The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-09
Five Fires Started by Incen-
diaries in Two Hours.
In a Space of Two Blocks in
New York City.
WOMAN DIES OF FRIGHT
One Man Injured and 1900
People in the Streets.
A Vaudeville Performer Is Ar
rested on Suspicion.
WOMAN DIES OF FRIGHT

New York. Nov. 9.-One woman is
dead, man is in hospital suffering
from severe burns, 1000 persons fed
from their homes in panic and thou
sands more passed sleepless night as
a result of series Of incendiary fires
in the two blocks bounded by Sixtieth
and Sixty-first streets and Columbus
and West End avenues, early today.
Scores Of persons whose lives were en-
dangered by the conhagration were res
eued by fremen.
In all there were five fires. every one
Of them fnoendiary, between midnight
and g o'clock this morning.
The woman who lost her life was
Mrs. Caroline Swain 70 years of age,
whose home adjoins one of the build
ings, which was fired. She died of heart
failure induced by fright.
Adrian Tompkins. in a hospital with
his hands and feet severely burned as
result of climbing down a red hot fire
escape, IS in a serious condition.
The rapidly succeeding fires, the
crowds Of eVicted tenants, and the ter
rifying rumors spread through the
neighborhoOd, with the constant appear
ance and temperance of the fire en-
gines, and the big squads Of police,
raised the people throughout the Vi
cinity to a high pitch OF excitement,
which did not lessen until daylight,
brought a measure of assurance that the
incendiarism was stopped for while.
The excitement spread even to Broad
AnsOnia, Empire and other big hotels
in the neighborhood of Lincoln square,
the guests were aroused by the com
motion In st. Paul hotel Sixty-first
street and Columbus avenue, and the
Hotel Hudson, a Sixty-second street
both close to the fires, all the guests
were aroused and few slept any more.
All the houses where the fires occurred
were flat houses. Three of them were
occupied by whites and two by negroes.
Most of the tenants We're in bed when
the fires broke out, and escaped to the
streets in the scantiest clothing.
The first fire was in a five story tene
ment house at los West Sixtieth street,
occupied by five families. all of whom
escaped. The hremen We're still busy
fighting that fire when the second blaze
began al 1877 West Sixtieth street in a
lot of rubbish in the basement. All
the tenants escaped. At the third fire
at 215 West Sixtieth street. there were
several narrow escapes and daring res
cues of the tenants. William Murray,
who lived on the third floor carried out
five of his children and James Smith. a
spectator, went into the house and
brought the sixth Murray child down
to the second floor window and jumped
with it in his arms to the sidewalk An
other spectator caught them both. The
child was unhurt An aged negro was
carried out by other spectators.
An hour later the fourth fire was
discovered a block north at 249 West
Sixty-flrst street. 1t was quickly ex-
tinguished-
The hfth and worst of the fires. was
discovered at 10 West SiXty-first
street at 3 a. m. while the street was
still thronged with frightened and ex-
cited people. There were 20 apart
ments in the building and the escape
of the occupants of the upper floors
was cut off by a blaze in the lower
hall The tenants were SO dazed that
they were in danger of losing their
lives when policemen and hremen
went up on the fire escapes and
brought them down Adrian .Tomp-
kins. who lived on the top floor, linger-
ed so long that he was painfully
burned, While climbing down the fire
escape.
In each case the hremen quickly
stopped the progress of the flames.
The loss was about $50, 1000 Frank
Morris of Boston, a vaudeville per
former. was arrested on suspicion Of
setting the fires. The police allege
! that in each of the fires tenants re-
/ ported that when they fed from their
| apartments Morris was the first per
son they met.
When Morris. whose home is in
Boston, was arraigned in police court,
/ Fire Marshal Prail expressed the opin-
4 ion that he was mentally irresponsible
and asked the magistrate to commit
the boy to Bellevue hospital for five
davs for examination. The magis-
4 trate however, refused and held Nor
ris in $4,000 bail for further exami-
nation.