New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-03-02
THINK FIREBUGS DID 1T
POLICE THEORIES ABOUT THE HARLEM
TENEMENT HOUSE BLAZES.

1ncendiaries, organic I'd for the purpose OF rob
berry principally thought TO have started the
six tenement house fires which occurred IN that
section Of the city bounded by Second and Third
ayes, and Ninety-third and One third
SITS, between HIS o'clock Wednesday night and
3 o'clock yesterday morning. In one fire three
children were burned to death, announced in The
Tribune yesterday, several persons were overcome
by smoke made hysterical through fear OF being
burned to death. and in several of the fires some
Of the tenants of the destroyed or partly wrecked
buildings reported to the police fremen that
they had been robbed while the excitement follow
ing the discovery of the blaze at its height.
Some persons who were awakened from sleep by
the noise of the fire engines rushing to the early
fires and left their homes to where the fires
were returned to the tenement house in which they
lived to find 1t in flames. The fires were at No 1s2s
Second-ave., No 1881 Third-ave., No. 1872 Second
ave. No. 1855 Thrd-ave. No. 1853 Third-ave. and
No. 1891 Second-ave.
THE DEAD.
while asleep in bed at No. 1891 Thrd-ave
ETiedman suffocated bed No. 1891 Thiys.sve
Bessie Friedman. sunocated in bed at No, 1881
Thrd-ave.
THE INJURED.
overcome by smoke after rescuing several persons
from No. 1851 Third ave; taken to the Harlem Hos
FLYNN. Mrs. found suffering with hysteria in hall
wearing fire badge rushed her rooms chOked
her. knocked her down and then ATTEMPTED to rod
covered
PRoUT Mrs Nellie hirty-two years old. Of No. 1755
building and sent to the Harlem Hospital
who 4ssope5 Of shf Eat Of
1881 Tnirda7e 9'' overcome by smoke taken to the
Harlem Hospital
The blaze at No It's Third-ave. broke di-
rectly beneath. a barber shop run by man named
Shippo Captain Frers. of the East Eighty-elshth-
St station said he learned from Shippo that ne had
had some trouble with Antonio Limo coal pedler'
who had occupied the cellar beneath the barber
shop for several months and that Limo moved out
of the cellar at 10 o'clock Wednesday night The
police also said Shppo declared that Limo
asked him some time ago If he was insured Several
detectives were sent Limos home at 2:3O O'CLOCK
Yesterday morning and found him fully dressed The
detectives took two Italians with them. The ponce
allege that Limo said to the Italians as ne opened
the door to admit them TO his homo. Has the
barber shop burned up?" He WIS then arrested
He was arragned in the Harlem Police Court yes
terday afternoon and held in 5000 bail for exam
ination tomorrow.
The first fire was discovered IN the basement of
No. 1,S2S Second-ave at Ills on Wednesday night
the second at midnight in the basement of No 1851
Third-ave: the third in the basement OF the tene-
ment house No 1872 second-ave. 1875; the fourth
Thirdyave the NTH soon afterward in the hallway
Of the bgdng R b and N S6e M ss a.
The first fire did about $500 damage, the second
96s re S of 9o sic ofe fmf hs total
The parents of the Friedman children were not
at home when the fire discovered in the house
in which they lived. The father Is waiter and
works at night and the mother left the house TO
go to OF the first fire. When she returned
10 the building only the walls were standing. The
Friedmans lost two other children IN a IRE in SUI
folk-st two years ago. They have no children now
The police learned that three men who acted
suspciously seen in or near the buildings
where the fires occurred and were told that a
number of persons living in the buildings had been
robbed. A trunk which had been broken open was
found in the hallway on the third floor OF No l15j
Third-ave Before the odor of smoke or a blaze
was discovered at No 1851 Thrd-ave. three rough
looking men we're seen rush into the side door
OF No 1888 Third-ave. and shout fire. The tenants
ran 10 the street on the second moor lived Mrs.
HOFFMAN. When she returned 70 her rooms she
discovered that her pocketbook containing S25 had
been taken from a bureau. Benjamin Strauss a
butcher at No. 1851 Third-ave, reported that his
drawer had been WTenched open and so
had been taken from IL
The Police and Fire departments and the District
Attorneys office are trying learn the origin of
the fires Assistant District Attorney Walsh has
been detailed TO make the investigation for his
office.