The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-11-11
GAINESVILLE: IN ASHES
A Devastating Fire Swept Over the FTa,i}
Lite TOGn YsC!.ay Ailiaing.
A YOUTHFUL CRls.IssL CONVICTED
csnltrr Nichols. twelve Ycrrs OF
Age. Sent Up TO- Mine Tcnra for
Enris ary-E,.ii lewis Given Etoyrn
T"nes tor ear ErcnIs!s::; iicta
ii.rcc Years .or ASSENT. Marriage.

SUFFOLK. Va, Nov. 10 tSpeciaD.-Gatcs-
vile, y. G., is il ashes. y cuu,llGrAtl5u
swept over The business portion % the
town at 3 o'clock this morning, leaving
devastation In lis tracks. The ilnmea
Ner" not impcded ty any fro depart
ment. aud they only Ccascd raging Wien
there was no more in0amtsrlih material
continuous to their Confines. Tile
startled population looked on in GlsmGy
as tie consuming element made short
work IL The dry frame huiidieg.
Full details are not ohtalnhDle to-
niEht y courier from tbc scene reports
the following as TIC prirviDal leases:
RiddicNs Hotel Edger Cross grocery,
II. A brown. general merchandise store
and Sheriff II. .. Ridi!c's residence.
There was practically no Insurance..
Owing to The uudeslrahlity of the riaSs
the Insurance rates were SO high Us to
he almost nrohhitc'y. 'fhc hlaHa Is said
to have originated in II ct1C stv store.
Gainesville s the country acnt and prin-
ciral town In Gates county.
Toy CRIMINAL CONVTCTED.
Nine years for Walter Nichols is tho
penal intliction whch &&nsenouI
County Court imposed on ths boy Grim
iral to-day for his daring deeds OF plum
der Walter is Il tWclvc-yCG:-uld hoy.
hut his criminal career dHtua mock al
most to infnncy. aud includes robhcrics
chnrnctGri2el ny shreWi planning AMI
skiiitul execution. Tor his arr Wal
ter's record stands nnparallclcd in Nan
semord's criminal history.
He had been rubblrty stores ana resi-
denccS Tor years, ana SO well were his
tracks covered that lie continued TO cs-
cape detection. This summer he be-
came cTlbodrrcd by his success and cX-
tended his operations to iron safes and
jewelry stores. Then he WAS caught
not In the act but by an occidental dis
play of his money to u detective who
was shadowng him.
lie stole about sSt in cush and n 800
check from c. j. Dukes safe. II was
about 10 Il. M, ana several clerks were
on duty, but he was not detected unt'l
he had gone to Norfolk and returned
For this act the jury gave him five years
The safe robbery and the arrest fol-
lowing led to disclosure Of the fact
that Nichols had stolen three gold
watches from NJ. e Primers icyvelry
store. The jury added four more years
for this f'cnsc. He had no counsel and
made Il full confession of both crimes.
Nichols is thought ia have been con
Portsmouth He heard the verdicts In
defiance, and Immediately began to cni-
culate the time he would gain by good
behavior.
ELEVEN YEARS FOR LEWIS.
Bill Lewis. colored. WIS to-day CON
victed on two indictments for car break
lhg' and was given Il total of eleven
anu SIX rCSnpctlrplE. TIg
made complete confession of his wrong
doings. He had no counsel
Lewis was arrested in 1894 for break
ing INTO cars on the Scaboard road He
shortly afterwards escaped from tho
county jail and remained at large mil,
last September. when he wns rafoi,nn in in
washington. d. c. He professed con
version soon after his return
THREE YEARS FOR ASSAULT.
At II o'clock on the night of August
I'd man entered the Sleeping an1~t
men; or Mrs. Annie January, on Sayato
go street and attempted a criminal a.,
sault. Her cutlery araused the slecn.
a'ts nurse; and the man fed. Nine days
afterwards Brooks Earnsey. calored
was arrested. accused of The crime and
at n y culinary hearing was sen; on for
Indictment.
Ihe case came up for trial this after
noon. The jury returned verdict of
st,Iee years, and j. y. Burgess, his coun-
sei. gave notice of motion for n ney
tFlai. Prosecuting Attorney T.. T.. Hol-
land represented the CommonweaI, h
Inc evidence was racy. Nirs. January
gave graphic and detailed account OF
the attempted assault. She {. twenty.
Two years old, Jewess of modest ard
attractive appearance. Her testimony
was corroborated by the nurse. Nreniza
copeland, a small hut bright child OF
Twelve years. The defense .e'!ed on an
n,.oi worm 10 Dy several DerS 1nS. nearly
all family connections OF the accused.
APPROACHING MARRIAGE.
Next Tuesday Miss Emma d. K ilby
daughter of Mr.. Upshur Filby, will he-
come the bride of Mr. Claude ]. Dennis.
chief lumber inspector of the Suffnl,.
Sawmill Company. The ceremony will
be performed by DR.. w. w. Stairy nj
the bride-elects home on Kilby stree,
In the presence of Immediate relatives
An extended tour will follow. Both thc
young people are we'll liked and their
REPUBLICANS TO CpLEnRATC.
The Republicans Of Suffolk will Shortly
nave a jo.lhcat.on in honor of their
candidates success in the Presilen.ioI
race. There will be music. parades and
fireworks.
ARRESTED FOR EMBEzzLEMENT.
Charged with embezzling money rrom
David d. Eley, Benjamin Butts was tbis
afternoon arrested by Gems able Branch
and Jailed. He will have a h ring sat.
urday before Justice Eley. Both par
ties are colored.
ACQUITTED OF SHOOTING.
Ophefia Butts, colored, was shot q. q
dance some time so in Lower Parish.
george Williams was accused of The
crime. arrested and indicted The trial
care up to-day. and resulted in an ac-
quttal. Other pistols Were being fired
when Ophela was shot,a the evidence
against Williams was no. conclusive
The wounded woman would not appear
against him.