The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-31
Mrs. Minnie Swiss Loses
Her Life in Early Morn
ing Fire in Harrison.
AFRAID TO LEAVE ROOM
All Other Occupants Escaped,
but She Refused to Go Down
Stairs..Smith's Restaurant
Building Quilted by the
Flames.

In a fire which gutted Il three-story
frame building early today in Harrison,
Mrs. Minnie Swiss, 80 years old, who was
employed as a cook in restaurant on the
first floor, was burned to death. 1t is not
yet known whether the woman was suffo-
Gated before being burned or not. When
found her body was badly blstered, but
her face was recognizable.
The building is located at "a Harrison
avenue. Harrison. and the fire started at
4:45 a. M, caused by back draught in a
chimney.
All the occupants of the house, but one,
were sleeping, and they were forced to
escape in scant attire. All got out, except
Mrs. Swiss, who was sleeping in her room
on the third floor. She was awakened
twice by the occupants and responded, say
ing she would be out right away, but evil
IDENTIFY, when she was ready to go down the
stairs, the smoke prevented her, and she
was later found dead in her room. Her
body is In Walsh's norgue, Harrison.
The only person not sleeping when the
fire started was John Smith, % years old,
who conducted the restaurant on the first
floor At 4:40 a. m. he went downstairs
to light fire In the kitchen range. Going
into the back kitchen. where the stoves
were located. he lighted the wood to pre-
Dfire TOR InG IDOIIilnB COlcC 10y llio tho-
toners. The wood was burning but
short time. he said, when a back draught
came through the chimney, aud a lot Of
grease which was scattered around the
top of the stove ignited. Then Smith said
that there were a series OF small ex-
plosions in the kitchen, caused by the
grease catching fire.
..The first thing / did," said Smith to-
day. was to run upstairs and awaken
tho people sleeping
He said he ran up to the second floor,
where three men boarders were sleeping,
and knocked at each Of the doors, alarm
ing them all. The three men got up very
quickly, and grabbing a little clothing
rushed downstairs to Harrison avenue
One of the men, Lawrence Stumpf, called
out to somebody in the street. and box
No. 22 located at Harrison and Passaic
avenues, was sounded and the members of
the Harrison fire department quickly re-
sponded.
Three alarms were sent in, one after the
other.
While all this was going on Smith ran
ND to the top floor and called to his wife,
Anna, and his three children, the Oldest
of whom is years. Mrs. Smith took two
of the children and Smith secured the
other, and they both rushed downstairs
and left the children In the street.
Smith, almost exhausted by this time
by the smoke. again hurried back to the top
floor and, knowing Just where Mrs. Swiss
was sleeping, he hurried to the door and
raped on It. shouting "Minnie Minnie!
Come, get up; there's fire downstairsi'
'.All right" Smith said was the reply
from the unfortunate woman.
Then he went downstairs to see how
eevrything was going there. About ten
minutes elapsed, and Smith, discovering
that all his boarders were out safely save
Mrs. Swiss, became nervous as TO her
Continued ON Third Pase)