The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-04-05

set OF keys and Mr.. Weingarten a set o
Keys TO store. Mr.. Miller has a key 10 onl
door. was at home prior TO going L
store. We had $4,000 insurance. Savet
an the books, which were In the safe
Nearly all the papers were burned. WI
shipped February II TO I'll Campo nbou
1900 worth of goods. Stock in January a
MS point wag about $1,000. There wcr,
number of cases OF goods ready packet
for shipment in wareroom. Finances o.
urn good. Can not state how much money
VIC have IN bank. Liabilities are abou
$4,000. We buy our goods on customary
term. Our last years sales were abou
$4,000. Saturdays sales were about $3.50
We sell more goods on Saturday and Mon
day than other days.
H. Weingarten--I am senior member
Of the firm Of Weingarten & Abel. We
do business on Travis street. arrived
at the fire after 1t was over Sunday morn
ing was called by Mr.. Adel's brother.
Have been In business thirteen years.
Started in Houston. Have done business
IN several other towns in the state, Have
had several branch houses. This IL the
first fire / ever had. WAS at the store
about o'clock, vert with Mr.. Abel
to put on lights, | stood outside. We
burn gas only ON Saturdays Did not
burn gas Sunday. Meter was shut OF
Saturday by Mr.. Abel | understood
fireman to say that the meter was open.
Have never used coal oil. There are no
lights in wareroom. We were to ship
goods to Beaumont. Had sent Mr.. Miller
TO make preparations for opening store
at that point. Some OF the fremen asked
me where the meter was located. I did
not see oil can sitting near meter. Th.re
was an old lamp under the shelving Had
fire at Richmond but no damage was
done and had no insurance. tHere chief
CT fire department sent two firemen to
the burned building and had an oil can
brought to the court ROOM. | do not rec
ogniZe the can, never saw II before. There
was no occasion for 1t to have been IN
the house. | have not examined the gas
fixtures Damage is greater overhead
than around the basebnards and floor.
A. G. Abel recalled have never seen
the oil can Have no occasion for oil,
The hat trimmer used small stove in
trimming hats Do not know what kind
Of fuel was used | took out occupation
license and made affidavit that we would
do business as eighth class merchants.
knew in December that the business
amounted to more than 100000. Paid cash
for some of the goods / bought on my
trip East Do not think 1t Is proper TOR
me to make public my private affairs. We
had S26 900 to 100000 worth of goods TO
meet our liabilities. All bills were met
promptly. We have some money in bank,
can't tell how much. In January our
stock amounted to about $4,000
NJ NJ. Miller was in Beaumont Mon
day. Am in the employ of Weingarten &
Abel. Have worked for them four years
bought an oil can similar to that one about
a year and a half ago. II was kept In the
hat trimmer department. There was a
small stove used in this department for
heating irons to press hats. The oil can
was usually kept under the trimmers'
table / left the city last Saturday Tor
Beaumont to make arrangements to open
n branch house. I attend to a good deal
of the business. The store at FL Campo
had been closed and goods shipped to
Houston. We were preparing TO make a
shipment of goods to Beaumont There is
a partition between the warehouse and
retail store. There are no openings be-
tween the two rooms, only hole left by
the plumbers when they put in piping. Gas
piping and fixtures are all down.
Mr. Adel and Mr.. Weingarten were at
the store when in the city They did not
know of the oil stove or oil can; do not
think they would be likely 10 notice them.
They take but little Interest in such
things. man would likely notice the
stove when burning on the table. The
oil can would probably not be noticed
when sitting by the gas meter
A. b. Cohn-I am connected with the
Rice building as agent. | know the con-
struction OF this building. There is a
partition of double thickness between the
retail department and the ware room of
the building used by Weingarten & Abel.
There is no opening in this partition. The
gas fixtures are now nearly all down. l
examined the fixtures after the fire and
found one key open and the tip out of the
burner. The partition is not burned
through The floors are all intact,
X. f. Ollre--I am captain of the Cen
trail fire station. | went to the fire in the
Rice building; was one of the first of the
fire department to arrive. Found the
flames under good Roadway and the plate
windows fell out about the time arrived
Gould smell gas Found gas fixtures after
the fire was put out open and also an oil
can by the gas meter Two jess were open,
Have been n fireman for number or
years. \ room filled with gas and set on
fire will burn at the Getting to a greater
extent than at the floor The alarm was
sent in at 1.02 a. m, which is recorded.
We had trouble In breaking in the doors
of the wareroom. There We're number OF
goods boxes piled against the doors
Z. i, Treadway-I am superintendent
of Kane's agency. | keep a record of the
watchmen's rounds, which are made every
hour. Tho watchman on duty at the Rice
building was on duty and turned in his
last alarm at l o'clock from the box To-
Gated IN the alleyway, No. 226 There is
only one way to get to this box and the
Waterman must pass directly by the place
where the fire frs. started. There is no
way for a mistake to happen In taking the
watchman's signals. His signal at |
o'clock was that everything was all right.
| was at the fire. The flames came out
in great gusts with roar
Henry Wooley-I am a driver OF the
chemical department. When arrived the
flames were coming out OF the trahsoms.
Could smell coal oil very strong Flames
were fiercer Mt the ceiling than at the