The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-21
FIRE SCARE IN SYNAGOGUE.
LITTLE GIRL CHECKS 1T by SEIZ-
ING BLAZING FLAG.
Lively Day for the Congregation which
Took Possession Yesterday OF the Old
Willett street Churoh-The Police
Eight Hack Screaming Mob Outside.

huNCty uuy tOS VIC NWh8hV0@shos "'''o''
Took Possession Yesterday OF the Old
Wiliett street Church-The Police
Fight Back Screaming Mob outside.
The quick wit OF six-year-old Gertie
Rosenblaum OF l07 East Eighty-eighth
street checked fire scare at the meeting
OF the Congregation Anshei Bialystok,
held to dedicate their new synagogue at
Willett street yesterday afternoon. The
new synagogue Is the remodeled Methodist
Episcopal church built In 1929.
crowd Of many thousands gathered.
The new synagogue itself Is small, but
nearly 5000 packed themselves inside OF 1t,
while others filled the adjacent streets
and the fire escapes and windows. The
interior OF the building was hung with
flags and banners, while ribbons OF bunting
festooned the gallery.
The meeting was we'll under way and
the congregation was singing when q
puff Of wind lifted flag and dropped It
into q gas jet on the side OF the gallery.
As the tongue OF fire ran UP the flag faces
took on q look OF terror. The crowd rose
from their seats and bolted for the door.
Those in the gallery came piling down
the stairs upon those on the floor below.
and In an instant the house was filed with
q fighting, frightened mob. Outside the
crowd took up the cry -Frel' and there
was rush to the scene. The police. fifty
OF whom surrounded the place, were swept
aside, unable to check the rush.
Inside the building soore or more OF
policemen, under command Of Capt. Nc
Glynn, were scattered among the crowd.
Capt. McGlynn had every exit open In an
instant. Detective LAndrigan rushed up
stairs toward the burning flag. but before
he got there the little Rosenblaum girl
reached over the balcony and pulled the
burning flag from it's socket.
The banner famed for an instant, and
went out, the charred remains floating
to the floor below. The crowd looked back,
saw the little girl swinging the blackened
stick in her hand and sat down. The panic
was over.
Outside, however, the mob was as wild
as ever, but the police now had them in
hand. After the first wild rush the police
drew their clubs, and the sight Of them did
more to quen the crowd than all the bulk
behind them. The minute the rush began
Capt. MoGlynn ordered the street cleared
and sent for more reserves. 1t took only
a few minutes to bring Acting Captain
Northrop Of the Madison street station
on the run with thirty Of his men. Then
followed other reenforoements.
With nearly two hundred men under
his command, Capt. McGlynn cleared the
street each way for block. Those who
wanted to leave the church were allowed
to do so and in ten minutes the meeting
was in full swing again.
- o1,I>-. tan hue into hoOQn
about o'clock, when the congregation
marched to their new synagogue from "a
Orchard street, bearing the sacred scrolls
The procession was headed by a band OF
seventy live boys from the Hebrew Orphan
Asylum, while 800 little girls, dressed in
white, and bearing flags, marched behind
them. string Of carriages, many blocks
in length, bore the aged and infirm MEM
bers Of the congregation, while the rest
marched on foot
Samuel Harris, said to be lo5 years old.
was ono of the prominent figures Of the
meeting. Harris, his friends say, once
tramped to Jerusalem and back, and Is q
pensioner Of the congregation. Assembly
man Hartman was there, and 80 was
Assemblyman Rosenstein.
Besides the usual hymns, prayers and
music by the band, addresses were made
BY Or. Blaustein, Dr. Radin. Rabbi Phi.
Brodsky, DR.. Morals and Counselor Suger-
man.
Immediately after the service occurred
the first wedding in the new synagogue.
The bride was Ida Gottlieb Of 2so Henry
street and the bridegroom Benjamin Gold
berg Of 27l East Broadway. They were
greeted with yell when they drove up
in a closed carriage, that took the nerve
OF the bride, while her husband-to-be
turned the color OF Chinese laundry
check. The couple went Immediately to
the Manhattan Lyceum, at 60 Fourth street,
where the wedding reception was held.
To be the first married in . new synagogue
Is accounted high honor and the
privilege is usually we'll paid for. After
the ceremony was over yesterday one Of
the members said that the parents Of the
bride and bridegroom would probably
contribute $500 to the synagogue.
,,. Another .,colrrencs Of the day was the
death Of an old member Of the congrega-
gation-Herman Auerbach Of 50 Orchard
street. He was 50 years old and attended
a meeting of the congregation the night
before, remaining until 1 o'clock yester-
day morning to plan for the celebration.
81 -. L. lno@