Fire Bells vs. Wedding Chimes

Fire Bells vs. Wedding Chimes

William Ziegler, a young New Yorker, who was spending the morning before his wedding with his betrothed, had his sweet converse rudely interrupted by the telephone bell ringing violently. The message announced that his stable at 356 West Sixty-ninth street, some 50 or 60 blocks farther down in the borough of Manhattan was afire. Speeding in his auto to the scene he found a fierce blaze and great excitement ruling. His watchman’s wife had thrown her 13-months-old baby out of the third-story window into a horse blanket held by two big patrolmen, after which she climbed w ith what speed she might down a sixty-foot ladder. He was successful in getting six of his valuable horses led out in safety, but had to mourn the loss of four fine bull pups that no one seemed to know were in the stable. A neighbor's chauffeur had ventured into the stable and was overcome by smoke and was not found till the firemen had put out the blaze, forty minutes afterward. It was with difficulty that he was revived After that somewhat petdurbing interludeheratarned to his bride-to be. with whom he proceeded downtown to go through the proper form of getting the wedding license. Presumably the marriage chimes sounded none the less cheerily after the troubles of the previous day.

State Fire Marshal T. M. Purtell of Wisconsin says that his department has collected evidence which shows the existence of an "arson trust" operating in Wisconsin and other States for a number of years. He adds that warrants have been issued for the arrest of several of the alleged principals, most of whom live outside of Wisconsin. The setting of fires is carried on, according to Mr. Purtell, in conjunction with a hand of adjusters of fire losses. "It is the most perfectly organized 'trust' for the destruction of property by fire for profit that has ever been uncovered in this country.” said Marshal Purtell. "As far as the investigation has gone we are led to believe that this one organization has destroyed over $1,000,000 worth of property in the last decade.”