THE CROWD COMPLETELY WRECKS THE PLACE. Turbulent scene last night in the neighborhood of Cooper Street and Irving Avenue.

The looters who cleaned out the liquor store of Charles F. Meyers, at Cooper street ad Irving avenue, in Queens county and just over the city line, respected only one thing in the place. There was a big lithographic portrait of George Washington on the wall at the end of the bar and the father of his country escaped the riot and general destruction unscathed. He looked down on the wreck with what seemed to be a sorrowful gaze this morning. The picture of despoliation was one that would have drawn tears from a bronze lion.

As indicated in the Eagle yesterday, the people in the immediate vicinity of the saloon had no time to bother about Meyer when the fire that destroyed fifteen houses was in progress. It had been rumored, though, that the saloon keeper had refused to shelter the wounded children, who had been thrown from a window of one of the burning houses and a bitter sentiment against Meyer took possession of the neighbors. It grew as the day wore on, and last night many persons, attracted to the scene of the fire from other sections of the city, congregated in front of the saloon and discussed his rumored refusal to aid the wounded.

There was general indignation, and so intense became the feeling against the saloon keeper that threats of lynching him were made. Meyer was in the saloon at 7 o'clock, but when he saw the temper of the mob he wisely determined to disappear. He left the place by the back door and, scaling the fence unobserved, fled to Newtown for shelter and assistance. A woman who was in the saloon and who claims to be a boarder in the house fled too. She ran to a liquor store, kept by Constable Ernest Brechter, at the junction of Cypress avenue and the Manhattan Beach railway. The woman pleaded with Brechter for assistance, and said that a mob was looting Mr. Meyer's place.

As the saloon keeper fled the rioters began the attack. It started when a small boy threw a stone through the closed door. The crash of glass seemed to precipitate a general descent on the barroom. It was then about 7:30 o'clock and there was a mob of nearly three thousand persons in front of the door. The first stone thrown was followed by a shower of bricks and cobbles, with which the rioters had armed themselves. Then there was a rush for the barroom, the locked doors were forced as if they were sheets of cardboard and the front rank of the rioters were swept into the saloon by the pressure from behind. The bar room was filled in less than a minute and the mob took complete possession.

Nearly every window on the lower floor of the house was broken, the three heavy plate glass mirrors of the mahogany sideboard behind the bar were shattered, the beautifully turned columns of mahogany supporting the sideboard canopy were twisted and broken, the partition which formed a small private drinking room was wrecked and bottles, glasses and pictures were wrecked. There was a rush for the store room and the rioters carried away two barrels of whisky, made free with several kegs of beer, smashed several bottles of champagne, smoked Mr. Meyers' cigars and appropriated everything but several bottles of claret, which was not to the liking of throng, apparently.

The work of destruction was complete in less than fifteen minutes. There were excited searches for Meyer, who had wisely escaped, and had he been caught the men were in a mood to hang him. Constables Boechter and George Hodke of Middle Village finally presented an appearance, backed by six deputies, and began to drive the mob out of the place. The rioters made a sullen resistance for a while, and the constables were forced to draw their revolvers. They fired several shots in the air and their intention in doing so, to frighten the mob, was successful.

The crowd took the alarm and dispersed in the direction of the city line. There the rioters were met by a section of men from the Twentieth precinct, and the work of dispersion was completed. A report that one or two of the rioters had been shot was wholly without foundation. There were no injuries inflicted by the officers. The constables took possession of the saloon and refused to admit anybody except the proprietor to the place. Meyer returned this morning, but there was no demonstration against him. He was very much excited, very nervous and he almost wept when he saw the scene of desolation. Later in the day he had an interview with District Attorney Fleming of Queens county about the matter. He proposes to sue the authorities of Queens county for damages. Meyer denies that he refused shelter to the injured children. He supplemented the statement he made to an Eagle reporter yesterday by this specific denial today:

"The World this morning stated that I refused to give shelter to the people injured in the fire on Cooper street yesterday morning." said Mr. Meyer, "and through the wild talk of their representatives, who acted like anarchists, caused a mob to attack my place last night and utterly wreck it. The paper stated that I refused to give shelter to the injured, although my
place was open, but this is not true. I sleep alone in the rear of my saloon, and when the fire broke out was the only person in the building. Knowing that the Queens county fire department could do little or nothing, I ran half a mile to Ridgewood and woke up ex-Coroner Homeyer, who has a telephone. I asked him to communicate with the Brooklyn department and then went to another man's house and got him to run for the local engines. When I returned to my saloon it was considerably after 4 o'clock and I opened up, but no one applied for shelter. It may have been that people came when I was away, and if I had thought of it I would have left someone in my place, but under the circumstances you can understand that I was too flurried to think.
All day yesterday I was in my place and had no idea that my neighbors were incensed against me. In the afternoon these reporters arrived and they talked so much to the people that they were convinced I had not acted right, and a mob wrecked the place, forcing me to get out. I had a nice business and a good deal of property, but all this is gone, simply because a newspaper wanted a sensation."

The sufferers from the Cooper street fire have nearly all been provided with shelter. There has been a generous outburst on the part of the neighbors and contributions of food, money and clothing have been received to supply the immediate wants of the sufferers. A volunteer committee, consisting of J.N. Specht of 27 Pelling street. John W. Hammill of 413 Central avenue, W.H. Ball of 413 Central Avenue, J.W.B. Rose of 236 Cooper street, Emma Lang of 96A Cooper street, Marion Reeve of 33 Moffatt street and others has taken charge of the distribution and the sufferers have been asked to apply for relief at a barn in the neighborhood which has been extemporized into a relief depot.

 Last night each head of the homeless families received $7.50 from the fund collected and rations and clothing. Contributions are still solicited. The business men in the neighborhood have sent groceries, shoes, hats and clothes and efforts are in progress to provide the sufferers with houses and start them in life anew. The Queens county police this morning arrested two of the rioters and expect to have the ring-leader in custody before the day is out. The accused will be arraigned before a justice of the peace in Jamaica.

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