New-York tribune., 1910-10-03
BOYS LOSE LIVES IN FIRE
SuHocated While Trying TO Get
Out of Hester Street House.
OLD MAN HELD BY CORONER
Blaze Started When Head OF
Match Dropped on Paper IN
Hallway on Ground Floor.

David Neseler and Israel kessler. hroth-
.rs. los, their rvessin fire in the five story
tenement house No. 81 Hester street shorty
before { O'Clock Yesterday morning Nhen
the fire was exfinguished the frenoen touna
nazid's body in the hallway, between the
6oor Of the apartment which he had occu-
,ies with his brother and their widowed
mother. TsraeTs body was found near inc
window. close 70 the fire escape
Mrs. Eessler was out when the fire start
ed and when she carne rushing 10 the
building she thought that her SONS hau
made their escape. and il Nas not until the
nrernen went through the building 'hdO S"e
Lnev Of the tragedy.
Tho fire was caused by Morris Frlnka'z'
rho Is seventy-eight years old Tor the
last seventeen wears Priukatz had lived IN
the tenement house and had a stand In
front of the building. from which he Vcnced
prayer books
II was bout $50 O'Clock yesterday morn
ing when the old man went 10 the place
under the staircase. on tho ground floor'
where he kept his prayer books. and struck
3 match The head of the match snapped
or as il lighted. IT dropped on an OLD news
r,apcr which caught FIRE Priukatz tried 10
stamp the flame ont. hut before he could
accomplish this the fire had spread to
tho little fame became raging fire. which
orricklv attacked the wooden staircase
In through the house the fire spread with
,ndoScrihahle rapriity. The second. third,
fourth and ffih floors caught even before
,be old man could run out into the street
and call for ielp.
His feeble cry was heard by Max Levy
Of No II Rutgers Place. who ohanced 10 ne
razsinr. The younE man darted Up to the
first floor of the adjoining house. iet down
= ladder from the fire escape and braced
Il against The fire escape on the first floor
# Tho burning building lie started 10
..limh mp. hut the ladder teetered so that
lie Was throNn and fell on the spike rail
inr IN front Of the entrance. Men IN 1he
crowd which had quickly gathered pulled
him aside unconscious. Later he Was taken
l. Bellevue Hospital where br. f-herie
found he was suffering from contusions all
over his body.
Patrolrnan Cordes. Of tho EldridEe street
station. who has a record Of five rescues
81 2 fire IN Bnooklyn last Christmas. darted
,lp the ladder and climbed from fire escape
10 fire escape. peering i'm ~ all the win
Covvs He was half way mp 10 the fifth
floor. when gust of flame drove him
hack.
Meanwhile. the two Kessler boys had
crored their way. one To the door and the
other to the window The heavy volumes
IF smoke overcame them and they feii I'M
conscious and were suffocated 10 death-
Their mother was standing in the croNo
when the charred forms were earned 20
The street. She collapsed
coroner Holtzhauser was informed aho
,,ben he arrived Triukatz told his story
The Coroner ordered the police 10 arrest
,foe old man on = charge Of homicide
A, tho roroner's office PriukatZ was re
leased on hail in the sum of Sl.0fo To await
the Coroner's inquest.
The fire was extinEuishcd with little dIfli-
Guilty. hut not before il had burned out the
r,cdlers' supply store of Isaac Fox, dong
damage estimated varIously as between
= on and SI5.@r0