New-York tribune. [volume], November 21, 1920, Page 12, Image 12

About New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
Nine, Including
Five Children?,
Perish in Fire
Glowing Cigarette Propped
Into Perambulator Under
Stair? Suspeeted Guise of
West 146th Street Blaze
One Family Wiped Out
Man Leave?* Wife, Sister and
Niere to Save Pay Enve?
lope; AH Three Are Lost
Nine person?, five of them children,
?were killed yesterday in a fire which
Tushea up the stairway of a five ' ry
tenement at 307 West 146th Street,
The flame*? mushroomed on the fourth
and fifth floors. Of the '/.reo families
on the fifth floor, one was wiped out,
another has only a single survivor and
the third escaped by way of the roof.
The dead are:
FRANK. ADA. thirty-nine years old,
sister cf Mrs. Reynolds, with whom .
she lived, and bride of Charles Frank.
GEBRIA. RAPHAEL, thirty-five.
GEBBIA, ANNA, twenty-seven, his wife.'
GEBBIA, CARMELA, seven, their
daughter.
GEBBIA. FRANK, five, a son.
GEBBIA, LENA, three, daughter.
GEBBIA, JENNIE, the baby, one ar.d a
half years old.
REYNOLDS. BERTHA, forty.
REYNOLDS, RUTH, sixteen, her daugh?
ter.
The only person to survive injuries
suffered in the fire is Mrs. Dora
Sehoer.fi eld, janitor of the building.
She lived on the ground floor. Aroused
by the roaring o: flame? in the hall,
?he flung a blanket over her head ar.d
ran the gantlet to the sti iet to give]
the alarm. She was burne 1 about the
bodv and was taken to Columbus Hos- j
pi tal.
Glass Panels in Poors
The house is at 146th Street and
Bradhurst Avenue and fronts on
Colonial Park. It is not a n
structure. Its floors arc of wood ar ;
the entra'.ice door of each apartmei
bas a glass pane! in it. Tenants were
accustomed to keep their perambu- ?
lators in the ground floor hall under
the stairs.
It was in one of these perambu?
lators, it is thought, that tl ire
started, probably from a glowing cig- \
arette flung into it. A night-working
tenant who returned to the building
about 4:30 a. m. saw no sign of fire.
Half an hour later the stairway was
ablaze from hail to rooi and flames
were crackling at the doors of ail
teen apartments. The gla= = panels
in the doors could not withstand the
heat and cracked and gave way, admit?
ting smoke and flame
The roar and crackle of the fire,
sounding like a fierci hailstorm,
awakened the tenants. Snat? ing up
their children and a few ?. and
valuables they start'- : f< r the stairs,
Stifling smoke, shot with ominous red,
met and drove them back. With tl ??
exception of Mrs. Schoenfield it is be?
lieved that not an occupant of the
house reached safety by way of the
ball.
The shrieks of Mrs. Schoenfield, who
had reached the street, ar.d alarm shots
fired by tenants of neighboring build?
ings were heard by a patrolman, who
turned in a tire Alarm. r?y that time
flames were dartii .'?? windows of
the four-'.-, ai d I ' th ft rs, and two
more alarm-- quickly foil w? ! the fir :.
Two Fire Escapes Available
There is a tire escape on th? Brad
hurst Avenue side of the i aiding,
which was available to tenants wh se
apartments were on the west side.
Those living on the east side of the
building sough; the fire escape in the
rear, leading to the yard.
J a m ? ? s C? r oa<: ? >, v, hose a p a r t m e 771 w a s
on the third floor, was the first to reach
the last, platform of the rear fire
escape. Hp had two children in
arms. Behind him was his wife, who
had their third child. The drop lad - r
was rusted, Grosso said, so that he
could not budge it. At a
in the street he perceive : two n en in
uniform, whom he took fco be patrol?
men.
They were she ting helpfully, he
said, "Come ? ,vn! n!"
Mrs. Grosso, on ?
crowding frc ma . ? r - * re: ? g,
???as shrieking sir;*., a ; Iv ce at him,
Grosso saw a chairback looming in the
window beside him. He smashed the
glass, dragged out the chair and with
it pounced the drop ladder free.
At the same moment a rescue squad
of neighbor?, led by Edward and Harry
Morgan, of '2~:.'J Eighth Av?
and scrambled up the outside of the
fin escape, une of the group taking
post at each platform to assist the
enants down tho ladder.
Men Rescue Their Families
Many of the men living in the house
made several trips to' get out nil the
mcmlx rs of their families. Frank Bot- ;
alcure made four and suved his wife, \
their two children and his mother-in
law. Robert Walker, of 306 West 14tith \
Street, climbed up the front tire escape ?
and brought out a baby some one had
left in his crib on the second floor.
Charles Frank, the only member of
his family to escape, was at the fire.
esca] ?? window on the top floor with
his wife, her : ster and his niece, when
his wife reminded him of his pay
envelope, which lay on the bureau of
his room. He returned for it and
when he came staggering back, half I
suffocated an-4 blinded, he could see ?
nothing o\ any of his family, nor was j
there any response to his cries.
He stumbled to another window, j
th ? king he might have missed his way.
There was no one there either, and a
sudden glare of flames behind im was
wan ing that ho had no time to search
further. He climbed to the window
sill and discovered to his borrow that
he was not at the fire escape window.
Flames sprang out beside him and he
lowered himself until he hung by his
hands from the sill. He was almost ?
ted when his toe touched a foot- !
I bel a him. It was the sill of a I
small high-set window on the next
floor. The window was open, and,kick?
ing both feet inside it, Frank dropped.
The impact drove the breath from his
body and he hung helplessly there
until a man living in the next house
mai . ged to reach across the narrow
air shaft and dragged him to safety.
Scores Huddled on Escapes
When the firemen arrived scores of
? ?ants still were huddled on the Brad
hurst \venue fire escapes. Extension
t Id? i * were run up by the crews of
Hook and Ladders 28 and 59, and lire
men assisted the tenants to the street.
For a t:rn ? it was feared that every oc?
cupant of in?* top floor had perished.
Than word came of the rescue of Frank,
and a little later that Ralph Powell and
'? aaX two children were safe at
? ? Bradhurst Avenue. They had made
thi ir way to that building over the roof,
ng '; X tenants to think of that
way of escape.
Tl ?? i ?a:;.- ? ;' Frank's wife was found
near the window, where he had left her
to get his pay envelope and had been
unabie to find her again. They had
been married only four months. The
bod es of Mrs. Reynolds, Mrs. Frank's
sister, and her sixteen-year-old daugh?
ter were at the back of the room.
Mrs. Gebbia's body was within a foot
of thi (ire ? pe window, and beside
it was that of one of the children.
The others, with that of her husband,
ware several feet behind tern.
Stores Fray in Park
t-'" res of ; n th crowd that
ed in Colonial Park drorped to
in prayer as ( he bodies,
wrapped in tarpaulins, were lowered
one by one from the fatal fifth floor. ?
They were taken to the West 135th
Street Police Station, where identifica?
tion was made with some difficulty, |
Deputy Police Commissioner Faurot ;
later called attention to tho value i
which a universal finger print system!
would have in such a case, as the
: hand of a person meeting
ath in :. fire usually preserve the!
of th? ? ? ar?.
Fire Chiei IX ai?),*! said that his de-!
pari ent had no authority to inspect I
ten?, ment ? ?? s?, ? for fire hazards, as :
that was tl | ? i e of the Tenement
? Department. Several fires have |
been started by a match or cigarette .
? a baby carr ?.ge, and a few
years ago a pyromaniac at large in j
Harlem was accustomed to kindle bis
fires in baby carriages stored .in hall?
ways.
The damage causer] to the building
by yesterday's fire was estimated at '
': >? W. T. Crane, of 43 Cedar!
Street, is the owner of the building.
Ijjjjl^PPUW*^
11- a-'XJ??^J^a*^ *?:
lUi?jy
Give him. tliat second dish
CHILDREN ask for more H-0 by instinct. Its rare
flavor, its flaky lightness have been safe guides for
healthy, childish appetites for nearly fifty yeara.
And millions of mothers have learned that the food
value in every dish of H-0 makes growing boya and
girl? sturdy and 8trong.
TKi? r?ble i? from U. S. Health Education ?Fliill?-tin No. 2.
See how Oatmeal lead? in nourishment!
Oatmeal.tJMO Rye flour.1,^,0 While uhent
Worte.2,300 I'ornmeal.1,360 flour.1.S60
A v.fual cereal ?,S00 Macaroni .<.,.. 1,360 Hominy.1,160
Orahmn flour . H.W?) AtvAhcr cereal. . 1,360 Hie? >irhite) .. 1,160
Barley.1,100 fariwt. 1,360 Corn flak?? ... 1,100
THE li-O COMPANY Dept. 13. Buffalo. N. Y.
"I want c?jaos moro"
F.ndorit i
by th'
Tribune
Intti'.utf
Rsml your yroeer'?
name and we will
?end you fres,
enough II O for a
meulfor nr yer?on?
Hornby's Oatmeal
Fu rey Acquitted
Of Extortion, but
Returns to Tombs
Jury Frees Prisoner of Alle?
gation by Steamship Head;
Must Stand Trial in Cases
involving Nicky Arnstein
A'Xer a trial which lasted two weeks,
a jury before Judge Roaalsky in Gen?
eral Sessions yesterday acquitted Ed?
ward H. Furey of a cliarge of extortion.
It U..S alleged that Furey, with James
Keane, a private detective of .Montreal,
attempted to extort $5,000 from
Charles G. A. Pfitch, president of the
Baltic Steamship Company, with offices
in the Woolworth Building.
Complaint was made by Pfitch that
Furey and Keane intimated they would
charte him with participating in th?
burning of the steamship Oce?nica at
Montreal on July 'Z, 1919, to get the in?
surance, if he failed to give them the
money. Furey denied the chargo, ant
add? ?1 that he and Keane visited Pfitcl
merely to get information as to th?
persons interested in the boat and whi
insured it. The insurance companj
, has never paid the $100,000 insurance'
on the vessel.
Furey, who has lived at various
hotels in this and other cities fre?
quently did odd detective jobs in con
; nection with stolen automobiles ' He
| first came into prominence here when
I he was indicted in connection with the
i $5,000,000 bond thefts from the finan?
cial district last February.
Several indictments were found
I against Fa.ay. These include grand
larceny an, criminally receiving stolen
property and are still pending t->ainst
him. After his acquittal yesterday he
was sent back to the Tombs to await
trial on these indictments.
After Furey had been indicted with
three Wall Street messengers Nick'*
Arnstein was indicted in connection
with the bond thefts. Arnstein's trial
is still pending.
One hour after it filed out the jury
returned to the courtroom with the re
j quest that a portion of the testimony
j dealing with an alleged confession by
Furey be reread. It developed that the
? jurors wer-; anxious to find out if
| Furey had been coerced or deprived of
j food and otherwise put through the
third decree before making the so
' called confession.
With permission of the court, Furey
again took the stand and said that he
I had not been coerced or starved and
that Assistant District Attorney John
[ T, Dooling who nandled the prosecu?
tion had treated him fairly.
Chinese Sues Eiiright and
Hy?an ;AllegesOppression
Li Jung, ( hi?ese merchant at It
j Mott Street and lessee 01 air property, ;
; filed an action in tho Supreme Court j
| yesterday against Mayor Hylan and j
Police Commissioner .Fnright for j
1 ?5,000 damages for alleged oppression. ?
I i Jung also asked for an injunction?
; enjoining the police from keeping a '
! mifornied man in his premises and ;
j interfering with orderly occupation of j
! looms there by the On Leong Tong !
: Chinese Merchants' Association.
The On Leong Tong leased rooms in |
: I,i Jung's Mott Street house for the :
; use of their building committee. The
organization, with a membership of
I 1.500, is planning a new clubhouse
', which will eost $117.000 to build. On
I October 10 a policeman of Inspector |
! rolan'l's staff raided the club rooms
\ *.nd arrested fourteen members on a
charge of gambling and one on a
charge of keeping a gambling house.
The fifteen men were discharged i'rom
custody by Magistrate Koenig.
Li Jung complains that, notwith?
standing the discharge of the defend?
er.'s, a policeman lias been stationed
I in the On Leong Tong rooms day and
> night. He says the Tong has refused
) to pay rent and patrons fear to enter
I ?.he plaintiff's store. Ho claims finan?
cial damage.
r
^
Join the American Red Cross
MADISON AVENUE-FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK
Tjsrty=ffourtlhi Street Tfao;rty=tf?fitlh Street
TELEPHONE 7000 MURRAY HILL
A Remarkably Important Sale
off
elected For Gar meets
and Smaller Ftars
to comnumience to=morrow (Monday)
will inaugurate tremendous price reductions
in the foMowing;
Choice Russian Sable, Hudson Bay
Sable and Silver Fox Neckpieces
For Garments off Mink, Broadtail,
Karakul, Moleskin <& Hudson Seal
Less Expensive Fur Coats
comnijpriisninig
Natural Muskrat Coats
Dyed Marmot Coats
French Seal Coats (dved coney)
? <&?2i?3?
350.
Fuir Muff
s
Molesk?n v ?? ? a
Natural Japanese Fox ?
Australian Opossum ?
Dyed Raccoon ? .;>;??
Raccoon o; .: >? [o] ?? ?.
Dyed Skunk ?? >
Dyed Fox o; ..
Dyed Wolf . ? .. ,
?lodson Sea? (dyed musk rat) ?,
French Sea? (dyed coney) ???.-??;,
These Muffs wnllll match rnany off i'-.:.^
ffur-trimi med ganrnents
>35.
45.
28.00
32.00
25.00
65.00
?9.50
45.00
21.00
polar
t
En addition to the foregoing, extensive assortments
off Fuir- Neckpieces, Children's Fur Collars and Muffs;
Fur Robes for baby carriages; Motor Robes and
An?mma? Furs, are shown at very interesting proc?s
(Third FBoor., Madosoim Avenue sectooon)
Th? Orientai St?r??
-JTK
Fifth Avenue and 39th Street
"^S^<
100 piece Gold Medallion Dinner Set. Regularly $197.70;
Reduced to $121.80
A SAVING OF $65.90
A Thanksgiving SALE of
all our Open - Stock
DINNERWARE
at
OFF!
VANTINE'S contribution to the cheer of the Thanks?
giving Dinner is this popular chinaware which we are
selling at reductions of one-third. The entire stock
of Canton, Howo, Sedji and Gold Medallion dinnerware is
included in this sale?the savings applying to odd pieces as
well as sets
Howo
Howo dinner set, 108 pieces; in
blue and white design, showing
Howo bird and scroll;
Regularly $53.00
Reduced to $35.35
with a saving of $17.65.
Canton
Canton Dinner set; 100 pieces,
in popular blue and white wil?
low design. Regularly $99.50
Reduced to $66.35
A saving of $33.15.
Sedji China
Sedji Dinner set; 108 pieces; in a
rare shade of green; regularly $76.85;
reduced to $51.25; a saving of $25.60.
BASEMENT
WE need space on the main floor for holiday gifts and
are discontinuing our women's hosiery department.
Instead of disposing of it to other retailers we are let?
ting our patrons profit by this opportunity by selling all the
silk hosiery?at practically what it cost us!
This is not sample hosiery. There are no
"run of the mill" stockings. All the hosiery,
is of good quality, suitable for gifts.
at 95c pr.
Formerly up to $2.00 pr.
Thread silk stockings with cot?
ton soles and tops. In black,
white, navy and cordovan.
at $1.50 pr.
Formerly up to $3.00 pr.
Thread silk stockings with lisle
soles and tops. In black, white,
navy and cordovan. Some with
clocks.
at $1.95 pr.
Formerly up to $3.50 pr.
All silk hose with square or
pointex heel. In all colors.
at $2.45 pr.
Formerly up to $4.00 pr.
Some all silk; some with lisle
soles and tops. Black, white,
navy, smoke, cordovan, Chippen?
dale and beaver.
at $2.95 pr*
Formerly up to $4.50 pr.
All silk stockings. Black, white,
cordovan, navy, silver, beaver,
gold, emerald, purple and gray.
at $3.75 pr.
Formerly up to $5.50 pr.
Extra heavy, all silk stockings, in
all colors.
.-Lace Stockings
at $3.75 pr.
Formerly up to $7.50 ?
Stockings of chiffon, glove silk and net are included in the
Sale and represent the new vogue in hosiery.
At these prices we do not expect the Sale to be
of long duration and therefore advise an early
selection.
War Tax Additional
No Exchanges No Credit
MAIN FLOOR
No C. O. D's