Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-17
THE DODSON CLOSED
tTs DOORS LOCKED AND GUESTS
SEEK OTHER QUARTERS.
BuSINESS GRADUALLY FALLS OFF.
No Assignment Was Filed b"'
Creditors sued Ont nm Attachment
-. al. sheriff Took Possession
History Of the House.

The doors OF the Hotel Dodson' Twei.'h
md Bank streets. OF which Mr.. Charie9
u. Dodson has been the proprietor ioi
about eight years, were closed yesterday
ot nom. and the only light In the building
las. night was from an oil-lamp that
had been placed on the ofiice-counter
There was no deed of assignment hieu'
though one was in the process OF prepara-
zion. and would probably have been re-
corded last night had not the cfea''orS
sued out an attachment, under when 'he
sheriff took charge OF the effects OF the
hotel.
The closing OF the hotel came In the
nature OF a surprise to both the PUBIC
and the guests. Neither the resui"i
boarders nor the staff of employees knew
that the door would be locked uh'i
after breakfast. and then there was
general exodus.
1T WAS INEVITABLE.
Mr. Dodson was absent from the city
NIL day, but returned In the eVen'ls' ~
said 10 n Dispatch reporter that ior inc
last three months he had been losing az
much as $25 a day by keeping the ho'e,
omen. and that for over year ne hau
been steadily losing money. lie salu nc
might have borrowed the money 10 Non
tinue the business, but he reahze9 lna.
with the hotel in need OF consloci "Di0
improvements, ne could rot possibly COM
pete with the other hostelries' III We
an infinite relief 10 him, ne saiu' ai'o,
the daily anxieties and harassmehls Vi
40 n clear
business. ....,o,,
Mr. Dodson lett the ci'y se1s. .,.,'5
morning. for Norfolk, having notiled
Mr. Rernard Gibboncy. who Kept the sa-
ioon. 10 lock the doors at noon, ana an
no1nce that the hotel had failed. MI
Gibboney could give no further iniorma-
ton than that the hosiery was Closed
and that he was temporarily III charse'
THE PROPERTY LEVIED ON.
About o'clock Mr.. Preston Cooke, re-
ceiver for the estate of the late John
Belyin. TO which the hotel property pc
longs. took charge. and appointed MT
Godsey. the steward, as care-taker pro
TEN. a.
Deputy-sheriff Meredith levied on the
furniture of the hotel. in behalf OF
Messrs. S. p. Flournoy & Brother, poui-
trv- and fruit-merchants. who claim DAM
ages to the extent Of $500, while holdlng
n claim for 81 ,05S.S5 against Mr.. Dodsoh.
They brought suit in the afternoon ana
had the effects attached.
Captain Alexander Coke was instruct
ed by Mr.. Dodson Friday night TO draw
I'D a deed of assignment, but the deco
has not yet been executed. This may De
done tomorrow. The extent OF the IA
bs.ities could not be ascertained last
&c understood
are not very large.
HISTORY OF THE HOTEL.
Mr.. Charles e. Dodson, who succeeded
his father. the late John S. Dodson, IN
the hotel business, had been running the
house which bears his name for nearly
eight wears. The elder Dodson had con-
ducted the American Hotel, just across
Main street from the Dispatch office, ana
now known as the Lexington, for some
sixteen years or more when he was strlck-
en- down with illness the latter part Oh
iSSS. Mrs. A. d. Atkinson. who had Tor
several years conducted the ST. James
Hotel (as the Dodson was then caieo)'
leased the American when Mr.. Dousoh
health gave way. and moved INTO IL III
January. 1889. Mr.. Charles Dodson had
I'm the mean time rented the st. James,
which was thoroughly overhauled and re-
that cosey, though small, hosiery, whlch
continued under his management 10 ENJOY
an excellent reputation throughout the
state. Mr.. Dodson did a good business
for a long while, especially with COM
mercial travellers and the baseball ciuDs'
but the hard times cut into his patronage
quite heavily, and, as he explains, ne
could not stem the tide longer.
The st. James Hotel, as the Dodson
was originally called, was erected not
long after the war on part OF BelVln ;
block. which had been swept by the
evacuation fire. It's first proprietor was
MIR. T. w Hoenniger, who had conducted
the Spotswood in its palmiest days ana
was an exceptionally fine hotel man.
other managers during its earlier days
were Mr. Walthall Captain Page. VINO
died while it's proprietor and Mr. Moore
Mrs. Atkinson took charge of the house
about thirteen years ago. and conducted
81 successfully. with an intermission Oh
six months, when Major Charles p. Big
ger was proprietor until she went to the
American. and Mr.. Dodson, as has been
explained, succeeded her at the ST.
James.