Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-12-30
FIRE.
The store OF MIR. a. j. Center Fired ny
Thieves. who Failed 20 Brcak Open
"a Safe After Entering thc building.

The Store OF MIR. a. j. Center fifcu by
Thieves. who Failed 90 Brcak Open
"a Safe After Entering thc building.
A bright fire was seen burning In
the store room used as a clothing and
gents furnishing establishment by A.
j. Center, No. zoos Main street, about
3 O'Clock yesterday morning. Police
man Rushing, who was OH duty in the
Fourth ward, was attracted 10 the
scene by n pistol shot, and hurried tn
the Local Option saloon TO send the
alarm through the telephone to the
city hall. After some delay the alarm
was given and the fire bell rang out
sharply on the night air. When the
firemen arrived the fire had been
burning some time, but seemed to be
confined in the rear of the building OH
the ground floor, where the flames
had communicated to n wooden parti- |
ton, but were gradually creeping to
the front of the store. An entrance |
was effected in the rear and n stream |
of water was soon pouring into the |
blazing room.
In fifteen minutes after the firemen
arrived there was no further Use for
water. The burning portion was
torn down, but the actual damage to
the building was small compared to
the damage done TO the stock goods.
Piles ofOurned clothing lay in the store
yesterday burned out of all semblan
to garments, soaked with water and
utterly worthless. That portion ofthe
stock which was not burned was in
iured by water and scorched by the
heat. On the shelves Mt each side of
The store Were boxes of gloves and va
rious other articles found in a gents
house, with the edges
burned and blackened 10y the fire.
Mr.. Center told a reporter that he
lad just gnished taking an inventory
If his stock, which would amount To
,ver $4,000. The stock was insured .
or 5000 by Messrs Swayne Bros. & !
frame in the following companies: |
North American, 81 900; London I
nd Lancashire, $1,000; Lancashire,
i 900; Hamburg Bremen, 81 900; Ma ]
ional, 81 900; Underwriters, $500; {
ierman American, $500; New Orleans c
nd Continental $500 each. {
The loss is variously estimated and it |
'ould be hard to say what it Is, be- p
ause that part of the stock not hurt {
y the flames or heat is considerably e
by the water. The different n
stimates run from 5000 to $1,000. C
Ir. &. y. Klauber, who owns the drug V
ore next door, was injured to the y
mount of S25 through breakage of b
now case in moving ii out when the ii
re first broke out Some of the u
dging rooms of the Waverly hotel ll
re on the floors above the burned oil
ore room and scme damage was done ct
them by smoke. Every indication ii
In fpvit .,f l,.. -. | I
ork of incendiaries. \ back door in n
Ie northwest corner of the building fc
rs priced open, showing how some Ii
he had first entered the building from b.
&c back yard. The money drawer hi
rs found near the safe and some sill IL
.r which had been left in it the even re
X previous was gone. fir
The safe had been severely dealt al
18th by some parties who certainly in
new nothing of the manner of open
K Il safe. The brass ornaments on
e hinges Were unscrewed, The cross
II in the handle was knocked out.
ID the other part bent and battered J'
7 the blows OF some hard instrument. III
three-ounce bottle of powder was "
und lying on top ofthe safe tightly W
rked, and the edges of the safe door ca
re the marks of IA chisel. There y.
ere some valuable books and papers 81
the safe and II little money. The ol
nilarity of this attempt to rob the ~
le and that made in Duross' grocery III
IRE on Front street several si'
'eks ago, leads TO the belief that the ga
ne parties were concerned i'll both "
empts. "
The fact that there were numerous ~
Ter robberies in the northern part of III
, city last night looks as though the an
: had been started to attract atten- ~
II to the Fourth war; while the NJ
rglnrs got in their work in the 10
rthern part OF the city, and that
re Is gang of them attempting to
rk this city. The work done in
nter's store was not that of profess III
nal cracksmen, but showed a want ar
ordinary sense, for it would have go
IN impossible to get into the safe da
er breaking of the handle without no
wing the door entirely out of the Hi
e. I'M