# Mathias Benner, Third Assistant Fire Marshal
# Testimony before the Board of Police and Fire Commissioners, session of Saturday 2 Dec. 1871 (day 9), as reported in the Chicago Tribune of 1871-12-03, page 4
# Source: Library of Congress, Chronicling America (lccn sn82014064): https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn82014064/1871-12-03/ed-1/?sp=4 ; OCR text https://tile.loc.gov/text-services/word-coordinates-service?segment=/service/ndnp/dlc/batch_dlc_clark_ver03/data/sn82014064/no_reel/1871120301/0004.xml&format=alto_xml&full_text=1
# Page-OCR lines 943-1029; uncorrected OCR; written 2026-09-14T06:28:05Z.
# STATUS: NEWSPAPER REPORT (reported speech with some direct quotation) -- not the stenographic transcript. 

MATTBENNER
then made bis statement. He Is Third Assistant
Fire Marshal. There were many of the engine
companies which worked on the Saturday night
flro for eighteen hours. Ho told the Economy's
foreman to go to the north of DeKovcu street
and left one stream in the rear. He went to the
Little Giant's stream, and found it east of Mrs.
O’Leary’s cottage. In passing to the bam he
was compelled to tear down a fence. From this
Solnt for a long time the statement was super
uously tedious, dry, uninteresting, and irrele
vant. Mr. Moore wanted him to go away from
where he was stationed, but he thought it better
to stay. When ho thought the fire was
chocked on the corner of Fornuor and Cana
streets, ho learned that another had broken out
on the south side of Forqucr street, west of
Canal, at the back of Pat Mcßride’s. He went
into the house and found all the furniture re
moved the bed tick emptied ou the floor, and the
straw and hay set alight. He determined to save
that building. As soon as ho could move the en
gine with safety ho did so, and ordered MoLoan
to put a plug stream on the hydrant that the en
gine had left. Ho crossed the river by Twelfth
street bridge, and found a large frame building
on the corner of Harrison and Clark streets
on lire. It was a Jewish synagogue.
Ho found it was lath and plaster
and it was impossible to put the lire out. Mr.
Carter Harrison got an axe for him, but ho saw
it was useless, and told the foreman of the T. B.
Brown to remove his stream and wet the sur
rounding buildings. Ho met Schank, and said he
was going east. Ho went down to Congress
street, and. on coming back, found the Brown
still at work on Fourth avenue, near Harrison
street. His statement thereafter contained
nothing other than what has already been pub
lished. Tho Long John was the only engine sent
to tho South Side. The foreman had been ex
cused, to look after bis sister. A judicious in
quiry as to what money he received elicited tho
following facts; Mr. Ryerson. foreman, paid
money to some parties. Ho paid Benner
(tho witness) *300: he made “presents”
to the Little Giant, Wabansia.J. B. Rico, Jake
Rebm and Sherman, tho foreman (John McLean)
and two foreign companies. Ho gave two com
panies S3OO apiece— the Giant and wabansia. The
rest received 5200 apiece. There was no under
standing for any special services to bo rendered.
Ho could not understand this generosity on the
part of Messrs. Ryerson A Co., except that they
were -aved from being burnt out. He did not
think this generosity had anything to do with tho
retention of South Side apparatus on the West
Biac. The foreman of the lumber yard said “Matt,
you look after us, won’t you!” and Benner said
“all right.” Ho saved Ryerson’s yard from being
burned. None of tholr lumber was destroyed.
Ho did not know of any city engines forcing
water from the West Bide on the South Side coal
yards. He could not state how long the Waban
siu remained on the West Side. It might have
been until Wednesday; he could not tell when the
Long John went back to the South Division. Ho
did not see an order signed by Commissioner
Sheridan, directing four engines to go down to
tho |loko shore and pump water into the city
water mains. It was an uncommon thing
to receive anything for extinguish
ing Arcs. Only once he had
received money, and that was $3, for doing his
duty. Ho supposed tho foremen divided the
money among their men, but didn’t ask anything
about it. The only money he heard of being
offered was by a man owning a building on the
southeast corner of Jefferson and DcKoven
streets, who was offering #2OO to any man who
would save his building. He believed several
parties contributed to tho $2,100 distributed by
Sir. Ryerson’a foreman, among them the dock
companies. This witness occupied one hour and
a half, his remarks being brought to a close at 4:10
o’clock.