The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-02-03
THE PENITENTlARY FIRE
INVFSTTGAT TTOY By THE JOINT LEO.
LSLATIVE COMMITTEE.

l
and Others Taken-Sothing Elected rs
to the Origin of the Flames-The Whole
Matter involved in Mystery.
Yesterday evening at 4 o'clock the Sen
ate Committee on Public Instructions
and the House Committee on Asylums
and Prisons went to the Penitentiary to
investigate the cause Of the recent fire
there, and what it would cost to rebuild
the burnt building, etc. The attendance
of the committee was very large, nearly
every member being present.
THE INVESTIGATION.
Arriving at the Penitentiary the conf
mittee went through the ruins and saw
the conviets hard at work tearing down
the walls and removing the debris. They
then proceeded with the investigation.
Superintendent Moses was first examined.
He stated that he did not know how the
fire originated he was in bed but not
asleep when he heard the alarm it was
between the hours of and 6 immCdi
ately turned in the fire alarm and
met Nr Glenn on his way TO the
office, who told him that the
shoe factory was on fire, The fire orig
mated IN the upper story, the new third
story, built about four years ago. He
did not believe it was the act OF an in
cendiarv. although there were no fires in
the upper story lWhere the fire orig
mated, and none were allowed there eX
cept in extremely cold weather.
All fires were in ,he basement There
were jGl conyicts employed by Messrs
Joseph Davis x Co The State received
from them about $4,000 per month. The
cost Of, maintenance was 5000 per
mont h. land the profit to the state S3 000 |
Al present all these cOnyicis are thrown
on the States hands and 1t costs not less |
than 20c each per day, or about 1920 per |
day 10 fed them. Mr. Moses thought !
that 100000 would rebuild the burnt !
building The State carried no insurance !
at all except on two boilers, upon which !
insurance had been placed by the Board |
lie also stated that he thought it would |
be entirely impracticable to build new |
Penilentiary, IA TO DO 50 would cost the
State 81 100000 in buildings, transpOrta |
ton, a regiment of guards etc.
THE FIRE sEARcHERs TESTIMONY
Mr.. Ruse, the fire searcher, was next
heard. He was quite confused in giving |
bis testimony. First saying that the fire
was seen by bin at quarter to I, then
changing it to lis, and later, when ques
toned by Senator Loycnstein, changing g |
il to 5.ij.
The committee decided to allow him 10
tell his story in his own way. In sub
stance it was. that at 5,lj he was stand
ing looking in fire CRATE or stove, and |
heard an explosion and saw flames issue
ing from the cutting room. He gave the |
alarm, and his son did the same. Wen; |
into the room and the smoke drove him
out. Went to the fitting room and tried |
to fasten the hose to the nozzle there, but |
could not do So Then went to the finish
ing room, and with the assistance of Il
negro convict, Jones, who was on outside |
duty, fastened the hose 10 the nozzle.
Il did no good the flames increasing all |
the time.
in answer TO question, he said that !
he passed by the door of the cutting de
pariment (wherc the fire originated at
44j), and saw no blaze nor sign of fire.
MR.. DAVIS TEsTIFIEs.
Mr.. Joseph Davis, the head OF the firm /
who run the shoe making establishment, !
was next invited To make a statement |
He said he had just come from Boston |
to look after his interests. He was ready !
to continue his contract with the State if |
they would give him the building to work |
in. He stated that he made 3, 900 pairs Of |
shoes every day in the year in the Peni
tentiary that he had lost 10000 pairs of 1
shoes in the fire ready for delivery TO his /
spring trade; that he could get them
duplicated at another factory, and that /
he was very anxious TO have the building /
re.erecied so that he could work the CON
yicts in order to supply demands of his
fan trade
THE SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION THEORY
In response 10 questions Mr. Davis said
that he had never heard of shoe factory
having spontaneous combustion in it.
He did not believe that there was case
on record He never used anything Of
an explosive character
TO BIZ FURTHER INVESTIGATED.
II was decided that committee of two
from the Senate aud three from the
House be appointed to look further into
this subject, and report 10 the joint
Adjourned at $50.
Change In the Mozart Management.
Last night the Board of Governors Of