New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-23
LOOT TALK AFTER FIRE
TENANTS MAKE CHARGES
Say They Found Firemen or Fire
Patolmen attempting Robbery.

Following fire early yesterday morning in ten
ement house No l49 Stanton street. several ten
ants declared that the fremcn had tried TO loot the
upper part of the six story building. which had not
been touched by the flames None of the alleged
robbers, whether they connected with the
regular department with the protective patrol
I maintained by the fire underwriters could he de-
scrihed by the tenants, and none OF the alleged
attempted robbcries successful. Less than
$50 worth of jewery in peril
The police inclined 70 take much stock
in the alleged attempts at pillaSe, believing tnat
the eXcitSd tenants only frcmen searching for
traces Of the fire eating up between the walls. The
janitor of the burned building. Harry Kimmerns,
says that he saw the firemeu searching the apart
meuts above those burned. but did not see them
try take anything. The door OF the fat belong
ing to Lazarus RothenborG. the fftn floor, was
smashed open with axe This Is the only cor
roborGtive evidence of their stories the tenants can
show The breaking open OF a door of fat i'm
mediately burning one IS no unusual event,
and is usually cessary.
Abraham Kalker. who lives on the fourth floor.
says that after the fire out he came down from
the roof, where he had fed with his wife and FIVE
children. 10 get two watches. valued about $50,
a bracelet and a s. bill lie had left the sideboard.
When he reached the dining room. he says there
was fireman in front of the sdeboard. and the
watches had gone. Then he says the iroman threw
the watches on the sideboard and broke away from
him. He SAYS he is sure he some red the
fir, mans helmet Members OF the fire patrol wear
red helmets and hremcn attached to ladder trucks
wear black helmets. with red shields.
Lazarus Rothenberg. whose family was saved by
the fire patrol men. who carried them down the
rear fire escape from the third floor says that
after the fire he went back TO his fiat to get two
watches which he had hidden in tho kitchen lie
says that he found fireman with red his hell
met rummagnE about. and when me- tried 10
grapple with him the struck him and mac
his escape the smoke. RotLonberC's watches
We're not taken. however.
Whom Deputy Chief Kruger heard OF the stories
ne ordered Thomas J. Hayes. chief of the Fourth
Battalion to investigate tho affair ana spare no
one If the stories had any basis OF facta
The superintendent OF the fire patrol IS : :.
Groves, who has office at No 81 Nassau street
plants. but mat he would be glad To oo-operat e
with the Fire Department in every way. There
mas not been a single complaint of any sort lodged
,51lIiSt company No. I since II was established
last August he said but IL there is black sheep
IN the company am only too anxious 10 get MIN
out as qipckly as possible do not think that any
OF our men had any part I'm the attempted rob
berles-lt there were any attempted 90
captain sydney Johnson OF Fire Patrol No T.
lieutenant Ead "."A IN charge AT the fire. lie said
that he would give the Fire Department any as
slstance In the matter that II might ask but THAI
he would not take The initiative In any iuvestiga-
ton in his company without an order from his SUI
Veriors. " 80
More than two hundred persons most Of them
Secula SllFeTmau, fourteen years old, 10 her
iatheTs store on tie first floor. 20 light n fire IN
the store stove. She set herself ahre and before
hcr father could cXtuguiSh the flames was So &c
Ferely burned that she hal be taken TO ,orIyer-
neur hospital. The police carried Mrs. Jennie
- ieennerG ana her invalid three year-old from
slightly II was only the good work Of the 0renlen
ana me police that saved the lives Of large NUM-
Der OF ue tenants Tor panic set ina after the dis
Ing 10 about 5000.