The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-26
GUN COTTON UNDER A PEW.
SIXTY POUNDS FOUND IN a PIKE
STREET SYNAGOGUE.

The CopGreEation Sat Over the Explosive ut
Morning Prayer Yestsrdny-It Had been
smuGEled I'm OvorntEht - The Place was
Found Locked UP as Usual In the R1orning.
Between 8 o'clock Thursday night and o
o'clock yesterday morning some ono carried
sixty pounds of gun cotton into the synagogue at
AZ, 40, and 81 Pix street. It was found there
at 8 o'clock yesterday morning by the janitor
and was removed by the police, who have not
been able as yet to ind out why, how. or by
whom 1t was put thore.
The synagogue IL occupied by the Congrega-
ton Ansche Minst. Tho President II Louis
Hotoff. q liquor dealer at 40 Canal street. There
are about $50 TENDERS OF the congregation. all
Russian Jews. The synagogue is on the second
floor Of the building. which 10 q cheaply con-
structed soven-story affair.
At the head of tho winding stairs from the
FIRST floor hallway are two doors, both opening
into the place of worship. These doors are fas-
tened each with two Yale locks, the keys Of
which are kept by the ~janitor, Moses Coredenick.
street.
Caredenick was tho man who discovered tho
gun cotton. 1t Is his duty to lock the synagogue
at night and to open 1t as early as 8 o'clock In
the morning. When he shut up Friday night
everything was all straight. He has John Nc
Inerney. who helps him sweep out the place, to
Yesterday mornins Ssredsnisk found the
members of the eonsreF9si U began ,S s1 uni q in
wa was " poorly lf RIStsi'' No S one noeised anything my
amiss.. The worshippers kept coming and going
enough for the janitor to get ready to sweep out
for the Sabbath services to-day: ,
Over In the northeast corner he found a barrel
that didn't belong there. In 1t were q number
of bulky packages wrapped In paper. He picked
ono up. 1t was very light. He toro open the
paper wrapping. The stuff inside looked like
Under ono of the pews no discovered Eve moro
OF the packages evidently taken from the bar
ton. They didn't know what the stuff was,
When McInerney came he said 1t was gun cotton.
Get out of this!" he said, and he set tho
The janitor went to President Hotoff with his
tale. Hotoff got Policeman, White and White
stuff to the Madison street station. They sent
1t to the Bureau of Combustibles. There Is no
danger. except from fire, in handling gun cotton.
and very little from that when 1t has plenty oil
Police Captain Meakin sent several men to
find out how tho gun cotton got into the build.
Levy Of saS East Fifty-seventh street, owner
of the building. came to the station house. He
light on tho subject. He said tho building was
mortgaged for $47, 900 and insured for $23, 900.
Four years ago the predecessor OF this building
time.
On the ground floor Mr.: schwarz and Abra
h famiI Gsll IA thu eI rear s'G TSe s,o aaiey above bUs T ths s .Rear
gogue are occupied by sweat shops. In each
Of these a night Waterman is supposed to
in tho synagogue. His name is samuel
Rechman. He declares that no ono entered the
place on Thursday night. but he Is old and quit.
deaf. Some OF the sweat-5hop keepers feared
trouble from the strikers q week ago, but thu
strike is settled now.