Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-02-11
| BUILDING IN FLAMES
Fire In Boston Believed to Be
of |ncendiary Origin.
Two Killed and Five More Injured By
Jumping From Windows.
Shoe Dealer and Vile Arrested on Suspic on
Of Selling Fire.

Boston, Feb. l0-A bad fire early
this morning, in the crowded tenement
district on Harrison avenue. caused tho
death of two persons and the serious
| injury OF five more who. with others.
jumped from the windows.
one of the victims, Mrs. Frances Ri
, ley died of suffocation, while the other
a little 5-year-old girl, Nora Hart.
! jumped from the second story with sew
eral others and died from burns and in
| ternal injuries.
| A shoe dealer on the first floor named
| Harris Levin, together with his Wife
We're arrested. this afternoon. on sus-
picion of setting the fire.
| The Levin family disappeared al
/ most after the flames were discovered
but they were apprehended
| The fire was attended by more thrill
| ing scenes than have been witnessed in
! Boston for a hong time. Men and wo-
men jumped from the burning building
and firemen and policemen rescued
others from smoke filled corridors and
hall ways.
The building was occupied by Il per
sons and it is a meraCle that more were
not injured or killed.
The fire started on the first floor and
| was discovered by the Waterman in a
| building opposite who gave the alarm
but the building was enveloped in
| flames almost Immediately afterward.
, When he reached the sidewalk the lie
yin family had just come from the
| building in their night clothes.
| The second story was occupied by
Harris four children.
| Hart jumped from the second story
! window, seeing that exit by the stair
way seemed impossible. Following him
| came his Wife, her sister and all of the
children. all being forced to jump. one
| of the children, Nora, was badly burn
| ed and suffered internal injuries by
| jumping and died. Mrs. Hart who is in
Il delicate condition. was badly hurt by
The fall. She declined to go to hos
pital. however.
The third story was occupied by two
brothers. Daniel and Thomas Brennan.
The latter. in a frantic endeavor to es-
cape. worked his way out OF a back
window and was hanging To sill ana
about to fall when ne was rescued by
firemen. Daniel went to the top OF the
house. climbed through THE attic, ana
went through the skylight. From there
he Jumped three stories TO shed ana
suffered serious injuries to his lower
limbs and may be injured internally.
The fourth story was occupied by
Mrs. Francis Riley and Mrs. Barry.
Mrs. Riley was overcome 10y IN" smoke
and was suffocated. Her body was diS-
covered after the flames had been SUD
dued. Mrs Barry jumped from the
fourth floor ana is in a prccariouS con
dtion.
From the rapidity with which the
flames spread through the building a
suspicion of incendiarism was aroused
ana Levin and his wife We're taken m
10 custody. Mrs. Levin says her nus
band locked the store door at 80, put
out the gas and Went to bed ana that
she knew nothing more till she WAS
awakened by the fire and was forced TO
RIM for life. ..eVins l3-year-oid
daughter is said to have told the po-
lice however, that her father did not
come in to go to bed until some uine
after his wife. Levin himself, CLAIMS
entire ingnorance of the manner III
which the fire started.
Mrs. Matilda Barry, a widow aieu
from her injuries, late. this evening"