Waterbury Democrat., 1902-08-08
INVESTIGATING THE FIRE.
Witnesses Tell Their Stories Hearing
Adjourned To-day Indefinitely.

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Witnesses Tell Their Stories Hearing
Adjourned To-day Indefinitely.
The investigation into the causes OF
the fire on Lafayette street some time
ago, which was begun yesterday by
State Fire Marshal kusiing,is closed for
the present. Looking over the situa-
ton as twas shown by the large num-
Der of witnesses examined hy tho r'rr-
shall with the aid of Detective Dodds.
there does not appear to be any case
against the party said to be suspecled
of having caused the lire. AT press hour
yesterday the. witness in the chair was
Phillip p. Carroll. His evidence was
not OF much account, 1t being for the
most parthearsay and deductions from
it. The next witness was Mrs Rourke,
who seemed inclined to tell all she
knew, but had some difficulty in max
ing her questioners understand her,
she desired to be so explicit. She sub
stantially said that a few minutes be-
fore the fire she saw man pass along
the street near the house which was
set on fire, and minute later she saw
a match struck, and very soon after
the fire alarm was rung. She could not
say who the man was that she saw on
the sidewalk. nor had she any idea
who he was. She ran down the stairs
to give the alarm but when she got to
the street the man was gone.
John Cronin of % Lafayette street,
said the last sounds of the fire alarm
were dying away when he awoke. He
heard there were hard feelings be-
tween some women in the building in
got to the observation-disclosures etaoinshr
question. Patrick O'Rourke said
that when he got to the fire Mr. Nee
han and Mr. Hickey were putting it
out. A
The next witness was Mrs Gather
inc Brazel Of % Lafayette street. She
was examined more infinitely than any
of the other witnesses. She testified
that she was born and raised in the
Brooklyn district and has lived In the
city all her life. Her husband Is en-
ployed on the Naugatuck railroad and
has been for fifteen years. Coming
down to the fire she said that she heard
there We're two fires. The first time
her attention was arrested by cries of
"Firer' "F'irer and the customary
noises that attend such an alarm. The
excitement was over in a short time.
She was preparing to retire for the
might when she heard the alarm and
/ when the excitement died away she
returned to her room. But In a very
short time the cries were repeated and
once again she went to the front OF
her house and saw the street filed
with people and everybody was ex-
cited. The first time she thought a
hight was going on and she went down
to her yard and saw no signs OF fire.
She saw Mr. Lynch and asked him
what the excitement was<about and he
said he did not know. She asked If
there was a fire and he said there was
not. Then she went back to her room.
When the second alarm was made she
saw Mrs Hayes and she told her there
was a fire sup stairs but did not say
where. Mrs Brazel could not say IL
Mrs Hayes had referred to any partic-
nlar building but witness said she
knew herself there was fire In Bag
ley's. She knew this because she had
heard it said that there was wood
found there. Later she added to this
point saying that she heard there was
paper and powder found there.
At this point the marshal seemed to
sbe surprised why the witness did not
evidence more curiosity about the
place where the fire was. He seemed
to think 1t strange that a neighbor
would hetray no more interest In an
alarm Of fire than witness said she
did. IT don't know anything but the
truth she said, "and that is all you'll
get from me-" Resuming In response
to the marshal's questions, she said
that after the first alarm her husband
told her that paper wood and powder
We're found where the fire was. Some
one told her there was stuff put there
to start fire. Her husband went
down to the street but she did not.
because she was not sufficiently dress
ed. He did not say If he. had been to
the building where the fire was, and
she did know Of any reason why he
should go there. She was on good
terms with all the neighbors except
ing Mrs. Beardsley, who is Mrs.
McDonOugh's sister. Then she told
the reason. She said that relative
OF Mrs. Lynch and d relative of Mrs.
Beafdsley were corresponding" and
that the letters got into Mrs Boards
sley's hands. Mrs. Beardsley did not
like the situation and then followed a
long story which gradually shifted In
to another affair and before the end
was reached half dozen matters
were introduced In the narrative that
had nothing to do at all with the mat
! ter in question.
She concluded her testimony thus:
| There was some warm arguments be-
| tween me and Mrs Beardsley. but moth
| ing serious. There was no hard feel
ings, at least none that know of.
was born and raised in Brooklyn and
everybody knows me. I never hurt or
harmed anybody in all my life, If