The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1909-01-04
Timely Discovery Saves
3-StOry Structure at
$50 Broad St.
BLACK HAND THOUGHT
TO BLAME FOR OUTRAGE
Offices Filled with Gas and
Stoves Overturned TO Cause
Explosion.

daring 1ffempf was made shout z
a. m. today TO wreck the three-sfory
brick building at $50 Broad street, near
the "Four Corners Had it not been
for the timely discovery of two fires
started the top floor the work of
the fiends might have been accom-
plished.
1t looks to the police as though the
Black Hand organization had something
to do with it, as the main object of the
persons concerned was to destroy all of
the valuable papers in the office of
Ernest v. A. Belfatto, a well-known
Italian lawyer.
Every drawer in his desk had been
rifled of the papers contained in it,
and then strewn over the floor. kero-
sene oil was poured on them and then
the gas stove was turned upside down
with the gas turned on. but not lighted.
A gas stove in the office of Oscar
Naundorff, also lawyer, on the same
floor, was also overturned and the
gas was turned on. The stairway
leading to the third floor was sprinkled
with oil and also a lot of old newspa-
pCiss HIiCIt NSiC aQIOpPCd Ol QlllSltuI
steps of the staircase.
The cunningness of the f1ends was
made apparent by two fires in the
hallway, one in front of the door lead
ing to Mr.. Belfattos office and the
other in front of Mr.. Naundorfrs
rooms.
The doorways are about ten feet
apart. Mr.. Naundorff's door is nearest
the head of the stairway.
1t appears as if the fire in front of
mis- door was started to prevent the
firemen from getting in to either office
until the rooms filled with gas Then
the flames would have ignited the gas.
A strange part of the incident is the
fact that the miscreants made no at
tempt to tamper with large safe in
either Office.
Mr.. Belfatto is a prominent Italian
American lawyer, having many italians
as clients He is treasurer and counsel
for the italian Building and Loan AS
sociation and entrusted with many vail
liable papers.
He has been active in the work of
raising funds for the italian earth
quake sufferers.
The work of destruction of paper
must have taken considerable time. as
the floor of Mr.. Belfatto's office was
covered with torn legal documents, and
there is also said to be number miss
ing.
The persons who did the work tried
TO effect an entrance into Mr.. Belfatto's
office, through Mr. Naundortf' by the
means of a door that formerly connect
ed the two offices. The doorway had
been lined with bricks, but the door
was left in position, which left the i'm
preston that, by opening the door COM
munication could be had with Belfat-
to's office.
That the robbers intended to cover
up their work by wrecking the build
ing was evident by the finding of two
large bottles that had been filled with
kerosene oil in Belfatto's office The
bottles were carried to the place, as
there is no need for lamps in the build
ing.
Among the first to arrive at the fire
was Deputy Chief Sloan, and as soon as
he entered the doorway leading to the
upper part of the. building he detected
a strong odor of kerosene oil
The woodwork in the floor in the hall
way on the third floor was burned
the Offices on that floor they found the
gas stoves had been deliberately turned
upside down and the gas turned on
full force.
The robbers failed to close a window
in Mr.. Belfatto's office, which permitted
the gas to escape.