The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-02-03
BROAD Streets BIG fire
LEGENDARY, IS BELIEF OF
INVESTIGATING AUTHORITIES
Mystery Over Start of Blaze Room-Sma11 Pack
age Containing Inflammable Substance Thought To
Have Been Placed Under stairs-state Police Begin
Their Probe.

Fire which Quilted the Kinder Bill
Hard academy at 1862 Broad street,
last night threatened 500 persons in
the Arco theatre which was also dam
aged by explosion, and caused great
loss to the Lenox lunch room, was
of incendiary origin, according TO the
fire department officials.
Investigation today has disclosed
that the fire, which started with SUCH
a rush as to prevent all the patrons
of the Kinder billiard rooms from es-
Gaping by the doorways, was probably
from a small package containing a
highly inf1annmable and gas general
ing substance that was destructive in
it's work.
With the turning over of the inves-
tigatiOn to the state police this morn
ing, James Freeman, o$ Holyokes VINO
was known to have been in the oil
lizard parIors when the fire started, and
to have jumped from the second story
window through a stained glass tran
SON. but who later told the police he
was not in the building, has become
a central figure in the investigation.
Freeman, with broken left leg, IS
confined to St. Vincent's hospital.
The narrow escape of 800 patrons
of the Arco theatre through the quick
action of Policeman Frank M Ho1-
brook, and the management, the
promptness of Policemen Martin ].
Kane, Bernard G1ennon, Robert H.
Simmons, John Barton and others
under the direction of Sergeant James
Ramsay in roping off the Streets
which prevented injury from the SER
les of explosions following, and the
action of John "A Leonard, head Of
the fire board, in seeking for fremen
supposed to have been injured in tbs
smoke filled rooms, are matters OF
comment about the streets today.
FTremen today point to only two
similar cases in Bridgeport where such
mystery. darkened the situation The
fire about two years ago when the
front was blown off of a grocery store
at Park avenue and Olive street, is
similar in all respects to the present
one Another case some years ago
was in a confectionery store near the
Park theatre, where arson was proved
but the nature of the com bustible ele-
ment never disclosed.
Firemen declare that when they got
into the basement they were partly
overcome by a gas similar in smell to
carbide fumes. They say that no
rubbish could have caused the fire
tected in time to prevent such
spread. The theory of exploding
coal gas has been eliminated by the
fact that the furnace is uninjured. IL
Eliminating gas did not cause the
flames as none comes near the build
ings.
r. N Judson, owner of the build
ings and equipment, places his loss in
the neighborhood of $4,000, only part
of which is insured. He said today:
IT have received no threats, believe L
have no enemies who would perpetrate
such an act, and know that LaForge
stands well with all patrons of the
place"
Damage to the Lenox lunch room
and the Arco theatre is being rapidly
repaired. The lunch room has already
opened. The theatre will reopen as
soon as an inspection has been made
by the state authorities today.
The force of the explosion it wa8
learned today was felt across the
street where the woodwork of the M.
J. Cannon undertaking parlors has
been scorched and the rubber plants
and ferns in the windows injured by
heat or noxious odors.
Awaiting the arrival of the state po-
lice, the local department made no
attempt to question Freeman UP to
noon today. He persists in stating
that his injury was the result of
avoiding a fire truck on John street,
while those in the billiard parIor state
that he came in 5 minutes before the
fire, and was apparently asleep in the
rear of the room when fire was first
seen in the front. He is said to have
jumped from the second story Of the
building and was picked up where he
fell beneath a broken window. What
his reasons for stating he was not in
the billiard par1or are, will be closely
investigated by the police late today.
In the Areo theatre, about 800 pa
irons, many of them men and women,
were intent1y watching pictures on
the screen. The odor of smoke had
become perceptib1e according to Polio
Marco, Of 385 State street, who sat
in the audience, but none seemed to
be afraid.
Manager G. w. Goodwin of Milford,
was at the doorway taking tickets,
and A. E. Carter was running the
moving picture machine.
Patro1man Frank M. Ho1brook, who
had come to the scene, opened the
door and quietly whispered that the
theatre would have to be cleared as
there was a big fire in the room adj
joining. Only a metal ceiling inter
vened.
''Take your time. there is no danger,
but this theatre must bP cleared"
shouted Goodwin as he flashed on the
lights A woman screamed, but this
did not seem to have any effect Npon
the patrons, who walked out in a
calm and orderly manner.
AS they reached the sidewalk they
were awed, for a sheet of fame swept
into the air and brilliantly lighted the
buildings opposite. The front of the
Arco theatre, which is mainly a wood
cornice extension. the Kinder's parIor
and the Lenox lunch adjoining were