New-York tribune., 1922-05-22
Arson Plant
LA Shoe Store
OF Abe Attell
Excess Of Gasoline Poured
About Soaks Through
Floor Into Cate Maurice
and Betrays the Scheme
Dance Hall AboveMenaced
EN-BoNer andParincr il, Ming
10y Boolery CriIIed by
Police and Then Released

Sometime after midnight on Satur-
DAY somebody poured enough gasoline
to set all Times Square on fire over
The stock, fixtures and floors of the
Ming 10y Bootery, at 1856 Broadway.
The store is owned by Abe Attell, one
time fcatherweght boxing champion
and L. NJ Tausend. Attell and Tausend
were put through grueing examina
tlon yesterday afternoon in the West
Forty seventh street pollce stayon
After it was over the partners were
permitted to leave the station house
and no charges we've laid against them
Whoever set the stage for a quick
action fire aid the OBJ too we'll The
enthusiasm with which the liquid was
poured around the place led to the
discovery Of the plant. SO much gaso-
line was distributed that it ran down
the walls over the noor III miniatu re
rivers and penetrated to the floor be-
low. 1t was The drip of the flowing
gasoline early yeste rday which at
tracted the attention of Garbino
Cascries, a watchmar for the Club
Maurice, which has premises under the
Ming Toy Bootery.
Leak Found in Club Ceiling
Caserics called in John Ryan watch
man in the Broadway Central Building
of which the Ming Toy and Maurice
Club premises are part. The!
searched the club quarters inch by
inch and discovered in the ceiling Of
the club, which is the floor Of the boot
shop. discolored patch of bunting
which indicated the presence of tbs
leak. Above the dark spot they found
an open trap. which gives entrance
through the floor Of the Attel store
In the aperture were stuffed half q
dozen implied Sunday papers soaked
IN gasoline and there was a steady drip
of the infammable fluid through the
opening.
Patrolman Winship WAS called in
from his post and made his way into
the store through the o"cn trap. The
fumes of gasoline almost overpow
the patroman, but he found half q
dozen gasoline soaked newspapers, ar
empty fvc-gallon can of the type IN
which gasoline usually is sold, three
empty tin cans Of smaller size from
which the liquid apparently had beer
distributed and three pairs of canvas
gloves
Winshlp reported to the West Forty
seventh Street station, and Fire Mar
shall Thomas Brophy began an lnvest
CATION bright and early yesterday morn
ing. Detectives Stephen Love aroused
Atteu from his bed at his apartment a
Fifty-fourth Street and Seventh Ave
nuc and went with him to the store
where Tausend was found The part
ners were taken to the police station
where Fire Marshal Brophy and Dcput!
Fire Chief Priel held an inquiry which
lasted for several hours. Battalion Chiet
Dennis j. Curtin took charge Of the
gasoline soaked premises.
Attell Blames Unidentified Foe
After the partners had been released
Attel made statement, in which he
blamed the plant upon some unidentified
enemy.
"Its foolish to think that we hat
anything to do with it," the ex-pugilis
said. There's no reason in the worlt
why I should want to set the place or
fire or Tausend, either. Business Il
good we are making money and ou1
financial affairs are in first rate condl
ton. We have more than $4,000 coming
to US in outstanding obligations, there
is $4,000 of expensive shoes in stool
and the good will is certainly wortl
something. All the insurance we carr,
is $4,000.
"Somebody did it who has grudg'
against me and wanted to make 1t lool
like I was trying to burn the place.
don't believe they intended to set it OF
fire, but just wanted to plant it to lool
that way. I figure that whoever did i
got in through the trapdoor in the base
ment and got away through the from
door. It's tough job to get by tn
front door without a key, but it's eas.
enough to get out that way"
John Ryan, the watchman for tn
Broadway Central Building, said that h
had noticed before Caseries called hin
that the steel trells outside door on tn
side entrance to the boot shop was open
This entrance leads into the corridor o
the Broadway Central Building. TIL
inside wooden door was locked, but Ryal
said he never before had seen the stee
protection door open.
Above the Ming Toy Bootery is tn
Roseland Dance Garden, where thou
sands dance every Sunday afternoon an
evening. The boot shop was all read
for fire which cigarette stub nigh
start and which would have spread wit
great speed to the entire building, tn
E;ra Mo,-rhal said