The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-10-18
Early Morning Tragedy That Il Com
mon In the DenseIy-Populated
Districts of New York.
TRAGIC FATE OF A WOMAN
persisted ON A BALCONY ONLY A
FEW FEET FROM THE STREET.
Suddenly EnveIoped by the Flames
and Was Burned I'm the Pres
ence OF the Crowd.

NEW YORK, Oct. Height people were
either burned to death or suffocated in a
fire which partly destroyed the three-story
and attic frame double tenement house.
Nos. As and l5ls Hester street, early to-day:
The dead:
SARAH SASS, thirty-six years Of age.
SAMUEL SASS. thirteen.
LENA SASS. nine.
MORRIS SASS. two
MRS. HOROWITZ, forty-six.
ROSA LEWIS. fifty-two.
MENDEL STRAUSS. sixty
SAMUEL STRAUSS, twenty.
Mary Murray, aged forty. was severely
burned about the back and was taken to
q hospital. The fire was discovered shortly
after 1 o'clock by the janitor of the build
ings. He ran out into the hall TO find II
ablaze. His shouts aroused the others in
the house. but the flames had already
gained fierce Roadway, and few OF those in
the building had time to save themselves
by the stairs.
On the third floor of No.. As lived Charles
Sass. his wife and four children, his
mother-in-law and a Mrs. Horowitz. Sass
took the child nearest at hand and rushed
to the fire escape. He managed to get
down to the balcony in front of the build
ing on the second floor. and supposed his
wife and the others were following him.
Mrs. Horowitz was the only one who fol-
lowed him. however. She took the child
from his arms when she saw their escape
cut off and cried to a policeman below to
catch it. The policeman held out his arms,
and as the child fell he caught it safely
and shouted to her to drop. Sass had al
ready hung down and dropped TO the
---.- NJ -. a-oa about 20 -
when flames suddenly burst through an
awning on the first floor with such fury
that she was driven back against the wall
and her only escape cut off. So fierce were
the flames that burst at the same time from
the awning below. from the window behind
her and from the floor of the balcony under
her feet that 1t was impossible for the
fremen TO rescue her. On the balcony, only
a few feet from the ground, but hedged in
on all sides by flame, she was burned TO
death before the eyes of the terrified crowd
gathered in the street.
Mrs. Sass, with little Morris, was unable
to get further than the window, when they
were both overcome by smoke and per-
ished. Lena Sass ran into the hallway and
Samuel tried TO rescue Mrs. Rosa Lewis
from the flames. but was unsuccessful, and
they persisted together. Their bodies were
found in the hallway, the lads arms still
clssped about the aged woman's waist. as
though he died while trying to drag her
out
The front room OF the attic was occupied
by Mendel Strauss ana his son Samuel.
Both were suffocated before they could es-
cape. Mary Murray and Mary Martin,
scrubwomen. who lived in a room back of
the StrausseS. were awakened by the
smoke and cries and started down the rear
stairway. reaching the ground in safety.
On the stairs the Martin woman's dress
caught fire, but the flames were beaten ont
NV Mrs Murray. who was slightly hurpal
I'm the back. The loss by fire is estimated
at 81. 1000.