The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-06-04
PIREBUG SCARBS TENANTS
STARTS SIX FIRES ~ THREE
DAYS AT 1910 SEVENTH AVE.


Tenants In the block on the west aide
Of Seventh avenue between 18th and
ilbth streets became nervous and fright
sAsd on Wednesday evening after the
second attempt 10 burn the tenement In
that block at 1910. After the third and
fourth attempts on Thursday they became
panic stricken. and yesterday after the
NTH and sixth attempts they were hys-
tsrical. Il was a little comfort 10 them
after Wednesday evenings attempts to
know that a detective from the Harlem
branch detective bureau was stationed In
the threatened house. that plain clothes
men were on duty in front and that the
doubled police patrol force in the neigh
boFhOOd were under urgent orders to
look out for the irsbuGs But comfort In
police protection notably diminished
when the attempts continued. although
II wa wise TO have real detectives and
near Detectives handy to help put out
the fast recurring blazes.
Ths sane reason why extra police
precautions were taken added TO the
distress Of the tenants Just . year ago
similar mysterious fires occurred In
another building in the block. at 1884. and
the sixth attsmp, in that series WAS sue
cesaful the ground aoor premises having
been entirely burned out
The fret attempt Of the latest series
occurred on Wednesday evening. when
Jani,Or Thomas Ryan. AZ dinner with his
wife, was told that the front hall was
ablate. He found the curtain Of the
vsstibule door flaming. tore il down.
threw IL into an ashcan and went hack
20 his dinner He was smoking his pipe
In front Of the house three-quarters Of
an hour later when an excited tenant
came t,mbhnR down stairs yelling that
the third floor hallway was ahre.
Ryan ran up and found something
new. even in that neighborhood. in the
way Of such work. The painted hurlAp
covering the hall wall had been cut and
torn loose Beneath this tapping and
inRammable fabric a lighted candle had
been stuck 10 the wall by IT, own melted
tAllow. The busy janitor attended to
that hlhze with a bucket of.water. hat
feli that Il was his duty to NJ the police
investigate the curious device
That resulted In the extra police watch
fulnesa. and nothing in the Are line fur
Their distressed the neighborhood until
i.D O'Clock Thursday afternoon Then
tenant on the fourth floor discovered
a bundle 81 paper and other household
waste blazing in the dumbwaiter An
alarm % ere Was sent in. but the janitor
and detectives put out the FIRE and waited
Tor the next event. This came ~ early
in the evening and was a reDstition Il the
torn burlsp and lighted candle trick
No great damage was done except a.
the nerves 81 tenants
Yesterday morning a. sen O'Clock the
dith attempt Of the series and the third
performance with the candle as.d torn
vail hurlap took place N~n tenants
we're leaving for their work AZ that hour.
and ths women hastily dressed their
childrsn of schtsol age. got them out ~
the housr. and took their younger
children in their arms. ready o. retreat
by The fire escape II necessaFv
II was not until ~ O'CLOCK TINT the
Necessity for unconventional Eight -semsd
to have arisen Then With great sudden.
a.. -. gwk,f. k..t..
smoke. screaming mothers and CRYING
children
James NcNultv Of the Harlem bureau
had stationed himself IN the has@rnenr
near the furnace. where ~ could watch
the d-mbwaiter. the fire escnpe and tie
back yard al 40 once HES recent sNpe-i.
enoe having made something u firemen
of him the detective was up On the third
floor almost A. sU0n % was the janitOr
and both had located the source u the
smoke before the regular hrrmen arrived
In one Of the two apartments on the
third floor live the Reader family father.
mother and several children. Mr. Reader
had gone 20 his WORK early in the morn.
ing. the younger children to school and
the elder 70 the dalicatessen shop Mrs
Reader keeps on the street floor AZ 1870
A. 10 O'Clock Mrs. Reader. Who works
late in the shop. had gone there. and
maid she employed had carefully locked
up the rooms and gone elsewhere on
some duty Il was from the Reader rooms
all the smoke poured forth. The maid
arrived with the kew. the detective and
ianitOF entered and found tho bedclothes
and feather mattress VI a middle room
bed burning vigorously. The fire was
soon put out.
A back window opening onto the fire
escape was found open. but Mrs Reader
said she had LETT II 60 Mrs Lilbin. who
occupies the other apartment on tho
same. floor. said she had been listening
for strange footballs eli the morning and
heard none The ladder a. the bottom Of
the FIRE escape had not been lowered. 40
every one said II must be- an inside job.
Assistant Fire Marshal MoGough came.
also other Detectives and plain clothes
men and insurance adiusters and they
questioned every one IN the house and
learned nothing
Finally after three hours Of question
ing McGOugh issued subpo.nas for every
person in the building 10 appear this
manning in the Fire Marshals court and
tell what be knows shout the mystery.
STOPPED ron nov HE Ran OVER.
ERgineeF Placed BSy on Train and sped
On 20 Nearest station.