The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1894-02-07
A DEMONS WORK.
Manning Again Laid in Ashes.

-UoUAAAS ASoth ARkV 1A <AofAS'e
On the night of the I'd of December, lest
this town was visited by fire, and a large
part of the business portion was destroyed
| At the time, from the apparent clrcum
stances, that is to say the early hour OF the
evening, aud the chances for detection made
US doubt the fire being the work of IN lncen'
diary, although quite number of citizens
believed it was set for the purpose OF rob.
berry. The pilfering on that occasion was
fearful, crowds were here for miles around,
and goods were stolen by wagon loads
Notwithstanding all this we did not be-
lieve any one could be SO bold and daring
as to enter upon premises to carry out such
a purpose and get away without being de-
tected. Subsequent events, however, con
vlnces US We were mistaken, and we now
believe that the fire was q Systematically
planned affair.
Last Friday night at 5 minutes past II
o'clock fire was discovered in the rear part
Of S. A, Rigby's store. Policeman Higgins,
WHO was on duty, saw the light and cried
fire, and then ran to ring the alarm bell.
Before he reached the bell the flames were
towering above the building. Not more
than five minutes before Mr. Higgins saw
the fire Mr.. Mitch Wells passed the store on
his way home, and he saw nothing unusual
about the premises, and had just gotten
into his bedroom when he heard the alarm.
He rushed out and when he got to the
store, he says the back door was wide open.
The wareroom was then burning at a very
rapid rate as if the wood was saturated
with kerosene. It was at once evident that
no human efforts could save the store Mr.
j. H. Rigby, followed by his brother, Joe,
rushed into the store, and having in mind
Mr. Lewis sad experience with his safe,
they went to work to get out the books and
other valuables. Before they got through
the fire had gained upon them so rapidly
they were forced to come out, and as they
got out the roof Of the Office fell in and
came very near catching them. The front
door was opened and the work of saving
stock was commenced The workers gath
eredu the goods, and put them down on
the sidewalk by the court house square and
in Horton, Burgess & Cos lot. Guards to
prevent stealing were placed around the
goods, but some Sere stolen anyway. The
building was soon enveloped in flames,
and from it the adjoining stores occupied
by w. E. Brown 4 Co. as drug store, and
Miss Annie Davidson as racket store,
caught. All that could be done. was to save
goods The large two-story carriage shop
in the rear of Rigby store then took fire, and
from it the flames shot high into the air,
lighting up the whole town. 1t was feared
from this building the residence of Mrs.
Sallie Wells would be the next to follow,
and before the FIRE had gained much head
way in the shop the furniture was taken
from the house and carried to a safe dis
tance into the street. 70 save Mrs. Wells
house it took the hardest kind of work, and
the brave men placed themselves between
the two buildings withstanding the e1-
treme heat and persistently fought against
the fire. Several times We thought the men
would be forced to give Up and allow the
fiery demon to 60 on in his destructive
march, but the gallant men stood their
ground and fought brayely on until they
succeeded in preventing the monster from
taking in his grasp the home of the widow
and orphans. The house was saved, not
without damage, however, and as soon as
it was safe to do so Mrs. Wells had her fur
niture moved back.
From the heat of the burning buildings
the law Office of Rhame & Davis, which was
some distance from the others, caught, and
it too was consumed; the contents were
saved. The wind was blowing pretty stuff
in the direction of the Baptist church, and
between the law Office and the church was
a building recently used as the post Office;
this building was saved by a number OF
men getting some pieces Of sheet iron,
which they found in Rigby's lot, and
placed them on the roof, and constant
pour of water was kept on them until the
danger was over. Thus the further
spread Of the fire was arrested.
As to the origin of the fire there is no
doubt. It was set and we believe robbery
was the motive. If Mr.. Wells &c not mis-
taken about the door beics open, then the
store was robbed irst End the fire set to OBJ
literate tracks. Mr.. E.orton Rigby says he
does not ememberwhather or not he opened
the back door, but thir ks he did. When he
got there the back par of the ware room
was all ablaze., If the fire was set inside the
thieves made sure of their booty and then
saturated the were room with Oil before ap-
plying the match.
This is teri; BILE. Just two months ago
one side of the town was laid in ashes and
now the other side in the same condition.
Are our citizens going to sit quietly down
and make no effort to discover the pe1petra-
tors of these infamous crimes? The matter
should be searched into if it takes every
dollar from the town treasury and private
subscriptions besides. 1t should be placed
at once in the hands of competent detec-
tives and if possible have it ferreted out.
The insurance and estimated losses are
as follows:
S. A. Rigby, stock $4,000, insured fos
So, 900; store $500, insured for 81, 800
store fixtures $1,000, insured for $500
amount of stock saved, $4,000; store occu'
pied by W. E. Brown & Co., no insurance
Store occupied by Miss Anna Davidson, nc
insurance; two-story carriage shop, no in
surance; ware house, no insurance.
Mr.. Rigby recently dropped 81, 500 worth
of insurance.
". E. Brown g. Co., stock 1000, insured
for $500; saved, $500.
Miss Anna Davidson, stock $1,000, in.
sured for $500; saved some goods in q
badly damaged condition.
Rhame & Davis, law Office, value $500,
insured for $500; law library, value -,
insured for $500, damage, S10Q.
Mrs. Sallie Wells, residence and furniture
was damaged about $3.50, covered by insur.
ance.
S. A. Rigby is now occupying the Leon.
ard store, W. E. Brown & Co. is in Web
ber's market, and Miss Davidson has not
yet obtained store.
MIR. Rigby expects to build Immediately.