The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-02-22

" long to reach the third story could
have saved the bodies, If not tho lives,
Of Mr. Stcbbins and his family.
r, J. Christian, having been sworn,
tcstified-Last nj ght, about / o'clock, I
was ON Main street, aud hearing the cry
of fire proceeded in the direction from
whence i: proceeded; found the house
NEXT door to =. Johnston on frc in the
rear: went up small pair of steps,
which led to the sleeping apartments Of
the occupants of the store; assisted in
removing the children and some bedding
from the room to across the street; when
| returned, heard that there were persons
s|eepins up stairs went to the steps, but
found the lire had gained such Roadway
that could not get up; l then went to
the front Of the house, on Main street,
and heard the cries of persons in dis
trcss up stairs; called for a rope to throw
nm. but could not get one some beds
were put on the pavement, and the
nartics in the house were told to
lump out; they did not do so, |
suppose, on account Of the distance !;
or, / think, they must have been nearly
suiiocatcd, as the smoke was issuing in
large volumes from the third-story win
dows. Heard the shrieks of the per-
sons above; one said, at is too late"
Just about this time the Hook and Lad
der Company arrived on the spot. as
sisted in putting up the ladders; found
them too short to reach up high enough,
and looked on the end to see if they
could not be put together. After seeing
Captain Hayward descending, asked
him if he could do anything? He said
no. At this time the firemen increased
in number, and cleared the sidewalks.
Know nothing of the origin OF the hre;
but think that, if the ladders had been
long enough, some assistance might have
been rendered the occupants, although
the fire was we'll under way before the
iiremen arrived.
At the conclusion Of the evidence, the
Jury rendered as their verdict that the
said Joseph, Mary f., Laura, Henry and
Arthur Stebbins, came to their deaths
by the accidental burning Of the house
in which they lived.
From the position In which the bodies
were lying when found, it is supposed
that the room in which they were sleep
ing was filled with smoke and fire be-
fore they awcke. That, being aroused,
they sprang for the stairway, but, find
ing it on fire, made their way into the
front room, on opening the door to which
a draft was created, which drew the
flames after them. AS it was stated by
one of the witnesses before the Coroner
that he called to Mr.. Stcbbins and his
wife to jump out Of the window, but
they failed to do so, and soon afterwards
turned away, the presumption is that,
just at that time, they must have laard
the screams Of their children behind, and
pc'ished in attempting to so to their as
Sistance.
The building in which the fire origina-
ted was, with the exception of small
portion of the rear end, destroyed. Mr..
Hutzler lost his furniture and most Of
the contents Of the store. 1t was owned
by William Ira Smith, Of this city, and
insured to the amount of eight thousand
dollars in the Mutual office.
The tenement on the west side, Occu-
pied by James Knots as a shoe and
trunk factory, also took fire, and the two
upper stories were considerably damaged.
The contents were, however, saved.