New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-21
TIE TNCENDIARISu THEORY.
EVIDENCE WHICH LENDS WEIGHT TO IT
TESTIMONY OF SEVERAL SURVIVORS

Captain McClusky chief OF the Detective Su-
reau in an interview published YESTERDAY that
the Windsor was set on fire by incendiaries to
enable them to pilrer the rooms Of guests. while
both guests and servants were occupied watch
ing the 81 Patricks Day parade several people
believe that such the case. and the facts
gathered in regard TO the origin Of the FIRE all
/ tend to strengthen this theory.
Mrs NJ K " Sherwood who was visiting the
McKinIeys H. their rooms on the first floor.
fronting Fifth-ave.. and near the Forty
sixth-st side says that when she opened the
door into the corridor after hearing the cry "
fire from the street she saw the smoke pufing
up from the cracks in the thing. At the same
time a NJ Fuller and his stepson. George c.
Fuller. who in the main corridor. walking
toward the main entrance. upon hearing
woman servant rush past them crying Fire"
hurried to the elevator. and found sparks fall
ing down the shaft whereupon they ran for the
marble staircase. on the Forty -seventh-st side.
/ Nj. Fuller said yesterday: When W. reached
the second floor. which is the parlor floor, the
parlor Oh the Forty seven hist. side was already
abiaze l got as far as the third story hut
could gel no further. the smoke was so thick.
got to the fire-escape My son managed to get
to the next floor and help rescue his mother l
am not hitter against Mr. Leland yet l fee tnet
he WAS very negligent He knew what st.
Patrck's Day Is like and he has had lots ot
experience with fires. Why did ne not there
fore instead OF letting those servants who were
on duty rush OF 10 see the parade. put on a
double force?
When l looked through the corridors not an
employe did l see. bu, I dd see as many as
half q dozen men moving calmly anout doing
nothing 20 help any one not even shouting an
alarm Who / ask. were they?
And one solitary elevator, Was that enough
for a nrst-class hotel like the Windsor And
even that was out Of order II could never De
stopped within six inches ~ where 1t was at
tempted 10 stoI it, / have lost everything l
had but / wouldn't care for that II only my
daughter Margie had been saved
"Be sure and say that Pei no bitterness
against Mr. Leland I'm only too anxious TO see
him. that / may tell him just wha I think as
I have told you"
Or. Carleton Simon. who had several patients
I'm the Windsor was seen yesterday The
hotel Manhattan by Tribune reporter and IN
answer question regarding the origin OF
the fire said. II believe the fire was Of incen-
diary origin. and Tu tell you Why had left
the bedside ~ Mrs Fuller NJ ] o'clock intend
ing C. return AT $50 1 was IN ny Office. a.
No. III East Fifty sixth-st. when I was In
formed by telephone that the Windsor was on
fire / ran t. an electric car. and from he car
to the hotel L. WASN'T more than ten minutes
after the fire originated yet the building seemed
al ablaze
Thinking OF my helpless patients. rushed
upstairs but go no further Than the second
floor the smoke dense I attempted 10
retreat out found myself cut Of Now in the
hall on the second floor | saw man lying
face down. but could See that he was black
b.. aruNNylafp ed
without a doubt Moreover. II that fire had not
been helped along oy some chemical why was
the smoke SO dense and blue It IS when
Kerosene Oh is burned. and why was there such
q penetrating 0dor2 II the FIRE was not incen-
diary the fierce rapidity with which It burned
would have given almost smoke at all. and
that would have b. N black ana not blue. Re
member that the Windsor corridors were not
narrow and s.uny but wide and od-fashoned.
with plenty OF ventilation; yet in spite OF this
the flame, instead OF preceding the smoke. was
preceded by most dense and sunocating
smoke.
besides this 7 two men moving calmly
through the hallway with apparently nothing !
t. 30 and doing nothing. I believe there was a |
carefully planned scheme 90 ron the motel ana /
% aid these criminals n their work they Oct the |
building on fire at many different points Three !
OF my patients perishei-Mrs. y. Bradley and +
her niece. Miss Margaret Fuller. who had rooms /
adjoining on the sixth floor. and Mrs Isabella /
Necr,o,eld - Toronto Mrs A NJ Fuller who /
-, - a., 5oiro u-au but her condition is /
st.u precarious
az 49, -. .ta. ~ ,,o~o1a-s /
D''Aii' il " ID ~" --.i -, So, tbe /
-" ne "a'lr, apPo' t,S .ho rs
top or the DulluNs VIM 49,, "a -
on the sr'"hu 49, 80 80 r.. st,-+hst
1al"S III t'e 20 ,hs ,..sb .bro,.-
corner AK "l' ""''' " '7
rom hh'F' - - ,,- .. .,. - osa.s /
IL 80 ,t.r-trr,.. co., -hat sba fo>t |
80 'iL = - -, - ,-r,,,ediate1v 70
n'i r'''H di-' .u ,'.'.H
sr' H'' sNF"i' l''''' ' -
not ALI. BELIEVE N IT
,,, .t.-. b,,-,-o,.s~ mas dis
The incenciari@m theory however was us
credited hy several persons VINO were IN the
hotel m the TIM Of the fire. A. " Clark the |