Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-10-04
MYSTERIOUS FIRE
ENDANGERS LIVES
East Orange NeighbOr Dis
covers That Burning House
Was Empty.
OWNER, AWAY AT TIME, IS
LOCKED UP ON RETURNING
His Daughter Says He Took In
{ surance Policy Away
i Yesterday.

8 Suspected of knowing something
Iabout a fire that Quilted the second
and third floors of his home and badly
Managed two adjoining houses early
this morning, Frank Bukoski, of 81
8Rhode Island avenue, East Orange, is
detained in the police station of that
city.
4 He was taken to the station-house
Joy Roundsman White when he re-
urned to his home today, after being
81 way all night
Though Bukoski declares he left the
house soon after o'clock last night.
neighbors told the police they saw
$him on the premicos at 1890. The
fire, which Is believed to have started
on the third floor, was discovered at
1855 o'clock this morning.
Soon after arriving at the scene,
Fire Chief Markwith realized 1t would
be difficult to check the flames with
the companies that responded and he
turned in a second alarm.
Saw Reflection of Fire.
A Mr.. Woods. who lives opposite
the house, was returning home when
he saw the reflection of the flames.
Learning no one was in the Bukoski
home. Mr. Woods ran next door TO
the home of Howard Riechert. and
by smashing the front door succeeded
in arousing the family. Five small
children of Mr. and Mrs. Riechert,
attired only in their night clothes,
were taken to the homes of neighbors'
. Famed by a stiff breeze, the flames
from the roof of the Bukoski house
soon communicated with the roof OF
Mr.. Riechert's home and the dwelling
owned by Bernard ]. O'Rourke, a
councilmanic candidate, at 50 Rhode
Island avenue.
With the arrival of additional ap-
paratus the firemen got the flames
under control, after a hard fight
The damage done to the three build
lngs will exceed $1,000.
Mysterious Fire Two Years Ago
A small barn in the rear of Bu-
Ikoski's house was burned down in
mysterious ma nner two years ago. 1t
lis said the structure was insured
Miss Frances Bukoski, daughter
of the man, was summoned to- the
Office of Police Chief O'Neill letter
and she declared her father Jshad
taken an insurance policy anf the
house and furniture about a AwFeh
ago. 49,
Roundsman White, who questioned
Bukoski while on the way to the po-
lice station, declares the man told
him he took the insurance policies
from the house last night and brought
them to the home of . son i'll this
city. Bukoski says he stayed at the
home of the son all night.
His daughter told Chief O'Neill
that she heard he had been drinking
for the past few weeks, adding she
Believed he was under the influence of
Intoxicating liquor when he demand
ed the policies from her.
Bukoslxi lived in the house alone.
Chief O'NeilI learned that two
daughters, who formerly lived with
him, left the house two weeks ago
and are now living in Orange.
Neither the police head nor Fire
Chief Markwith are entirely satisfied
that the house was set on fire, the
former advancing the theory this
morning that a lamp left burning in
the house might have caused the
fire.
Reserveman Robert Shannon. who
answered the alarm, says he discov-
cred a fire in the closet on the second
floor while the flames were sweeping
through the third floor.