The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1876-03-30
SERIOUS LOSS.
Burning OF the Courthouse ana Records
OF Tarranl County.
the Htii city Visited by Tire
that Clogs the wheels OF Justice
ana Opens tho Door 10 I'm.
limited Litigation.

A destructive conllagratlon occurred
at Fort Worth yesterday morning, re-.
sulIing In the complete destruction of
the Courthouse It's and contents.
An EXTRA" containing u detailed
account OF the fire, was Issued hy the
Democrat, n few hours after lis occur
renee, and through the kindness of "A
gentleman who arrived from the
town las. evening, rHE HERALD has
been put In possession Of copy, from
which che following extracts an TO the
origin and loss are copied
This morning between four and five
O'Clock the Courthouse was discovered
TO DO on fire and burning rapidly. Mr..
Joel Hancock, constable OF precinct
No s, aud j. W, Roy, constable of pre-.
cinct NO, z, aud another person, were
sleeping in the office OF Chief Justice
Morris, IN the southwest upper corner
Of the building, and were the first to
discover the fire aud give the alarm.
The city was soon aroused, and the
Hook and Ladder Company and cltl.
zens were soon on the ground; but the
fire had made such Roadway that IL
was Impossible TO check Its progress.
The fire originated In the southeast
corner OF the building but whether on
the first or second floor II is impossible
to say with any degree of certainty.
Careful inquiry has been made of Mr.,
Hancock, Mr.. King, Mr.. Furman and
others who were the first at the fire,
and from the progress II had made, and
its volume, ii Is believed that II origin.
ated in the lower room or office of the
Clerk OF the District Court, the records
OF which were totally destroyed. Mr..
Miller, one OF the deputies Of the Dis
trict Clerk, was engaged in writing up
the minutes of the court, which Is In
session, and left the Courthouse
about two o'clock, carefully putting out
all lights, and pouring water on the
fires in the tire.places in the court
room.
The books and papers Of the District
Court, whioh were being used, were
partly in the court room and partly in
the office below. All were complete
loss. The records and papers of the
Surveyors office, and those of the
Sheritf's office, and portion of those
of the Chief JUSTICES office, were saved.
The loss to the county, in Its records
is incalculable, as is that of the parties
who had causes in litigation in court,
as the papers and minutes were de-
str0yed.
Judge c. &. Cummings had but few
days ago moved his library into the
Office OF the Chief Justice, and II was
burned, His loss will be about eight
hundred dollars.
Captain Greene lost a number Of
books and papers.
Justice Morris docket being destroy
ed he will lose u thousand dollars
more.
The Presbyterian church has been
using the Courthouse IA place of
worship, and their handsome organ,
seats, and Sabbath School library were
u total loss, amounting to about four
hundred and fifty dollars.
The burned building has never cost
the county but little except for repairs.
1t was erected by the citizens of this
place, at the head of whom was Cap
tain b. NJ. Daggett, many years ago,
when the removal of the countryside
from Birdville to this place was agi-
tated. 1t was of stone, and It's huge
solid walls, that now stand blackened
and charred, can be utilized IN erecting
a new temple ofjustice. Had the records
of the courts been saved, the loss
would have been slight, AS the better
workmanship aud modern improve
ments that can be used In rebuilding
the house would compensate for the
loss incurred.
If it should transpire that the fire
was the work of al incendiary, as 1t Is
believed by many, we hope the fiend
may be discovered and punished.
Some comfort can be offered to land
owners, whose titles might be brought
into question by the destruction of the
records, in the fact that Hanna d Hog
sett have o complete abstract OF the
land in the county, which can be util-
ICED in making up u new set OF records.
THE HERALD, while sympathizing
with our neighbors In their loss, must
con yratulate Paddock upon his energy
and enterprise in thus furnishing the
particulars OF the disaster to his readers
and the public, copies Of his "extra"
having reached our city as early as
.hree o'clock yesterday afternoon. 1t
was piece of enterprise worthy Of all
praise, and The HERALD cheerfully
comedies 1t.