The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1909-02-25
Kerosene Poured Through
Hole in Door and Lighted
Matches Dropped in 1t.
FAMILIES IN A PANIC.
Child Suffering From Diph-
liberia Carried Out and
Back Through Smoke.

Fire started in such a mysterious way
on the third floor OF fve.story Nat
house, No, 1853 EaS Nlnety.seventh
street, at $50 o'clock this morning that
the police believe an IncendIary entered
the house which Is Guaranteed because
OF dIphtherIa patient, and after pour.
Ing kerosene through a small hole IN a
door, dropped lighted matches through
until the blaze started
While the flames did small damage.
they caused excitement. The house was
cleared OF It's tenants. with the excep-
ton Of the mother OF the i'll child and
three o! her other children, who stayed
In their smoke:f filed rooms, fearing that
they would be taken up by the police
ana sent TO North Brother Island or the
Reception Hospital II they followed the
mad rush OF their ne!ghbors.
Ihe hre started In the parlor OF Mrs
Bridget Moore's apartments on the
third floor Mrs Moore ana her daugh.
ter Miss Catharine, moved into these
apartments recently. Two doors. one
IN the rear and one In the front, lead
from private hall into the general
hallway. The front door was locked
formerly. and the lock when taken off
left small hole in the panel After
taking the apartments Mrs. Moore and
her daughter nailed up the parlor door
The hole, however. remained.
Were Afraid Of Burglars.
We did this because we were in
fear OF burglars" Mrs Moore ey.
piained
There was no fire nor lighted gas in
the Moore apartments last night. Mrs
Moore and her daughter were sleeping
in rear rooms when Mrs. Jennings, who
lives on the floor above, discovered
blaze In the Moore parlor Mrs. Jen.
nings was walking down the stairs and
saw flicker of flames through the
glass panel Of the door.
Mrs. Jennings screamed Fire." Her
screams awOke the other tenants. and
they in turn began screaming. Then
there came rush to the streets. the
ten families scramblins down the stairs
i: their night clothes
The halls were fast filling with smoke
when Mrs, Mary Kelly. who occupies
the apartments opposite those Of The
Moore's, appeared at her doorway with
her little daughter. Irene, wrapped In a
blanket. To her skirts chung three other
children. all of them OF tender age.
Carried Sick Child Out and Back.
! Little Irene has had diphtheria for the
past week. but before the place was
quarantined she had played with her
brothers and sisters, and when the
health officers came along they ordered
all the children to be kept in the quar-.
/ antined flat.
! Mrs. Kelly moved slowly down the
steps. She was very careful Of the i'll
/ child ana she was careful of the three
| children VINO cluns to her and whimp-
cred as they made their way down the
stairway III the smoke, Mrs. Kelly and
her brood mad reached tie street when
the mother saw policeman.
She darted suddenly back into the
hallway md her children followed her.
| In the stars sne maze mel way. Tne
smoke was non dense, Uut she was de.
termned and she reached her apart.
| men,s The children were now Ctying
! and weak IRON s!nuhe, nut ire mother
entered the front room ana her children
gathered around her.
Smoke soon found It's way to the
Keliys home. Mrs, Kelly, still holding
the III child, got close 10 the WINDOW ana
gave 1t Il push. The sasu gave way and
the window topped and crashed to the
street just as Mrs. Mary Mcdonald
passed gu; Of the house. The snsh s;rucH
Mrs. Mcdonald In the head and was
shattered Ike a paper hoop as 1t en-.
twined her body. She suffers scalp
wound. but the Injury was slight.