The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1908-10-05
TWELVE DEAD IN
FIRE STARTED
BY LEGENDARY
Barrels of Oil Soaked Paper
Piled Under Stairs of Big
Tenement House.
TWO DIE IN HOSPITALS.
Mother Loses Life for Her
Child, Man Loses His
for Money.
TWO DIE IN HOSPITALS.

Twelve lives were snuffed out by an
tneendiarys torch in the big tenement
building at No. 7l1a Mulberry street
at A. NJ. to-day. Several others were
severely injured. one of whom Is dying.
The fire was in the heart of the
Calaorlan section of New York, and It
Is the opinion of the police that 1t was
the work of Black Hand agents. 1t is
believed some man or woman in the
tenement had offended the murderous
society, and that to end his or her life
the lives of others were destroyed
The ground floor of the tenement was
occupied by Carmlno De La Necchios
dry goods store He and his wife oc
cupy rooms in the rear of the store.
About l O'Clock De La Necchio and
his wife were having coffee in their
rooms when they saw q man enter the
hall from the street. The man looked
carefully about the hall and located
the steps. The hall is broad and runs
through to a court which connects with
a rear tenement which faces al No.
ITO Bayard street. The barrels are sup
posed to have been filed with paper
and soaked with oil.
None Questioned Him.
On the street were Charles Lempillo,
of No. 123 Mulberry street, and Charles
F'resa, of No. 1854 West Fifteenth
street. Coney Island. The two men
saw the mysterious man move the
barrels from the street and marvelled
at his midnight activity. But they did
not disturb the man.
Suddenly the man dashed out OF the
hall.
The next instant Lempillo and Fresa
saw flames shooting up in the hall. which
was entirely of wood. The two mon
rushed in and found half q dozen bar
reis under the steps blazing. Flames
had already spread themselves against
walls and ceiling and were climbing up
the stairs
The men yelled Fire" and attempted
to hurl the barrels into the street. but
the flames drove them back Then they
. ran outside and mounted the frees
Z capes.
The tenants awoke at the FIRST fire
! cry and began crowding the escapes
: from the fourth and top floors down TO
the second. Several women in their
frenzy dropped their babies to the two
men on the escape. and the latter
passed them down 10 men on the side
walk.
So great was the excitement that c
call for the engines was forgotten, but
men began firing of their revolvers
from the windows.
When the engines did arrive crowds
Banked the streets. Men and women
in all stages of dress and undress We're
running about screaming, and every
tenement In the neighborhood was emp
tied. The smoke was intense and the
heat 30 great that those on the fire.
escapes were blistering:
Went Back for Money.
One OF the first persons TO get out OF
the burning house was Pietro Magli-
acct. He came down the rear fire
escape and leaped to the yard. Then
he remembered he had left his money
behind. and back he went up the es-
cape. fighting his way through the
crowds until ne reached the third i.oo-.
A few minutes later a man ablaze
hurled himself from the third floor
window. He was taken to Hudson
burned that no one recognized him,
but II 10 said 1t was Magliacci.
Gave Life for Child.
About the same time Mrs. Schettino
appeared At the front window with her
little daughter, Amelia. In her arms.
The mother and child were both on fi-e,
but the mother smothered the flames in
the chid's clothes with her hands and
then dropped the little one TO = nina
on the fire-escape.
Back she then went for her other
daughter. Christina. Mother and daugh-
ter were found later burned to u crisp,
The hre was put out after a loss OF
about 5000. Many OF the tenants were
taken to the Elizabeth street station,
where clothes were provided for the