The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-09-22
PERISHED IN THE FLAMES
CONGRESS Avenue FIRE RESULTS
IN DEATH OF MRS. G.. f. SMITH.


Mysterious Origin of the Blaze-The Hus-
band Detained Pending Fuller Investi-
gation-Lamp Exploded or Knocked or
Table-victim Was Alone when Blass
Broke Out.
A fire with fatal results broke out
shortly after o'clock last evening at
101 Congress avenue. The blaze was in
the rooms occupied by the family of
George F. Smith in the three-story
frame tenement at the above number,
and Mrs. Smith, aged ffty-six years.
was the victim. The Smith family live
on the second floor in the north apart
ments, the adjoining rooms being oc-
cupied by George Darrow and wife.
The ground floor is used for a cigar
store owned by J. j. Toole, and two
other families live on the third floor.
Although the fire department re-
sponded with alacrity, the fire was well
under way and smoke pouring from
every window when the steamers ar
rived on the scene. A line Of hose was
run up stairs and a ladder set up to
the front room of the Smith apart
ments. A moment later a window was
burst open from within and Fireman
Bob Davidson Of Truck No. 2 called out
that there was a woman within. Mr..
Smith was standing on the sidewalk at
40 ttyooa fo11 10 oil
Courier reporter about the fire, and
when he heard Davidson's shout he
begged to be permitted to go upstairs,
believing that the woman in the room
was his wife. The room was ablaze
and the smoke SO dense that he was
forced downstairs again, moaning that
it was his wife. And so it proved to be.
The fire was speedily put under control
and Medical Examiner White summon
ed. He pronounced Mrs. Smith dead
and said that in his opinion she had
been dead for some time.
Her husband during the progress Of
the fire talked with representative of
this paper in response to several ques-
tions. Detective Spang took charge OF
Smith and did much to quiet him and
the daughters of the family, who were
Smith said to the reporter in effect that
his wife had been sick for years with
tumors and had for many years been
addicted to drink. He added: IT came
home about o'clock tonight happy as
a lark, but found my wife pretty we'll
under the influence of liquor in the
front room, though she was not as
badly so at times. On the marble top
fol in, q h,.ol> In
that I think belongs to another woman
in the house. On the floor was this
bloody apron that have here and on
the table there was blood. picked it
up and asked my wife what it was.
She replied that she had been dyeing
something. I replied that those spots
were blood spots and I surmised that
some woman had been in drinking with
my wife and being drunk had fallen
and cut her head. My wife told me
my supper was on the table out in the
kitchen. I ate it and then went over
to see my daughter, who is just con-
valescent after an illness of eleven
weeks. I was not gone more than
three-quarters Of an hour and when
came back I saw the engines coming
down the street"
Fire Marshal Fancher was at the
scene experimenting the fighting OF the
fire and as soon as 1t was over made
an investigation. He was, however, un-
able to make up his mind whether the
lamp that was on the table when Smith
went out had exploded, or whether Mrs.
Smith had knocked 1t off and in that
way set fire to her clothing. AS the
corpse was seated bolt upright in the
chair the latter supposition seemed
! hardly possible.
Coroner Mix was notified and as SOON
as he had viewed the remains he called
for Smith, and in the presence Of De-
tective Spang and Sergeant Williams
took his statement, which was precise
ly in accord with that given above. The
coroner then recommended that Smith
be detained as witness pending a.
fuller investigation. Later Smith was
| released
Mrs. Mamie Goodwin, wife Of Fire.
man J. D. Goodwin, and eldest daughter
| of Mrs. Smith, came about this time
| and her grief was distressing. She
feared for the result If her convalescent
sister, Annie, learned of her mothers
sad DEATH The other children are
Mabel, aged sixteen, and George F..
Smith, who is the electrician at the
Grand Opera house.
To the reporters George Darrow made
a statement that throws some light on
the matter. He said that he and his
wife had gone to bed, but were not
asleep. They heard some noises like
hammering in the adjoining room,
which was the front room of the
Smiths apartments. He asked his wife
what that could be and she told him
not to mind it, but a few moments
thereafter there was pungent odor as
of something burning and cries Of
Fire! Fire! Fire!' resounded through
the house. On running out in decid-
edly neglige attire they found them
selves forced to flee to the street. The
families on the floor above were all
ready crowding down the narrow STAIR
way Darrow spoke of Smith as a
quiet and sober hard working man, and
the neighbors seemed to believe his YER
sion of the occurrences that preceded
the outbreak of fire. The body of his
wife was badly burned about the lower
limbs and the clothes burnt. She was
carried into the rooms of a neighbor
and all that could be done to comfort
the stricken family was done. Smith Is
employed by Kirohhoff, the carriage