The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-08
TORCH FOR Big TENEMENTS.
INCENDIARIES START NINE FIRES
on THE VEST SIDE.
Four Youths Arrested on Suspicion Excel
sior and shavings Soaked With KerO-
sene-uomen Fight Police Who Try 10
Rescue Them Tenants Panic Stricken.

Nine fires, apparently OF i~ncendiary
origin, were started on the uppe West
Side between the hours OF s O'Clock Thurs
day night and 4 O'Clock yesterday morning.
No lives were lost because the fremen and
police were quick to respond.
The first fire started in a vacant lot at
lO3d street and Broadway shortly after
s o'clock in a lumber pile that had been
smeared with oil. Policeman Cleary OF
the West Tooth street station notified the
Drew Of Engine 10 nearby, who made short
work Of the blaze.
The second fire was discovered about an
hour later in the basement OF the five story
tenement at 2I2 West 1O5th street. A
quantity Of excelsior and shavings had been
saturated with kerosene. An alarm was
turned in and the fire put out with a loss
OF 500.
The neighborhood was trying hard to be
calm when about 10 O'Clock the cry OF
Fire" was again raised, This time 1t
was in the basement Of an apartment at
sl Amsterdam avenue. Fifteen families in
the building were routed out into the cold
without having time to dress. Deputy
Chief Martin said the fire had started under
the ground floor hall stairs and thar the
place smelled Of oil.
About this time DR.. W. S. Hough OF 2l3
West iO4th street and Col. William Bennett
OF l46 West 103d street noticed two youths
lettering in the vicinity OF the latter's home.
Police Headquarters was notified. and
when arrested the two said they were
Joseph Glaser, II years old, OF $40 Column
bus avenue and John Scace, 20 years old, OF
los West Tooth street. They we're taken
70 the West Tooth street police station and
after being questioned by Capt. Burfeind
and Fire Marshal Mitchell were arraigned
before Magistrate Baker in the West Side
police court. They were held in 5000
bail on suspicion OF arson.
Arthur DJnohue, an ex-jockey and steeple-
chase rider, who was arraigned later in the
day on suspicion Of larceny and held in
susr ected by the police OF being connected
with Thursdays fires.
Detective Durham, who appeared against
the prisoners in court yesterday, said that
the police exT ected to make two more ar
rests during the day Of men. who, the pris-
oners said, were with them Thursday night,
| and Who the police suspect Of being con-
nected with the fires. The two men denied
that they knew anything about the starting
of the fires.
Policeman Walsh of the West tooth street
station appeared later with Arthur Donohue
Of lO7 West lO5th street, who, he said, was
one of the men described by Scace and
CHASER as being with Nhem on Thursday
night. He was on his way yesterday morn
ing, Walsh said, to pawn a tatlcr-made
riding suit, and. although he asserted that
this belonged D. his sister, he was arrested
! on susricion. d nohue, the Colice say.
denied that he was with the other two on
Thursday.
The firemen were preparing 70 return
from the third fire when a pAsserby in
formed them that the five story apartment
house at 200 West lO1st street was ablaze.
The jewellers there were seized with panic
.~I sn.uur had Nn ho carried nuT nv fha
fremen and police.
The last fire of the morning was the most
dangerous. This was also in a i've story
apartment. with three families TO a floor, at