The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-03-21
FIRE AT. WACO.
The Cotton Belt Depot and Three
Loaded Cars Burned-L oss,
$4,000.
The Robinson Mystery at Tex
arkana-ALeged Counterfeit
ing at Galveston.
Special Telegram to the Statesman.

Special Telegram to the Statesman.
WACO, March 15.-At GAO a. m. to-day
the Cotton Belt depot was discovered on
fire, and as it was constructed entirely of
wood efforts to extinguish the flames were
futile, and in short while the house was
total wreck. Nothing was saved what
ever, not paper, not way bill, and, in
addition to the loss on the house and con
tents, three cars, heavily loaded with mer-
chandise, were destroyed. The wind blew
strong from the south, and it was with
great difficulty that the row of business
houses across the street were prevented
from burning. A frame house belonging
to Maria Brown, which was near the depot
was burned. Loss, $500; insured for $4OO.
There was also more or less damage to
the fronts of half dozen business houses
near Mr.. 81. Mjsell, tine freight agent of
the Cotton Belt, estimates the loss to the
road between $4,000 and $4,000. For
tunately the elegant new passenger depot
of the road, located on Third street, is
almost completed, and will be ready for
business in two or three days. The
freight Office of the road is temporarily
located at the Brazos compress, and bust
ness goes on with very little disoomforture
except for the lack of records, the loss of
which will cause much worry in the settle
ment of claims for freight burned.
This afternoon sensation was created
by the arrest of William Anderson on the
nj Of kAn
derson is colored man who has been en-
ployed as porter at the depot. The ar
rest was made upon the statement of
George Jennings, restaurant keeper
near the depot, who states that about
O'Clock he was passing in the rear of the
depot when he saw through the glass win.
dow the negro porter throw lot of coal
oil on the goods inside and then dash a
lighted lamp into it. The oil caught and
the blaze reached up to the ceiling.
81 rap," he said, sup to the side door,
knocked and called out, let me in! The
door was opened by the colored porter,
who then disappeared.
The grand jury is examining into the
matter to-day. j. P. Lonnogan, the night
operator, who was on duty, states in ref
erence to the origin of the fire:
II was in the Office, which was separated
from the freight room by an ante-room.
The division between the ante-room and
the freight room was latticed work and
the door leading into the freight room
was locked with paddock, the
key of which was carried by
the freight clerk. No one could enter the
freight room from the office or without
when this door and the side door were
closed at night, and upon the discovery
of the fire the only way he could gain ad
mission was by breaking the paddock with
an axe. 1 received train orders at $50
O'Clock and copied them in the press
FIRE in the freight room at
that time, else 1 should have seen or
smelled it. William Anderson, the porter,
arrived about the same time and went into
the ante-room for the broom to sweep up
the Office. 1t could not have been more
than ten minutes from the time left the
ante-room when returned to carry back
the copying rag, and on opening the door
leading into the ante-room 1 was almost
overcome"
The whole south corner of the freight
room YVES on fire. l commenced tele-
graphing the fact to the train dispatcher,
and before concluded the fire was so
close to me that had to jump out of the
window. There was no window in the
freight room, and it was impossible for
Jennings or anyone standing outside to
see the inside of the freight
room" William Anderson is in jail.
He corroborates Lonnigan's statement
and says when Mr.. LOnnigan discovered
the fire, broke the lock leading to the
freight room and went in, hoping to put
out the flames. Having gained admission,
found it was impossible. Hearing some
one beating on the side door 1 opened it
and admitted Jennings. I was then al
most suffocsted with smoke, and I left the
building. Anderson was at work when ar
rested. Very little confidence is placed
in the Jennings story.