Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-01-22
A COUNTY CALAMITY.
The Temporary County Courthouse at
Texarkana Fired by an Incendiary.
ali the Records Destroyed-A Block of Business
Houses Burned Before the Flames are
Cheeked-The Losses.
Calamity at Tezarkana.

Calamity at Texarkana.
Special to the Gazette.
TEXARKANA, TEX. Jan. 21.-0ur city
which has become somewhat notorious on
-account-of the frequent fires that occur
here was this morning visited by another
terrible calamity and while the event was
not accompanied by the loss of human
life, ii is a calamity that viii be felt by
every citizen of not only this city, but
the entire county. Some four years ago
the county site of this (Bowie1 county
was by vote removed from Old Boston
TO this place and the archives of
the county were brought here.
No permanent courthouse however
was provided and courtroom and offices
were improvised by knocking out parti-
tons and fitting up the second story of q
brick building fronting on Broad street,
opposite the Benefited hotel, and in what
was known to be very insecure eondi-
ton, all the records of the county were
permitted to remain until to-day. This
morning at clock the fire alarm was
given, and it was found that the entire
upper story OF the building occupied as q
courtroom and offices was in flames.
1t had obtained such head
way that it was impossible to
check it, and the entire block, with the
exception of the last house i'll the row,
was destroyed.
Those who reached the scene first say
the fire broke ont in the district clerk IS
office, which clearly indicates that it was
the work of an lncendiary, as no fire was
built in that office for two days previous.
Not a vestige Of any of the papers or
records belonging to the district and
county clerk IS, surveyor s and assessor s
offices were saved, and nearly all the
collector $ property was DESTROYED. The
loss cannot be computed, as the papers
and iecords pertaining to both courts
since the organization of the county in
1888 vanished in the flames. Bowie
county was one of the richest counties in
the state before the war, and the de-
struction of title papers, wills and pro-
bate proceedings will cause endless trou-
bic and litigation.
The buildings were owned as follows:
Corner, owned by A. l.. Chic; loss,
$1,000; insurance, $500
Second store, +. NJ. Henry; loss,
$4,000; insurance, $3.50.
Third store. w. l.. Whitaker; loss,
$1,000; insurance, $1,000.
Fourth store, O. 2. Moss; loss, $4,000;
insurance, $4,000.
Fifth store, Ben Collins ;loss $4,000, in
surance $1,000.
The lower stories were occupied as fol-
lows: Homer Yendes, saloon and reading
room; loss, $1,000; insurance, $500.
Rogers & Bros, saloon; loss, $500;
insurance, $500.
j F. Floyd produce and groceries;
loss, $1,000; insurance, Sl20Q.
p. d. Arrigo, building, $4,000.
The total loss is estimated at nearly
$40 900. Insurance SIG ,OO0, of which
the agency of F. W. Offenhauser has
SIP 200 and Mason & Co., $1,000.
The people are very much excited over
the affair, and steps are being taken to
examine rigidly into the cause Of the fire.
A large reward will be offered for the in
cendiary, and if detected nothing will
save him from the vengeance of the pep-
pie. The clerk s Office will be COM
menced anew and books and blanks for
the several officers have been ordered by
telegraph. The commissioner court
convened this morning and provided new
quarters for the officers wlth~an entire
new outfit, as not even a pen was saved.
The commissioners court passed the fol-
lowing order:
1t is ordered by the commissioner
court that reward of $1,000 be offered
for the arrest and conviction of the party
or parties who set fire to the Bowie county
courthouse on the morning of January
81, 1889, and the county clerk is directed
to publish a notice accordingly.
The commissioners court also declared
the office of tax collector vacant, Collec-
tor Arbuckle having failed to furnish
new bond as required by the court and
as reported by THE GAZETTE on yester-
day. The court adjourned until to-mor-
row morning, at which time a new col
lectof will be appointed. In the mean
time applications for the position continue
to pour in.
A committee of citizens will on to-
morrow offer large additional reward
for the house burner