The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-05-07

A report was made at the Second police
station last night of an attempt at in
cendlarism which, had success attended
It, would have placed five people in i'm
minent peril.
The complaint was made by Thomas
Teamer, colored. who has resided for
long time in the lower tenement Of
house In the rear of 40 orms street.
Mr.. Teamer lives alone. but in the
tenement over him is Jordan Johnson.
who has a wife and two children.
Mr. Teamer says that he retired quite
early Sunday evening. but that Mrs.
johnson having some sewing to attend to
was obliged to sit UP far later than was
her custom
The clock struck the midnight hour and
still the busy housewife kept at her task
and was not disturbed until 1850 in the
morning. when she discovered that smoke.
coming up the back hallway had made
its way under her door and had begun to
fll her kitchen.
Opening the door she found the hallway
was full OF smoke
er's tenement she called out to him that
the house was afire, urging him to get
up and save himself.
HAD NARROW ESCAPE.
Mr.. Teamer sprang from his bed and,
opening his kitchen door, which leads
to the hallway, was greeted by flare
of flame and a cloud of smoke.
While he was struggling TO get his
pantaloons and shoes on Mr.. Johnson,
who had been aroused by his wife's
screams, ran TO the kitchen closet drew
a pail of water and. carrying IT TO the
lower hallway. quickly extinguished the
blaze.
The incendary had filled an old basket
with pieces of wood, placed that recep-
tacle up against Mr.. Teamer's door. and
set fire at the bottom of the kindling.
The ignition was slow: but at the time
that Mrs. Johnson discovered the situa-
tion the flames had begun to run up the
face of the door and had burned off the
paint.
some OF the wood had not caught.
MIR. Teamer worked Saturday for Daniel
c. Besley. master teamster, at 26 South
Water street. and he thinks that SOME
body tried to get square with him on
There is nothing that the police have
been able TO get hold Of, however, which
would connect this outrage Win any OF
the striking teamsters.
WOMAN IN THE CASE
When interviewed by a News represen-
tative today Mr. Teamer recalled any
intlmation that the fire might have been
set by union men.
mo. I don't say they did Il. Couldn't
~ wanted 10. But they did holIer at
and threaten me when / was on my way
with n load OF brooms to the Oriental
company Monday last
"Whom. then, could or would you
blame?" inquired the reporter.
well. to tell the truth, II might have
been white woman who was in the
ward the other night and threatened to
fix me. She was drunk and i said
would allow no drunken woman I'm my
house. being a lone man. Then she went
away. swearing vengeance
did you know her?'
'Why, certainly, for years She trav-
els under three names. all commencing
with Annie. She hollered that / had
taken si3 from her and she even pulled
bottle out OF her pocket and had
drink OF whisss~ just before falling into
the arms OF n policeman"
do you think she would be mean
enough TO do such n thing as try TO
set your house on ire2'
"Why she wouldn't stop for she's so
bent she would do anything"
He then extracted from an inside pocK-
ct letter dated April "a 1902. addressed
to her at Northheld, n. Y. and proving
that he had been I'm close correspondence
with her up to her recent arrival ~ the
city.