The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-06-01
PRISONER
AMID FLAMES.
Mr.. Birnbaum's Friend
Found Locked Inside
Burning Store.
POLICE ARE SUSPICIOUS
They Say It Looks Like In
cendiarism and Looks Up
the Twain.

| A fire broke out shortly aften ten
| o'clock last night in the furniture store
of Nathan Birnbaum, No. 120 Newark
| avenue. The police and fire department
discovered evidences which they consider
| cd sufficient to bring charge of incen-
diarism. Fire was discovered in two
places and a man was found locked in the
store. He is Mende1 Hersch thirtx-two
years old, of No. SAG East Third street,
New York Both he and Birnbaum were
arrested. They were arraigned before
Police Justice Hoos in the First Criminal
Court this morning and the case was laid
over until Monday morning.
1t was shortly after ten o'clock last
night when Chanceman Hugh Clark, of
the Second precinct, on whose post the
Birnbaum store is located, while standing
at Grove street and Newark avenue heard
shouts of fire Glaneing up the street ne
saw smoke coming from the store. Send
ing in an alarm at the corner Clark ran
to the store. Patrolman James Mccarthy.
of the First precinct, whose post is on
the opposite side of the street, was there
before him.
Mccarthy found Hersch locked inside
the store, pounding frantically on the
thick glass. As a big brass paddock Sc
cured the door Mccarthy smashed in one
of the glass panes and dragged Hersch
through the opening. Hersch was gasp
ing for breath. He said he had been
locked in the store. He discovered the
blaze and tried to put it out and when
he failed he made for the door, only to
find it locked. The smell of naphtha or
benzine, with which his hands were COW
cred, at once attracted McCarthy's atten-
ton and he told Clark the circumstances.
He turned Hersch over to Clark. As
Clark started with his prisoner for the
patrol box at Morgan and Grove streets
the firemen arrived.
Assistant Engineer Lowell, who was in
charge, soon had the store doors forced
and line of hose stretched to the rear
of the store. The main part of the store
runs back for about sixty feet and back
of that is store room and workshop.
This was stocked with lounges, up
holstered in leather and fancy coverings.
The blaze was among them. They stood
close to the open space leading to the
main part of the store. The fire there
was soon under control.
Engineer Lowell was about to order the
engines home when smoke was seen pour
ing from the cellar. Down the stairway
leading from the rear of the store dashed
several fremen, but when they opened
the double door leading into the cellar
they were driven back by thick sitting
smoke. There was also a strong smell OF
gas which almost overpowered them.
Engineer Lowell sent men to batter in
the fronts of the windows. After streams
from several lines of hose had been start
ed through the openings he also had
holes cut in the floor. Through these
other streams were directed and after.
half an hours hard work the second fire
was extinguished
Then the cellar was entered from both
the street and store. 1t was found that
the blaze had been among mattresses.
chiefly stuffed with excelsior, with which
the cellar was piled high. Excelsior was
loosely scattered around the floor and
from everywhere came the smell of
benzine and naptha.
Engineer Lowell declared that every
thing pointed to the fire being the work
of an incendiary and he so informed Cap
tain Kelly of the Second Precinct Birn-
baum, it was said, had been seen near
the place shortly before the fire was dis
covered. When a search for him was
made, however, he was found abed at
his home, No. .216 First street. He COM
| planned of being i'll with a stomach dis
| order, and as no city physician was avail
able to examine him, Detectives Lee and
LarlSins were placed on guard over the
| house by order of Inspector Archibold.
Birnbaum made no statement last night
| At one o'clock this morning Hersch,
after being closely questioned by Captain
| Kelly and the Inspector at the Second
| Precinct station house, made a statement
He declared that he had come from his
home in New York to see Birnbaum about
| eight o'clock last night. They had been
friends for fourteen years, and Hersch,
who is now an agent of the Prudential
Insurance Company, had formerly been in
the upholstery and furniture line and had
done business with Birnhaum.
| The two men, according to Hersch's
| statement, remained in conversation at
! the store for probably two hours, then
went to the saloon at the corner of New
ark avenue and Grove street and had sew
| eral drinks Then they returned to the
store and Birnbaum asking Hersch to
| wait for him, went away. Hersch waited
tor several minutes then smelled smoke
and discovered fire in the rear of the
store. He tried to put out the fire and
found himself locked in. Then the police
appeared on the scene. The naphtha or
| benzine on his hands he said had come
from trying to put out the blaze. He pro-
fessed to know nothing of the blaze in
the cellar After signing his statement
he was locked up.
The amount of insurance on the stock
was $4,000 The policy was taken out by
the insurance firm Of James Rowlands.
1t has been learned that Birnbaum has
recently been trying to secure another
policy for $3.50 on his stock from an