The evening star and Newark advertiser., 1907-12-23
Had Rescued Wife and
Child, Then Went to
Get His Sister.
LOST LIFE NEEDLESSLY
One He Sought in Raging Flames
Was Safe..Firebug Blamed
for EARLY Morning Tene.
ment Panic..Acting Chief
Badly Hurt.

NEW YORK. Dec. 2s-At fire
said to have been started by an incen-
diary, Fred Koenig sacrificed his life
early today to save others imperiled
in blazing tenement at 221 East 10th
street. Koenig had saved the lives of
his wife and baby, and perished when
he ran back into the building to rescue
his sister.
Following an explosion while twenty
families were asleep, flames burst from
the rear of the tenement-house, and
climbed from the second floor up
through the stair well to the roof. In
tenement in the rear the occupants
we're awakened by the explosion, and,
seeing the flames, began shooting their
revolvers.
When the police arrived all escape
for the tenants above the first floor
had been cut off by way of the stairs,
and the families took to the fire.
escapes. The bottom ladder was stuck.
On the second floor rear lived Charles
Smith, his wife Anna and six children
Across the hall lived John Paradise.
his wife and three children, and Joseph
Spiritus. 1t was outside of Paradiso's
door that the explosion occurred. and
there was no chance for him or his
household to get to the hall.
Paradise guided his wife and little
ones to the fseescape. Then the chill
dren were dropped into the arms of the
men.
The tenents on the third floor rear
were gotten out by the fire escapes
too.
On the fourth floor rear lived George
Storm and his wife and their children,
Andrew, 10; George, 8; Agnes, 4, and
John. 2, and Miss Lizzie Grover, blind
woman. Storm and his wife got their
younger children on the fire escape,
but Andrew took charge of Miss
Grover. The boy led the blind woman
to the ladder and then guided her
steps to safety.
John McQuilken, his wife and their
children got down to safety, and then
came young Fred Koenig, his baby and
wife in his arms. lie reached the rear
court safely and then looked about for
his sister Mrs. Thomas Corker. who,
with her husband and two children,
lived across the hall from Koenig.
The Corkers had a hard time in saw
ing their lives. They had got TO the
first floor escape and there had been
compelled to drop their children into
the arms OF the men on the ground,
Then Mrs. Corler had leaped and been
caught and Corker saved himself by a
jump.
Koenig did not know his sister and
her family were safe. No sooner had
he reached the court than back up the
fire-escape he scrambled to the fourth
floor. He entered his sisters apart
ments, which by this time were burn
ing in every room, and began to go
through them. He got to the front
stairs just as they, weakened by the
flames, toppled and fell Young Koenig
toppled to the bottom with the burning
heap, and there, with one leg broken
and the other injured. he roasted to
death.
When the iiremen began going through
the building Acting Chief Samuel Polling
got to the third floor when the floors
began giving under his weight He
reached a window and called for ladder
to be raised. The ladder was being lifted
when the window gave way and Polling
plunged to the street. He was internally
injured and was taken to Harlem Hos
pital in a serious condition.
The fire was out and the firemen were
digging about the ruins when they came
upon the body of Koenig His wife and
baby had been taken to the home of
neighbor, and the young wife believed her
husband was doing brave work in aiding
the flremen. when word was brought 10
her that be was dead
The police are inquiring into a warning
hN. off ba -
ment to newcomers. This tenant is said to
have declared: This house is marked, and
the people in it will meet the fate
those people met over at 1O9th street and
Second avenue when fourteen were
killed.
No one needed the warning She had
given it in such mysterious way that It
was thought to be only chatter of a gos-
siping woman