The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-14
FIRE VICTIM HIDES HIS NAME.
WAY M CRIPPLED ron LIFE
--WOMAN BURNED TO DEATH.
Fireinen Rescue Young woman From, West
sAth ~. Dwelling by sheer strength
Man VINO Calls Himself smith Made
Needless Junlp-NOt Prominent sian

MAN VINO Calls Himself smith MADE
Needless Junip--NOt Prominent sian
A woman was burned to death and man
was severely injured In fire early yester-
day morning which almost completely
gutted the four story stone residence at
1884 West Fifty-fourth street. The woman
was Mrs. Nellie Ferguson. IS years old. who
is said to have husband living in Balti-
more The mans name is kept secret,
but il il said that he * college graduate
and member OF one Of the college clubs
in this city He jumped from third story
rear window, broke both his kneecaps
and will probably be crippled for life.
When he was picked up he said that he was
John Smith" and gave an address In West
Seventy third street, where he does not
live.
Mrs. Ferguson occupied room in the
rear Of the parlor floor. and with her in
the house lived her negro maid, Lefty
Herbert and two young women who said
they we're Mary Grant and Corrine Rogers.
The Rogers girl slept in the rear room on
the second floor and the Grant girl on the
floor above. Smith" who came to the
house on Wednesday night, also slept on
the second floor.
At about 3 o'clock the negro maid was
awakened BY cries from Mrs. Ferguson
and ran downstairs to find the latter's room
all ablaze. She was unable to run to her
mistress aid on account OF the fire, so she
ran back upstairs and awakened the others.
The fire spread through the house very
RAPIDLY and a citizen turned in an alarm.
When the firemen arrived they found the
building all ablaze and saw woman, clad
only In her nightgown, hanging out OF
third story window. This was Mary Grant
and, terrified by the flames back OF her'
she was threatening 10 jump.
Engine 20, which Is housed in West Fifty
eighth street, was the first to arrive ana
Capt. ONeil. it's commander, ordered
Firemen Rau and Harvey to get the woman
down. They ran into the house next door
at 1866 and up to the third story, where Har-
ney swung out onto a narrow coping. Rau
stratldled the window casing, grabbed the
other fireman by the hand and held hlm
close to the wall while he reached for the
terrified girl.
He got his arm around her waist and.
steadied by Rau, swung her out and around
him until his fellow fireman was able TO
reach her. Then she was pulled in through
the window uninjured. 1t was great
strain for Harvey and only his unusual
siren 9Th and that OF his companion made
the rescue possible. Capt. U NELL made
report OF the rescue to fire headquarters
yesterday, and hopes that me d teae o. n niS
Meanwhile the Rogers woman was escap-
inp from the building with the utmost ease
In the rear OF the house is pay window
extending almost the entire width OF the
dwelling Next door there Is similar
Uin
houses are not more than yard apart
The woman stepped from her window to
that Of the house next door and was taken
care OF by her neighbors. as was also the
Grant woman. .,,,,..
| have escaped in the same way. and why he
| did not is not known. Instead, he jumped
from the second story window TO the back
yard, where he struck on stone Tagging ana
Law for some time until flremen found him;
While waiting for an ambulance the injured
man was asked what his name was.
John Smith will do" he answered. and
he was entered under that name at Hoose,
yet Hospital When asked a, me ariend he
gave that OF his lawyer. Douglas Campbell:
81 the Arm of Campbell d Thayer of 40
| Cedar street. Mr.. Campbell. when notihed,
had the injured man put in a private room.
At the hospital nothing about tne nd zen en-
| tity OF the patient could be learned ana MI
| Campbell would only say:
.He Ia not a prominent clubman, as has
been reported. He ia a college graduate
and A member OF a college club he was
| once a client of mine. and professional cour-
tesy forbids my telling any more,
II took the firemen more than an houT
! TO nut out the blaze, and when the fire was
extinQuished Acting Chief Duty, in gong
! through the house, ran across Ars. fergu-
sons body in the reception room on the
parlor floor. The body was charred. IL
| IL thought that the woman was overcome
while making dash for the front door
through the flames. The body was taken
| TO the West Forty-seventh street ponce
| station. where Coroner Scholer viewed II
and gave a permit for burial, The negro
| maid. who escaped uninjured, later had
the body removed to an undertaking es-
| Establishment in West Twenty-third street.
where an effort was made to communicate
| with the husband Of the dead woman.
The women who escaped declined to tell
ANYTHING about the fire or give any clue
to the identity OF Smith. They also de-
cared that they knew nothing about Mrs
Capt Hussey sent couple Of detectives
around to Roosevelt Hospital last night to
get the mans name to complete his police
records. DR.. Allen Of the house stan alb
solutely refused to let the sleuths in to see
the man. saying his patient was resting
and was in no condition TO be disturbed.