New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-22
CHIEF GUER|N GETS ESY
Leading Firebug Of Harlem
Caught in Act, Police Assert.
FIRE IN TAIL0R'S ROOMS
Several Other Arrests Follow,
Firemen and Police
Cooperating.

Harlem people have been frightened by
lncendiaries for almost five years, and late
ly the epidemic has increased. But yester-
day the police gathered In a man they deem
the ringleader of an organized band that
met in a Harlem saloon and arranged fires
for those who needed them in their bust
ness However, ali of the men have not
been caught, and a few hours after the
chief frebug of them all, according to the
police had been captured an incendiary hre
started in the nelghborhood of Fifth ave-
nue. and 18th street, the third in the vicin-
ity within twenty-four hours.
The man arrested by Chief Guerin
men is Isidor SteinareutZer, also known as
'Tssy" Stein. "Tssy the Painter. 'ltch!
Cherinsky. and again as kid" Twist once
the nickname OF Bowery ganSster. lie IS
twenty-six years old and lives with MS
wife and children at No. ia East 9'th
street. Although he has been in this coun-
try only ten years. the police say he has
used five of them In working at arson ana
is responsible for more than three hundred
fires in Manhattan.
Chief Guerin says he knew ten days ago
that a fire was scheduled for the apart
ment Of Samuel Gold, tailor who lives on
the top floor of No. GO East 1l8th street
Men from the Fire Prevention Bureau nave
! trailed SteinareutZer since November OF
| last wear. and they were on his track when
he was getting ready for the Gold fire
The fire was set for three or four days
ago. but 'Issy the Painter" postponed II
because there was funeral in the mouse
! But he was ready yesterday lie ala not
realize that Chief Guerin was ready, too,
and that the Ave tramps who stood around
| in front Of the house were Acting FIRE
Marshal Prial, Assistant Fire Marshals Dc
Malgnon and Wade, Fireman Washington
Howe, brother of Chief Howe, and Edwari
r Croker jr., secretary Of the Fire Pre-
vention Bureau. IN disguise.
These men watched "Issy the Painter
come out Of the saloon after an hour and
q half talk with other men. Mrs. Gold lef'
the house AT the same time. end then "lssy
walked in and climbed up TO the ton floor.
Howe and ne Mslignon logged his heels
and waited on the roof, watching th'lf
man through the scuttle.
Suddenly ne dASntO oli NJ lON 'f'il al'i''
nent and down the stairs. ne Malls
non tried IN get I'm the Gold nat hut the
door was locked He smelled smoke and
ran to a window and waved his hand nj
Wade. who pulled a lrehoX.
"Issy" reached the street followed by
Howe. who watched Stcinareutz"r climb "a
fire escape. light a cigarette and wait for
the engines to arrive When the fremel
got there they discovered heap 81 cloth
! ing saturated with benzine blazing on i
| bed IN the Gold Nat
In the mean time "Gssy" found he was
| being watched and slid to rear yard and
| fed 10 a saloon al 96th street ana Secon'
avenue, where Wade captured him at the
| point Of q revolver. Mrs. Gold was ar
rested and so was her husband, who is in
the firm OF Shapiro & Gold No. 81 9th
street, Brooklyn. Al were grilled at Po'
lice Headquarters and placed under $4,000
bail each by Magistrate Appleton. They
will answer a charge Of arson next Tues
! dav Abraham Levy. ~ No sc East Broad
way was arrested with "lssy' and the
same charge was made against him.
! A blaze was discovered IN the basement
Of No. 219O Fifth avenue on Thursday
a afternoon and another in the same place
yesterday afternoon. Both were eXtin'
euished quickly blazing mattress was
found on the fourth floor Of No. 16 West
l34th street yesteEiay afternoon. An as
sistant fire marshal and detectives are In
vestigating.