raised ladders TO the
second and third windows, and then went
up and assisted four persons TO escape
FROM the third story.
In small room at the south end OF the
house on the third floor was Augustine
Razillard and his 10-year-old boy August.
Rszillard Is blind, but In the dark he
found his son, groped his way through
tie dense smoke to a window on the east
81 &c OF the house, and dropped the child
to the ground, and he was caught by
one OF the firemen uniDjuren. The blind
man lHen mhuC MS way Dhck 10 MS rOOin
picked up a few OF his effects and was
assisted down the ladder on the west sido
OF tho house by Paolucci and Pattey.
The middle finger on Razillards' left
hand was badly cut by his breaking the
window.
Amcng those injured by jumping
from the window were Frank Spcola,
who sustained fracture of the right
ankle. Vincenzo Russo was injured about
the right leg and head, and Joseph
Ricci, the proprietor, and his wife were
somewhat scorched about the face and
head.
That the fire was OF ipcendiary origin
there can be no doubt. The flames were
confined TO the entry and stairway,
which In never closed, and, according to
the story OF all the inmates there was no
possible wav In which a fire could have
started there. There was a strong odor
OF kerosene oil about the hallway and ina
water closet of the cno of the building,
and just south of the entry, was n fire,
which at first the firetnen thought had
made its way through from the entry.
Upon investigation. however, II was
found that the fire Ia the closet was dis