Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-11-27
LIVES IN DANGER.
An LEGENDARY Sets Fire TO q Chicago
Hotel.

4 Hotel.
| A Chicago special SAYS: The guests and
| servants Of the Continental Hotel. at Wa.
| bash avenue and Madison street, were
driven from their beds at 2 O'Clock this
morning BY smoke and the alarm OF fire.
| Upon the arrival OF the fire department
| small fires were discovered IN all the rear
| portions OF the building, but the inmates,
| numbering one hundred guests and thirty
| servants, had managed to escape without
harm or great loss, though panic
ensued among the inmates OF the
| hotel when the fire broke out. The guests
who first awakened burriedy aroused the
| occupants Of the hundred-Odd rooms.
| Many OF the women rushed out screaming
| IN their night. clothes or scantly-clad NJ
best. The fire burned rapidly and the
| smoke filed the whole house. When the
| department arrived the most OF the guests
| we're assembled in the parlors and Office
| with frightened faces and scanty dress.
| I he siairways were Uttered with piles OF
| clothing, personal effects, and trunks, the
latter in ali imaginable conditions. The
| fire penetrated through the ceiling OF the
| second floor and had t. be fought from be-
| low. II was over half an hour before the
| blaze was entirely eXtinguished.
There can be no doubt that the fires were
| all OF nctndiary origin, and in expressing
| that opinion to-day Inspector Shay. OF the
| fire department, pronounced IL the most
| dastardly attempt against life and property
ever discovered in this city. "ilad there
| been delay OF ten minutes" said he, Gin
| the discovery OF the fire and giving the
| alarm TO the guests | haven't the slightest
| doubt that many OF them would have
| jumped from the windows TO the ground in
| the panic, or been lost aud smothered In
| the smoke. The building Is an old iire-trap
| anyway, aud 1t was fred in no less than sin
| places in The three upper floors that are
| used for hotel purposes. cannot say that
we have any definite suspicious as yet. but
more work will be done in the inyestiga-
| ton, and hope we may be able TO find the
| person or persons who did the work."
| ID. Spencer, who is said TO be the pro-
| prietor of the place, is declared to be in Kan
| sas City, where he is negotiating for the
| purchase Of the 81. James Hotel, and his
| only representative is Mrs. Iialnesey, who
formerly owned and conducted the hotel,
| but sold out to Spencer, her principal
| clerk, year ago. She says OF the fife that
| She was alarmed st the outcry and the smell
| OF smoke with the rest, and left her apart
| ments for the main Office. After the fire.
| men had oXtinguished the fire on the
third floor il was found that one
| bad been kindled in the closet OF the
room opening from hers, and IA few mo-
IN, hts later another fire was found on the
fourth floor, both OF which, she declares,
must have been kindled after the alarm was
given and the tiremen had come in, for she
il certain that there was 10 smoke or sign
OF fire in her room when she left ut The
first alarm. She feels certain, as { ry one
else docs, that the house was set on fire,
but declares that she has not the least s,lspi-
cion as to the incendiary, although she ac-
knowledged that it must have been some
one who was familiar With the house.
An inspection OF the room shows that
fire was set in the stOre-roon, on the second
floor. In Mrs. Hainesey's closet in the adj
Joining room, on the third floor, and In
room on the top floor. None OF the rooms
were occupied, and in the last mentioned
the fire was simply started by ignitin2 some
inflammlble material on top OF The bed.
A little refuse was kindled in the same way
i'm the closet, but there was more prepari-
lion in the work on the third floor; an old
trunk there had been filled with paper and
other combustibleS, and in the other room
the fire was set on the bed, while II was
surrounded with broken chairs and old
picture and miTror-frames that did not be-
long there.
The feeling among the guests Of the hotel
is very strong. All Of them know that an
attempt was made 20 burn the place over
their heads. and they want an Investigation
which shall develop all there Is in the mat
| ter. one OF those who were awakened by
the smoke and made his way with the
| Others To the Office said that he found there
| Mrs. Hainesey and her two daughters. One
| of the young women tainted, and hter on
| one OF them was heard TO remark that
" Mamma had been crazy once before"
| No eXpl lnatiOn Of the remark was made,
and the boarder thinks that it should be eX.
| planned.
| The affairs OF the Continental Hotel are
| in very precariOus condition. Mrs. iIainc-
sey declares that she made no money during
the four years Of her proprietOrShip, and
| that Spencer had done no better since he
bought the place. She remained with him,
she says, upon salary, and had no interest
! whatever beyond that. The furniture aud
fixtures Of the hotel cost 81, 001 when they
were new, nearly five years ago. and it
now appears that they were insured for
$4,000, which certainly is every doll
lar OF their worth. Spencer was
negotiating the sale OF the hotel 10
Mrs. Collins, the present proprietor Of
| the IT. Denis H0iel. on the west size. ana
she had deposited $1,000 in bank for the
refusal of the property until noon to-day,
when she expected to close the contract.
William Thompson held a mortgage from
Spencer 10 the amount o, $1,000. and when
Mrs. Collins announced her intention OF
repairing and refurnishing the hotel a num-
Der OF the regular boarders left, with the
understanding that the house was 20 be
closed for some time. When Spencer Is
said to have left for Kansas City this
bargain was pending, and yesterday a
number Of the servants were dis
charged without receiving their pay
hin full. Wednesday a butcher who had a
claim of SIG put q custodian in the house,
and he was quietly followed by another Of
Gcer OF the same character, who represented
the claim Of the real estate agent for over
due rent. The building and lot were for
merly the properly OF Mrs. Herrick, but
were recently sold to A. A. Munger, who
contemplated extensive repairs at the end
Of seventeen months, when the hotel lease
expired. The price paid was $27J,000, but
che building went at very low figure, and
was only insured for $4,000. Spencer is
said TO have been notified by telegraph OF
the Ere, aud has responded that he will be
home tomorrow.