The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-02-12
tNEEfLtfIN
NO ONE 70 CENSURE.
Coroner's Jury Say the
Schroeder Family We're
Accidentally Burned
to Death.
FIREMEN DID USE LADDERS
Inquest on the Victims Of Hobo
ken's Fatal Fire Closed
The Testimony.
FIREMEN DID USE LADDERS


suffocated in their beds at No.. 4l0 Newark
street, Hoboken, by the disastrous fire on
January 20, was closed by Coroner Green
leaf and a jury last night in Holsteinfs
Hall at First and Bloomfield streets. AS
has been told in THE News It was our
rently rumored at the time of the disas-.
ter that If the authorities had acted
promptly the family might have been res
cued in safety. Those who testified, how
ever. said that 1t was impossible to get
into the rooms where the family was sleep
ing. A number of the witnesses were exam
aned before the jury last week.
The first witness called last night was
August Schaeffer, owner of the building,
who kept a blacksmith shop ON the ground
floor. He said he left the place at six
o'clock in the evening and had no idea
how the fire started.
Richard H. Schroeder, husband of the
dead woman. testified thai he left his
home at half-past ten o'clock on the night
of the fire.
Before I went out" he said. ST put
the children to bed. I then went over to
a saloon at Park avenue and Newark
street. and while I was sitting there an
hour later / heard the fire bell. + ran out
and saw it was the house where I lived.
When I got there i could not get upstairs
on account of the fire and smoke. ! asked
a man, l don't know whether he was a
policeman or fireman, If my family was out
and he safd:-fYes, they must be over, in
Barry'ss' Barry's Is q saloon on the same
street. I went there and saw the Blanch-
field family, who lived on the same floor
with me. sitting in a room. Mrs. Blanch-
field said she thought my family was out.
] then went to Police Headquarters and to
St. Mary's Hospital but my wife and chill
dren were not at either place. Then I went
back to the fire and somebody said there
were people upstairs all dead. The bodies
were carried out and I recognized them
as my wife and children"
When asked if the firemen put q ladder
up to n of the windows of his home.
Schroeder replied s.
There is a doubt in my mind whether
q ladder was put up to the window. 7
hardly think there was. but I'm not sure.
/ had ar idea my family was in the house
and I told a policeman to make sure. I
said. My family was up there when I
went OUT"
Detective Weinthai said he went to the
fire but was unable to get upstairs. When
the bodies were carried out he said he
washed the eyes and mouth of Mrs
Schroeder and discovered that she was
dead. He said the firenen had a fadde
up to one of the windows but could not
get in ON account OF the fire and smoke.
John Seaman, q you4g man living al No.
q Willow venue said he wen up two
flights in the hall where he met q police
man who was pounding on the doors.
Seaman said he was arrested fifteen min
1Ife2 latar DhfIo IN fhn 1froof fn~ dfSananr.
~ conduct- The smoke, when he went into
the hallway, was so dense that he could
not stay in any length of time.
When the fire broke out Edward Can
non, of No. 400 Newark street. was in a
barber shop across the way. u saw Fire
man Cannon go up to one of the windows
On :. a ladder he said. nsbut he ga not
house."
James O'Brien, OF No. 55z Ferry street,
got to the fire fifteen minutes after the
alarm was sounded and saw fremen play
ing the hose in the rear of the building.
He aid:-"I saw Fireman Cannon and an
other fireman arguing to see who would
came along ard ordered cannon to go up.
did not see Cannon go into the bnild-
ing"
Tenth street, saw Cannon, go up the lad-.
der, but did MOI see him get in t1rous s.re
window.
James Blanchfeld. who lived
same floor with the Schroeders. al. d
escaped with his wife and childfsA
climbing out of a window and onto a shed,
testified to the story of Ids escape, which
has already been told In '.The News" His
wife corroborated his testimony.
Joseph Clark, of No. 37 Newark street,
said he was the first person to See the
fire in the building. He ran to Mop Truck
House and gave the alarm. 1t took the
firemen five minutes, he said, before they
came out.
amined.
After a few minutes consultations, the
jury returned the following VERDICT
I'VE the undersigned jury on the death
of Ellen Schroeder have come to the con-
clusion that the said Ellen Schroeder came
to her death accidentally through suffo-
cation and heat"