The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-02-20

children. He had been in the depart.
 ment about three years and was wei
 liked by all his associates. He was re
 garded as a brave man, ever ready tc l go where duty called, As he was going
 to the fire Tuesday morning he remark I ed to companion that he was feeling
 unwel and had better be going home
 instead of to the fire. He lived at Os- born street.
 l Fireman Frank J. Williams was the
 only single one of the dead men, but
 a pathetic story tells of his betrothal
 as mentioned yesterday, to an estimabe young lady who was to be married to him within few weeks. Williams had been member of the department three years and was considered a first class | fremen. His superiors invariably spoke | well of his work. His home was at 391 Blatchley avenue. He was twenty eight years of age. He was appointed a sub stitute fireman June 29. 1897, and made permanent member and assigned to | hook and ladder No. in March 1898. | He was transferred to truck Mo- July last year.
 The dead firemen were all popular l men among their fellows in the depart | ment, and their taking off has cast the deepest gloom over engine houses in the city. The families of the deceased are prostrated by the awful tragedy.
 Captain Condren was always light hearted and exceedingly well liked by his men. There wasn't a braver man in the department. He was on watch at Nn
 morning, when the alarm came in. He counted the number and shouted to the
 men sleeping in the beds above that
 they weren't called In minute or
 two the second alarm was in and the
 men were at their posts and away to
 the field of duty.
 Up to August last J. s. Pierce was
 watchman there. but he was withdrawn
 by the Walker company, and since that
 time the property has had no super
 vision. The Walker company manufac-
 tured electrical supplies It is a large concern, having headquarters in Cleve-
 land, and was recently absorbed by the
 Westinghouse company. The shop in
 this city was established as secondary
 plant to be used in case the Walker
 company was subject to a strike from
 their help, which was threatened at the
 main works in Cleveland some four years ago. The shop here was never used to any extent. although it was stocked with lathes, planers and drill presses, bender and two engines
 The boys of the neighborhood have had window smashing bees, and on the railroad side there was hardly a whole pane of glass. They had also broken into the engine room on the west of the building, and, from accounts by the reighbors, had run high riot in the place
 The property belonged to Mary w. Hinckley, the widow of John w. Hnck- ley of Poughkeepsie N. Y, who bought it from the Chelsea Savings bank of Norwich. It was insured for s15,OOO in Burton's agency and was assessed at $32 000. It was stated that the purchase price was $12.0OO.
 Detective Frey of the Dixwell avenue precinct was early on the scene yester- day. He considers the fire incendiary and is following up all possible clews He does not believe that the fire is the work of the boys of the neighborhood as they were all in bed at the time the fire started.
 Medical Examiner Bartlett was noti- fled as soon as it was learned that the men had been killed. He gave permis- sion for the removal of the bodies to the undertakers, and gave orders for the clothing of each to be kept separate mi nf most of the identification will necessa- rily have to be done by means of the clothes; the faces and bodies being so badly mangled.
 Trucks 1 and 2 were withdrawn at 10 | o'clock and engine No. 1 stayed there until yesterday noon At that time the | iremen withdrew and cordon of police | were around the building to protect | yenturesome spectators.
 The Consolidated road had crew of l inemen on the scene early, clearing up heir tracks, and stringing the wires hat had been torn down by the fall of he rear wall The tracks were cleared | ID in short order, and at o'clock yes- erday morning the first train was pass d through.
 The burned building was the old backing house built by the Judson Brothers in 1871. and was used as daughter and packing house by them or number of years. It was then one # the largest buildings for one business in the city. Since the fail ire of this firm some years ago it has ,een through all sorts of vicissitudes. t had been mortgaged and foreclosed epeatedly and sold outright, times without number A few years ago it vas sold to John w. Hinckley, Pough- .eepsie, N. Y, by the Chelsea Savings ank of Norwich, and is now, as al- eady stated, the property of his widow, Irs Mary w. Hinckley, of the same lace. The building was but one of a umber that the fire department has readed to hear of being afire, for some ime as it has always been looked upon S a death and fire trap. In fact, ex- Thief Kennedy said once during his erm of service, and after several fires ad been discovered ~in the building, hat there would be loss of life in hat building some day, because of a re, and the ex-chief's prophecy has ome only too true.
 It may be said of Captain Condren nat his life was replete with little acts 1 f bravery, and not one of the least If 1 1ese is his valuable assistance in the 1 apture of dangerous murderer. IL 1 as the case of Duff, who in a frenzy ( not his wife and mOtber-in-law on l