New-York tribune., 1908-05-11
GIRL PERISHES IN FIRE
-4P8RTlIENT HOUSE BtRNS
Three Men, One a Policeman, Hurt
Tenants Barely Rescued.

Annie Bates nineteen years old, employed as a
maid. was suffocated and burned to dea'h anu
three men one a policeman. were injured III Iiie
which sent the members of the eight families liv-
ing in four story double decker apaTlll
house at No. cl4 East 65th street scurrying down
the fire escapes in their night clothes TO sate'F
lust before daylight yesterday morning Inc kHi
bosr5od NTH the Parker family. the top floor
John McNeiss was badly burned about the left
am, and hand and was taken the Presbyterian
Hospital. To the same hospital also went Ed"aro
Quinn who received several minor INJURIES ana
Pa+roInan Gleason Of the East S7th street station
who lived in the house, and was cut by glass as
he escaping from il His wounds were dressed
Al The hospital after which he left
Had il not been for the quick work OF PatToirlah
William Mussmacher. who, aided by Patroiman
waterhouse. OF the same station. personally aided
I'VE thinfy clad persons. three OF them women, to
safety by handing them across an airshaft, the
casualties would have been greater So weak was
Nussrnacher when the work of rescue was ended
that he had TO be helped down a scaling ladder 10
the ground.
I-atH the fire. which destroyed the interior of
the building. had been put out and the fireen and
policemen went through the structure ii was
thought that all OF the forty tenants or so had es-
saped But when the fremen, going up through the
still smoking structure, reached the fourfh moor
they found the body OF Miss Bates Just in front
Of The door leading the Parker apartment She
was one of many boarders sheltered by the elsht
families in the building.
Apparently the girl had been confused by the
sudden awakening and had attempted to get down
through the smoke filled halls 70 the street. From
the position and condition OF her body i seemed
certain that she was overcome before sae was
burned. Her hair was scorched and her night
robe vas burned through and there were burns
IN her LEFT and face
Pa1rolnan Mussnacher was standing at oou
street and Third avenue when he heard shrili
cry Of FIRE, and saw man run toward the alarm
foz at saith street The policeman reached IL
first. turned in alarm and hurried around into
sszh street. see, just as he came before H.
flames shoot high into the air from the roof of
The house at No. PA. Immediately the structure
above the second floor became a roaring furnace
Engine 80 and Hook and Ladder 16, with Batla4-
ion Chief Dougherty. from East 67th street re-
Sponded to the alarm but not until Mussmacher
and other policemen had helped many OF the ten
ants TO safety. Mussmacher tried first the door
of the apartment house. and, failing to gain ad-
ruttance broke in the door Of NO. 212, and Water
house followed close behind gaining access 10 the
burning building.
M,ssmacher handed across the airshaft 10
waterhouse Mary, Lizzie and Annie o'SulIIHaIi
Thomas Dyer and man named o'Reilly- Mean
while other policemen and fremen helped the
other tenants down the fire escapes at the rear,
rhinIy clad and in nghtTobes.
The damage 10 building and contents is esti-
mated from $4,000 10 $4,000. The police
think that a milkman may have dropped a match
or = lighted cigarette in the dunbW alter shaft
An echo of fire heard in the Yorkville
r,olice court later in the morning. when Patrol
man wilhelm arraigned before Magistrate Corri-
gan Harry Cummings. a bartender, charging him
with violating the excise law. He was held IN
s. 900 bail for examination Wednesday.
fireman sent 10 the saloon at Third avenue
and 65th street to call an ambulance, The bar
tender John Prunty, tried to collect five cents for
the call from the fireman. who says he was set
upon and beaten BY the bartender ana men in the
saloon Patrolnan Wilhelm sent to the
loon to arrest the bartender charge Of as
SauIt and brought back 10 the station Cummings,
s1rppostng that he the charged with the
assault. and also upon additional excise charge
The proprietor of the saloon, Peter Lennen, came
10 court 20 hail Cummings. and promised to pro
duce Prunty Wednesday.