The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-11-29
TIE LAST OF TIE LANDMARKS.
A Building With Thrilling History
destroyed by Fire.
a Brief Account of of thC
Historical Eve
OF the
MONDAY.

Historical Eve
MONDAY.
Just as the city clock was striking |
the hour Of noon telephone message |
came to the police station announcing |
a fire in the Tenth ward. Capt. Chen
evilie FASTENED to the fire bell and |
rang the alarm. From the belfry a |
thread of flame could be seen III |
the roof of the house owned |
by James NJ. Day, familiarly known
as doc" and occupied by II. d. |
Patrick, freight agent of the Interna-
tional depot for the city. The fire |
caught from 4 defective fiue in the |
roof, and as the wind was blowing ii
gale from the north, it spread like a
spark in a Undertook. The firemen
responded with usual prOmptness, but
they could not save the dwelling. It
melted before the strong north wind
like a snoW-bank before spring sun
shine. Mr.. Patrick succeeded in get
ting out most of the furniture in
somewhat damaged condition; on
which he did not have..a dollar of in
sprance The house, probably worth
$3.50, was insured for $1,000 in the
agency of Zimpelman 4 Bergen.
Ordinarily the foregoing is all we
should say about the fire, but the build
ing destroyed has one of the
MOST THRILLING HISTORIES
which demands more than passing
notice. The history of that house
is in fact part of the history of the
heroic days of the Texas republic. 1t
was one of the original public struc-
lures built under the direction of the
commissioners who laid Off the CAPT
tai of the Texas republic in 1889, and
was occupied as commisSary store
house and ordnance department.
Here, too, was the quartermaSter'S de-
partment during all the stirring days
of the young empire. The famous
Gen. j. G. Chalmers was adjutant gen.
eral, and his family occupied it
during the time of the
Mexican war, The generals wife re-
lated. to some of the old citizens very
thrilling incidents connected with the
Indian troubles of that exciting pc
Rod She has looked from the win
dows and seen the savageS proving
about the premises and at one time
/ she saw them steal the horses from
the stable and ride them away. Many
are the thrilling incidents old settlers
relate in regard TO these matters in
which the old house played an import
ant part. In the spring of 1912
when Mexico invaded Texas Gen.
Vasquez, at the head of 1900 regular
troops, marched for its capital to cap
ture its ordnance and commiSsary
store in this very building. On his
way, and on the 5th of March, he en-
tered and sacked San Antonio and
surprised the district court there in
session, and captured Judge Andrew
Hutchinson. A Mr.. Genners made
his escape and, riding without regard
to horse flesh, warned the
capital OF the approaching
foe. So rapidly did he
gallop from San Antonio to Austin,
that he reached this city by three
o'clock in the afternoon, and rode up
to this famous house and informed
the adjutant general of the invasion.
Gen. Chalmers sent out couriers, and
before the next morning 1000 citizen
soldiers had assembled about the
house destroyed by flame yesterday,
awaiting his command, and ready to
defend the building, and its treasures
with their lives. The executive.
however, became alarmed and boxed
up the archives and left the city for
the lower country, leaving the
archives here; some of them hidden
in the cellar of this building. Gen.
Ed. Burleson, Tom Green, John Cald-
well and his compatriots went in hot
pursuit of the MeXicans and pursued
Gen. Vasques beyond the Nueces,
when they returned to San Antonio
and, after lying in camp about Il
month, disbanded and came to
Austin only to find the
capital nearly deserted. Mrs. Chal-
merS remained in his historic house,
however, faithfully guarding its
precious contents, as well us a woman
could. Then followed what is known
as the
ARCHIyE WAR,
in which this old house played Il most
important part. The executive and
the officials who went with her
claimed the right to remove the
archives to the lower country, and
these old veterans Claimed they could
not be taken from the lawful
seat OF government. The gov
eminent had removed without
taking the arsenal, leaving artillery,
arms and ammunition in charge OF
Capt. Sutton with headquarters at this
famous house. Samuel Whiting, Jas.
Webb, Joseph Lee, Eugene G. Kelly,
A. :. Coombs and William p. Gaze
nan were appointed a committee to
take charge of the archives, and W.
b. Lewis, John Nolan and others
were constituted Il yigiiapt committee
to prevent any Of the archives Of the
government from leaving the capital
During the latter part OF the summer
the executive made several efforts to
get possession Of the archives by per-
suasion, but the committee refused to
surrender. 1t was during this period
the
INDIANS WERE TROUBLESOME
and it was with extreme difficulty the
citizens could protect themselves and
their houses. They soon ran short OF
ammunition and applied TO the officer
ia charge of the arsenal, who refused
to give except upon regular requisi.
ton, q i ali seemed to center upon
house. It was ammunition OF
perish with the patriots. On the even
ing of the day of the demand they
seized the officer in command and took
from him the keys and helped them
selves. The next day they supplied
every citizen. In December following
the Austinians were surprised and
the archives captured. During this
period the men clothed themselves in
tentcloth taken from this building.
and Judge Lee says it made most ex-
cellent clothes, too. The Austinians
followed the party and after astruggle
brought the archives back to the cap
itol and celebrated the victory with a
grand supper.
After these troubles were over this
building was
USED AS A COURTHOUSE
for short time. Judge Lee SAYS sew
eral terms of court were held there.
Judge Hancock was on the bench al
that time, and Maj. Robinson, Alder
man Platt, Mr.. De Cordova and other
old settlers had the honor of serving
on the jury. 1t is related that Mr..
Sours was a juror in case where a
man had been indicted for playing
cards in a saloon for liquor under the
gambling act. The jury was put in
the box, and the defendant in open
court, in the presence of the
judge and jury pleaded guilty to the
charge. Judge Hancock charged the