The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-23
FIREMEN GET LOOT
New York Tenement Dwell
ers Make Theft Charges.
POLICE TO TAKE UP MATTER
Complaints of Wholesale RObberies
ny Men said ia Belong 10 Fire
After Flames Have Been Extin-
enthusiastically and Money Taken

New York. Feb 22-Complaints of
wholesale robberies by firemen followed
Il blaze in the six-story tenement at 14s
Stanton street this morning The flames
drove from their beds more than 2o0 ten
ants, mostly children.
Two tenants, who were corroborated to
some extent by witnesses, declared that
they caught fremen, either Of the regular
force or of the fire patrol, stealing jewelry
from rooms not attacked by the fire on
the upper floors Of the house.
Il was said later that the police would
conduct a searching investigation of the
complaint, as such reports had been made
frequently of late after fires on the East
Side. None of the supposed robbegs could
be identified by the tenants. but the sto~
ries Of the men who complained were so
circumstantial that it was believed they
could not be entirely the results Of imagi-
nation.
Girls Dresses in Flames.
Celia Silverman fourteen years old,
whose father. William. keeps a clothing
store on the ground floor Of the building,
went across from her home. at ia STAN
ton street. to the store. at 1880 o'clock to
light fire in the stove. In some way her
clothing caught Her screams brought
her father to her side. He crushed out
the flames. which had enveloped the little
girls body. and carried her across to an
other store. whence she was taken TO
GoUverneur Hospital, severely burned
about the legs and arms
Twenty families on the five other floors
had been aroused by this time. for the
flames spread with great rapidity 20 the
framework OF the store leaped to the air.
shaft and thence up 20 the second floor.
Deputy Chief Kruger led his men into the
building. and within a few minutes FIRE
men and patrolmen were swarming up the
stairs and fire escapes.
Fought WouId-be Thief.
Abraham Kalker. who lived with his
wife and i've children on the fourth floor.
said be re-entered his room in time to
see "a fireman i'm front of the sideboard,
upon which had been placed two watches.
Later. when he felt on the shelf, he
found that the watches were missing. and
then the fireman. he declared. threw them
on the sideboard and broke away from
him. He struck the man. Kalker said after
ward but En- the smoke he escaped. The
tenant could not distinguish the mans
features. but said he was sure that he
had seen red on the helmet that the man
wore.
Members Of the fire patrol. which is
supported by the fire insurance COM
panies wear helmets Of a solid red color.
Firemen attached to the truck companies
a.. f...Hr
black with "a red shield. Those in the
engine companies wear black helmets
with a white shield.
COrrObOrated by Janitor.
Harry Kimmerling. the janitor, corrob-
grated 60 some extent the stories that
these two men told. He declared that he
had seen dremeH rummaging through the
apartments above the FIRE Iazar Roth
euberg. another tenant. said ne was sure
that De had shut the door of his fiat It
had "a spring lock. The door was found
To have been broken in with an AK
Charles ". Kruger. deputy chief. who
has good record, and who was in charge
OF the department as acting chief during
the time that CHIEF Croker was out
during the Low administration. said at
home that he had just heard Of the re
ports that there had been thlevery az tho
fire.
lie ordered Thomas J. HAYES. chief of
the Fourth battalion. 10 make an investi-
cation, and added that ne would go i'm
mediatcly over the ground himself as ne
felt that the charges are Of such serious
nature that they deserve the sharpest
probing