Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1853-03-22
Local lntelllgsneea''City Affairs, &c


% The fire in the lower portion of the city
Sunday night turned out to be quite disastrous.
IL broke out about 10 o'clock, in a wooden build
ing adjacent to the stemmery of Messrs. Ford
&c Wilson, on the Northern side of Main street.
between 10Th and Goth streets. The buiIdinp in
which the fire originated, together with two
other wooden tenements, occupied respectively
oy Messrs' Ford & Wilson as stemmery and by
Mr. VIM Wareas shop for manufacturing Flat
tenng Mills, was totally destroyed. The kitchen
belonging to the premises occupied by Mr.. Ed.
Smith, also sustained some damage and the fac.
tory of riessrs. Gran & Bennett was quite So
r'ously damaged-not SO much by the fire as by
the water used in extinguishing the fames.-
Messrs. Foid & Wilson estimate their loss at
5000 and Mr.. Ware estimates his at $500: no
insurance upon either. Messrs. Grant g. Ben
nett had effected an insurance upon their stock
of $4,000, in the Richmond Fire Association
loss between $4,000 and $3OO0 The building
was owned by the late John Enders, and was, we
learn, uninsured.
The fire was unqestionably the work of an in-
cendiary. Indeed, we understand negro woman
living near the scene states that she distinctly
saw three white lads enter the building wherein
it originated a few minutes before the flames
burst forth; and of them carried bundle
of paper under his arm, presumes the fire was
communicated in that way.
During the progress of the fire, negro man
belonging to Mr.. c. Crew, volunteered his sery-
ces to help in extnguishing the flames in the fac
tory of Messrs Grant & Bennett. He assembled
TO the fourth story. and after working away awhile
| found himself encompassed by suffocating at
mosphere. He ran to the staircase for the pur-
pose OF descending but finding it in baze saw
at once that all hope of escape was cut off. He
then rushed to of the rear windows, and
boldly leaped out, preferring death in that shape to
suffocation. And fearful leap it was. to be
sure, the distance being fully fifty feet He
came down feet foremost, lighting on his heels.
and then falling on his face. He was picked up
placed in hack, conveys to the residence of his
master, and on examination it was discovered
that not single bone had been broken. He was
doing we'll yesterday, and though suffering some-
what from the jar, it is believed he will be able to
assist at another fire (should unhappiIy oc-
cur) in the course of week. This leap far
surpasses the celebrated one of Sam Patch, ia
which he did not lose his ife and shows, 10 the
language of that adventurous spirit, that .'some
things can be done we'll as others'
LARcENY.-Oficer johnson yesterday arrests
ed John aud Eliza Kelly, two white children
the first about and the second about 5 year
of age-upon the charge of steang gold breast
pin and a gold pencil from the room of Mr..
Fitch, Locust alley. 1t seems that Mr.. KelIey's
family occupy portion of tenement in Locust
alley in which Mr.. Fitch has taken rooms
Some time since Mr.. F. missed the articles
named, and knowing that they bad been stolen,
lodged information thereof with several jewe llers
day or two since lad answering the descrip-
ton of John Kelley, called at jewellery store on
Franklin street, and offered the breastpin and
pencil for sale. The jeweer refused to purchase,
but apprlsed Mr.. Fitch of the circumstance,
when that individual obtained a warrant and
caused John and Eliza Kelly to be apprehended.
The missing articles were found in their possess
sion, we learn. The case will come up for inves.
tigation before Alderman Evans this morning
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