Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1893-11-07
COURT HOUSE BURNED.
Nearly All County Records De
stroyed.
to Have Been Set OH
Fire Various Theories.

The alarm of fire was sounded shortly
after o'clock Sunday night, and the
slumbering populace of Brookhaven
who heard it and responded, soon dis
covered that the court house was in
flames. S. +. Magee, W. p. Hubert,
Eugene Bee, Alec Winston and few
others who were first to reach the
scene say the front and rear hall doors
were open and that the fire began on
the stairway or in the court room
near the head of the stairs. Some of
the first on the ground say the smell
of coal oil was easily distinguished.
The flames spread rapidly, and the
crowd, which began to assemble rapid
ly busted itself about saving the con-
tents of the offices, as all hope of ex-
tinguishing the fire was vain. The on
ly offices which it was safe to enter
we're the sheriff's and chancery clerks.
From these all the books and papers
outside the chancery clerks vault and
the sheriff's safe, with a part OF
the furniture were saved. Moth
ing whatever was saved out of
the offices of the circuit clerk,
county superintendent or the court
room. The circuit clerkon Sat
urday evening had moved all the cir
cult court records up stairs to be ready
when court convened Monday morn
ing, and these were all destroyed. All
other books, indictments and legal pa
pers were left in the fire proof ?
vault where. until Monday afternoon.
they were thought to be safely preserv-
ed.
THE JAIL.
Great excitement was caused soon
after the first arrivals over the rescue
of the dozen or SO prisoners i'll the
county Jail. who were thought to be
in imminent danger of cremation.
Jailer Keenan, was at home with the
keys. several blocks away, and at first
it was seriously proposed TO burst the
doors open by force, but other counsel
prevailed and a, messenger sent on a
horse to jailerKeenan soon brought the
keys and the prisoners were marched
out until all danger was past. The
front of the Jail was sharply roasted,
but no serious damage done.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
There is, as yet, no satisfactory proof
As to the origin of the fire. At first
general suspicion laid it at the door of
the white caps, and probably MAORI
ty are still of this opinion, but there
no more real reason for supposing that
white caps applied the torch than some
others. In fact, there were other per-
sons equally as much interested in the
destruction of certain records as any
white cap could possibly have been.
Many believe that some such person
as this was the real criminal. Others
still, think the fire the result of care
lessness or accident, in which midnight
gambling and keg of beer or jug of
whisky figured. Some of the negro
prisoners in Jail say they heard the
approach and departure of horses just
before the alarm, but such testimony,
unsupported by other evidence, is not
to be relied upon. The LEADER men
tions these as the various theories it
has heard advanced. 1t is hoped a
full investigation by the grand jury,
heartily seconded by other ministers
of the law and all good citizens, may
result in discovering the real cause of
the fire and fixing the responsibility or
guilt where it rightfully belongs.
THE RECORDS DESTROYED.
Up to Monday afternoon it was
thought all the county books and re-
cords in the brick vaults, built to be
fire proof, were safe, but when the
walls began to cool. they cracked and
the air coming in on the Smothered
heat. caused the contents of the
vaults to at once ignite Every effort
possible was made to eXtinguish the
flames, but in vain, as only a limited
supply of water could be had, and
before dark, the whole OF the splen-
did new county records, obtained at a
cost of thousands of dollars, were in
ashes.
The destroyed building was insured
for $1,000, and the records and furni-
ture for $500, the total of $500 insur-
ance being divided equally between the
Phoenix of New York, the Aetna and
the Liverpool and London and Globe.
This is the second court house burned