The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-12-23
Clitus H. King Hero
Of County Jail Fire;
Gains Cell Inmates
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but they were wildly excited and made
all the more so by jibes of loafers
| who came into the yard from the
Madison avenue side and frightened
| the prisoners by raising false alarms
| in u CHASTITY spirit of jest.
| The squad of policemen charged the
| crowd, who were about so, and chased
| them out of the yard. Attaches of
! the Jail, arriving soon afterWard, took
up positions at various doors in the
building.
| Just before the policemen arrived
was the most dangerous time with the
prisoners. The women were nearest
the flames but they merely screamed
i The men, however, hollered and half
a dozen of them furiously shook the
, window bars of their cells and jumped
up and down in a frenzy of fright.
| It was here that Attorney King,
cool-headed and self-possessed, ran
into the corridors and quoted the men,
He assured them that there was little
immediate danger. Then. needless of
himself, he procured a lantern and
guided the f1remen in fighting the
flames.
! Some of the hangers-on outside the
jail said they saw some of the pris-
oners trying to beat their heads
against the bars, but Attorney King
declares the men didn't go that far.
| From the investigation of Chief
| Daniel E. johnson this morning it is
learned that the official belief attrib-
/ utes the fire to spark from a Shaving
machine. Chief Johnso- declares the
spark must have flown many feet from
the machine and settled the floor,
where it smouIdered, until the planks
were set af1re. The blazn must have
been flaming at least 20 minutes, it is
believed. before the fire was discov-
cred ~ Attorney King
The fire started in a room on the
first floor of the .Workhouse, which is
at the northwest corner of the Jail.
The floor is used bye former Mayor
Frank &. Clark in his manufacture Of
| concrete blocks. This floor was gut
ted. The flames went through to the
second floor, which is used for leather
| work by James G.. Mulloy of HaVer-
hill, Mass. Much damage was done
i there and large quantities of mate
| rails were destroyed
Former Mayor Clark estimates his
damage at between $11Oo and $1,000.
A. piece of special machinery that was
Installed by him last July at-a cost
| of $4,000, was damaged considerably.
Several thousand dollars loss was
suffered on the Second floor The total
will not be far from $4,000. Mulloy
| is coming to this city this evening to
appraise his loss. Everything was
| insured.
! In-some places the water was from
three to six inches deep because the
fremen were, fighting the flames both
from above and below.
Mr.. Kings story of the outbreak of
the fire follows;
ct was going the rounds at the ex-
IRENE front end of my territory when
heard voices yelling, Fret and I
sneIIed smoke. I went to the pris-
oners and they told me that smoke
was pouring through the jam of the
big iron door. I ran up and pushed
the automatic button connecting with
the office.
SOME of, the prisoners. fof course,
were difficult to handle, but most of
them were Gained when assured
them that there was no danger just
tFren and that if there were they would
be released