Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1920-04-15
RESCUE TWELVE
At FIRE HERE
Quick Work on Part of Patrol
man Norman and Others
Prevents Loss of Life in Fire

Quick action on the part of Pa
trolman Lawrence Norman, Oliver
Van Hise. of William street; James
REILLY of Brighton avenue and John
Dolan, of State street, resulted In the
rescue of twelve people from q hre
in a tenement house at 420 Mechanic
street at 11:40 last night.
While the patrolman was patroling
his beat he noticed flames leaping
from the rear of the grocery and
baker shop of w. j. Tiewsh at 42O
Mechanic street. The officer broke
open a door leading to the building,
notified the owner and then ran TO
High and Washington streets. where
he turned in box Al. calling the fire.
men.
The patrolman then returned and
with the assistance of VanHise. REILLY
and Dollar searched the bedrooms or
the two families, and escorted the
twelve persons to safety. Mr.. and
Mrs. Tiewski and seven children were
rescued from the forepart of the
building, while three members of
colored family living in the rear, were
also taken from the building, their
residence being right the next room
to the fire.
When the firemen arrived on the
scene they had a difficult task to fight
the flames inasmuch as the building
is situated in the middle of the block
and the section of the building which
was burning was far back In the
yard. 1t Is not known just how the
fire started, but the owner stated this
morning that 1t did not start from
his bakers oven. 1t is possible that
the fire was caused by sparks from
one of the plants in the vicinity.
In the rear of the living rooms of
the colored family is the baker, shop,
and In back of the baker shop are
two rooms which are used for stor-
age purposes. Around these three
rooms the fire centered, and supplies
of sugar. flour, oil and numerous
destroyed as the result of the fire.
After a stubborn battle in which
considerable time was spent In saw
ing three big garages in High street
wards, the firemen succeeded IN put
ing the fire under control.
After the fire was out, Chief Ford
made a survey of the surrounding
buildings and estimated the damage
ut $400. Sometime ago Tiewski had
another fire in this building.
False Alarm Last Night
About 10:40 o'clock Sergeant Morris
received a telephone call from the
Remington hotel stating there was
fire In that vicinity and requesting that
an alarm be turned in. The sergeant
turned in an alarm Gaining lhe HIc
laddies to box 50 at Smith and Herbert
street. but when they arrived Ion the
scene they could not find fire.
Sergeant Morris detailed Patrolman
Larson and Underhill on. the case,
and Roundsman Jensen and Patrolman
Jorgenson were also working on the
case. Roundsman Jensen and Patrol
man Jorgenson went to the Reming-
ton hotel where they secured descrip-
tion of the men who telephoned to
headquarters. and the two officers then
went to the Eagle Hose and Chemical
house on Davidson avenue, where they
placed Harold Mcmahon of Mechanic
street under arrest.
There was another member of the
Eagle company with Mcmahon. but
this party eluded the police. Mcmahon
has been a member of the Eagle COM
pany since the early part of this week.
When he was arraigned before Record
er Pickersgill this morning. he did
not deny telephoning to headquarters,
and was fined $25.
During the arraignment Chief Burke
stated that the turning In of false
alarms mus. cease, or when an arrest
is made, the offender will be punished
good and proper. The chief added
that very seldom does a false alarm
be turned In without one of the men,
bcrs of the fire department being in
jured.