The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-08-25

charged.
James T. Ford, fireman, was arraigned
for stealing pair of slippers at the fire.
The slippers were found on the person of
Ford at the FIRE, and he was arrested.
CAPTAIN Charters and Mr.. Samuel S. Car
ter appeared and testified to the good
character of the accused. His Honor sent
him on for further examination.
Leonidas Cralle, charged with stealing a
pair of boots at the fire, was sent on.
John A. Hughes, for the same Offence,
also sent on.
CHARGED WITH ARSoN.-A. III. Newton,
white man, was arraigncd before the
Mayor yesterday morning for setting fire
to the building of Mcssrs. West s. Boards
ley on Thursday evening.
Robert Carter, private watchman, testi
fed that on Thursday evening, while near
the end of Lombard alley, he discovered
smoke issuing from the window of Messrs.
West & Beardsley's store. He repaired
quickly to the house with Mr.. Weatherford
and another friend. The house was locked
up, and with their assistance he broke open
the door. On going up stairs he found
kerosene oil poured over the floor; and
from the manner in which the flames ran
down the walls, he thought it had been
poured down them.
Witness had noticed that Mcssrs. West
& Beardsley's store had been left open four
or five times during the last month. He
went to them and told them Of it upon the
first occasion of his noticing it. He also
spoke to them concerning his pay rs pri-
vate watchman, and they answered that
they had rather pay insurance on the build
ing than have q watchman. He bad seen
Newton in the building at 2 o'clock one
night. Newton locked the door and left
the building at that time.
Private watchman Wcatherford testified
that Newton was one of three men who
left the building at about 10 o'clock on the
night of the fire. The doors of the house
were locked when witness assisted Mr.. Car
ter TO get in.
Detective Knox said that he had arrested
Newton upon the statement of watchmcn
Carter and Weatherford. When he was
carving Newton to the statiOn.houSe he
remarked that the fire had ruined him.
lie had lost not quite twenty thousand dol
lars, which was all he had in the world.
Mr.. West, of West & Beardslcy, testified
that watchman Carter had notified him on
one occasion that his door had been left
open the night before. He had also made
application to him to hire him as a private
watchman. In consequence of the heavy
expenses under which the firm was, he
could not hire him. Newton was not q
member of the firm Of West, Bcardslsy 4
Co., and lost nothing by the fire except his
clothing. The loss of property amounted
to twenty thousand dollars, upon which
there was an insurance of ten thousand
dollars.
Several witnesses were called TO prove
an abb. One Of them testified that New
ton was at the Brandywine club-rooms
from to 10 o'clock on Thursday night
and another was with him at the same
place from 10 until the time of the fire.
Watchman Weatherford, upon being re-
called, said that he thought he identified
building at about 10 o'clock. They came
out, locked the door, and went away.
Watchman Carter, upon being recalled,
said that when he reached the store the
fire on the second floor was just well
started. From the smell, he Judged that
kerosene oil had been poured on the floor,
and from the rapdity with which the
flames spread down the walls, that it had
been poured on the walls also.
There being no evidence to establish the
charge of setting the house on fire, the
case was dismissed and the accused dis
charged. Judge W. W. Crump appeared
as counsel for the accused.
TIE FIRE on THURSDAY NIGHT.-Thc
fire on Fourteenth street on Thursday
night was quite destructive, and was un-
doubtedly the work OF an inccndiary. The
store of West, Beardslcy & Co. was en-
tirely destroyed with the exception of the
walls. This firm had an insurance of eight
thousand dollars on the building in the
Metropolitan Insurance Company'S Office
of New York, and five thousand dollars
each in the Albcmarlc Of Virginia, and
the Manhattan and International Of New
York, making twenty three thousand dol
lars in all. West, Bcardslcy Y Co. occu-
pied the first and third floors. The insu-
rance fully covers the loss. The second
floor was occupied by James McClernand,
tobacco broker, who lost all his stock and
books, and had no insurance. Mr.. James
II. Foster, liquor dealer, the occupant OF
the store adjoining on the north, was
damaged to the amount of some five or
six thousand dollars by Stealage and water.
All his brandy and a good many boxes of
cigars were purloined. Mr.. Foster was
insured in his preceding place of business,
under the St. Charles, but had failed to get
his policy transferred. MessrS. Hill X
Poteat, one door below where the fire
originated, lost considerably by water. A
member Of the house had the presence of
mind to keep the doors shut, and conse-
quently nothing was stolen. This firm was
fully insured in the Baltimore and Wash
ington Fire Associations. McsSrs. Z. y.
Baldwin, Bcall 4 Co., corner Of Fourteenth
and Cary streets, were also heavy losers
by the removal OF their goods into the street.
They had just got in fine stock, and
the cases of boots and shoes were tumblcd
indiscriminately out of doors, when the
crowd helped themselves, literally; and
much damage was also done by the mud.
This firm was insured for nine thousand
dollars in the Standard COmpany's office OF
New York, three thousand dollars in the
Merchants and Mechanics of Baltimore,
and three thousand dollars in the Fire
mems Insurance Company Of Baltimore,
on their stock, besides six thousand dol
lars Oh the house, in another office.
Many reports were current yesterday as
to the origin of the fire, and all agreed
that it was the work of an incendiary.
Some additional facts, highly interesting
in this connection, will be found in the re-
port of the Mayors Court proceedings.
MATCH GAME OF BASE BALL.-The
Richmond Juniors having accepted chal-