The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-27
GANG RAIDS FACTORY
TO START FIRE PANIC
Six y Men Dash Among Girl
Workers. Yelling and Throw
ing Bottles Of Oil.
1,2OO EMPLOYEES IN LOFTS
Deaths and Injuries Prevented
by Drill-UniOn Troubles
Blamed.

Half dozen men ran into two upper
lofts Of the ten story building at AZ West
Twenty-second street yesterday afternoon
shouting Fire" and throwing bottles Of
oil among the women employees.
The building was einpticd of its 1.e0O
employees. most Of whom are women. In
n few minutes without accident. thanks to
the fire drill.
The men who tried to start n panic
escaped. The police believe there were
about dozen men in tn. plan, three OF
four Of whom remained on the street
lookoIts. The others went up the sta.rs,
taking out the electric light fixtures. thus
da-kening the halls.
At the sixth f'oor they divided, hal
going on to the eighth floor. The attack
was made simultaneously OH tho lofts Of
n rman Ba,r. on the sixth floor. and o
the Hirshfeld Simon Company, on the
eighth floor. Both concerns are manu-
facturers OF children's dresses. Each en-
rloys 100 women.
The leader Of the gang was described TO
the police as young man wearing a blue
serge suit and cap. "A soft collar and n
black bow tie.
uurst Into LOfts.
The men raised the cry of fire in the
hallway and then burst into the two lofts.
Inside they ran about still yelling "rfre 80
and throwing the bottles of oil. These
bottles had been broken of at the neck
leaving jagged cutting esiges.
with the first cry of fire the women
Jumped from their machines panic
stricken. The smashing of the bottles all
about them, the oil scattering them. in
creased the panic. Altogether fifty bot
ties were thrown In the two lofts
Employees opened the doors leading TO
the rear fire escapes. and Meyer simon
OF the Hirshfield-Smon Company, pulled
the hIe gong. All through the building
the Loo women and girls went to the
| stations prescribed by their fire driil. A
moment later fire apparatus came up
sixth and Seventh avenues The en-
ployes throughout the building marched
out on the rear fire escapes and descended
to the street
When the hren-n arrived their atten-
ton was not drawn to the loft building
where the girls were descending the fire
escapes, but To private house on the
other side OF the street, occupied by Mrs
Mary Joan.
| In front OF this house was a group OF
apparently excited young men who
shouted to the firemen that the house was
anre. wisp of smoke was coming from
y
this came from smoky furnace and that
there was no fire by this time most OF
the girls were safely out of the loft build
ing.
Police Qaiet Girls.
! Reserves from the West Seventeenth
street station under Capt. Albert Mason
Quoted the women and girls and es-
corted them back to the lofts for their
wraps and other belongings which had
been left behind.
Simon told the detectives that "A week
ago men representing themselves to be a
/ committee from the Children's and In
fants' Dressmakers Union. Local No. SO.
with headquarters at 22s Second avenue,
called on him At o'clock in the afternoon
70 organize the girls
Simon said he told them to come back
some day at the lunch hour II the en-
ployees wanted to see them. He said the
employees decided not to See the commit
/ tee. one or two girls walked out when
the others refused Employees of the
1 Baer concern said the committee had WIS.,
tied that factory with similar results.
! The investigation by the police ind-
! Gates that one OF the men implicated in
/ the attempt to start the panic yesterday
/ turned in the fire alarm and others
, started the excitement in front OF the
house across the street to divert the at
tention Of the iiremen
An effort was made to start a panic In
I loft In Twenty-iirst street between
Sixth and Seventh avenues IA month ago
[ by similar means. ON that occasion
pieces OF lead pipe We're thrown. striking
two or three of the girls. and several shots
We're fired
No one was injured yesterday Tie
police say that the object OF using oil
was 10 ruin the goods In the lofts.