The evening world., 1904-02-05
THREE ATTEMPTS
TO BURN A FLAT
Assistant District Attorney Mott
Lives in the House and
Enemy He Has Made as Pros
ecutor Is Suspected,

No. 60 East Fifty-fourth. street is an
Imposing fve-story brown stone apart.
ment-house which mas BEEN thrice
threatened with destruction, by fires OF
~incendiary origin. The last FIRE &C.
Cured Sunday night and to-day the
police of the East ~Fifty-frst street sta
ton and detectives assigned to the case
by Fire Marshal Seery are bending
their efforts to clear up the mystery.
Assistant District-Attorney Charles
t. Mott occupies the ground fiopr OF
the building, and 30 frightened has his
wife become that she left the city to-
day. 1t Is limited by the police that a
person whom Mr.. Mott In the capacity
OF public prosecutor may havo attacked
Is the instigator OF the fires.
A bundle OF red flannel rags soaked
IN Kerosene and tied with newspapers,
which was oun in the stairway lead
Ing from the main hall Just of MIR.
Motifs apartment. is the only clue.
This evidence is now In the possession
OF the Fire Marshal.
Saw Smoke in shaft.
william Jones. teacher in the Cutler
school. lives on the upper floor of the
building. 1t was Mr.. Jones who dis
covered the fire Sunday night. through
investigating the source of smoke com.
ing up the dumb-waiter.
II ran downstairs and found the wife
Of Janitor Early" he said to-day.
with her tifteen-year-old son, Tom.
we to extinguish the burning
Ii this had not been lone the
whole building would have been afrre.
tor the rags were soaked in oil.
In view of two previous fires OF sus.
piclous origin 1 called up Capt. ROBERT
righe and Detective Heany began the
investigation. Occupants of the entire
row of buildings are terrified, and I'M
less the firebug Is run down many will
move
Occupants Of the building have been
asked to keen their knowledge OF pre-
yious fires from the public; On Jan. %.
room just off Mr.. MOTIFS apartment. His
gntire suit OF rooms was wrecked BY
the flames. which were confined to tho
" bremen. Exactly one year before,
IN a Sunday, there was an ~incendlary
fire on the stairway where the bundle
Of rcd rags was foung last Sunday
Mira. Not Alarmed.
There was no answer to an early
ing at the Mott apartment to-day.
Mrs. Mott was greatly overcome by
the Sunday fire. said the wife OF the
ianitor to an Evening World reporter.
She has gone out OF the city IN
consequence. I should not he surprised
Il II ~ some one whom Mr.. Mott has
prosecuted who Is back OF all this
IN the building thinks so.
The Sunday fire occurred at 1.N p.
NJ. The firebus could have slipped into
the building and put the rags in the
stairway aud no ono would have been
the wiser, for my husband had gone
down the street only a few moments
before. Mr.. Jones came TO our rooms
I ran over with him to No. 60 Just
i'm the nick OF time. We live under No.
70 and have no indoor connection with
the building wher Mr.. Mott lives"
Capt. Tighc. of the East Fffty:.hrst
doubt that the fire was OF i~ncendiary
but intimates that the bundle
Of rags was placed in the stairway BY
some one who was familiar with the
of the building. He calls at
tention to the fact that the cellar open
ing into the dumbwaiter smart 10
twenty feet away from the loot
Assistant District-Attorney Mott at
lis Office in the Criminal Courts Build
said: ~ 81
are the work of SINAI boys. as they
nave each time occurred before 3 a.
NJ. Still. crooks may have done II.
MY wife and two children. are at Engle
wood. n. j.. but, they will return home
In n few days