The age-herald., 1899-03-28
THREE DWELLINGS
 BURNED AT SELMA Buildings and Contents Were Covered by Insurance. DEATH OF GEORGE PEACOCK Was One of Selma's Most Highly Re- spected Citizens, and Gained
 Fame as an Inventor-Was
 Born in England.
DEATH OF GEORGE PEACOCK

 was burned in October 1897, occurred a few minutes after o'clock yesterday morning.
 About the hour named above pr. J. C. Pearson, who occupies one of the Tissier houses on Alabama street, near the court house, was awakened by the cracking of flames and the smell of smoke. He hastily arose and throwing open his window. yelled fire. The flames were soon making their way into his bedroom and he only had time to throw on a few pieces of clothing and escape.
 The home of c. c. Grayson is just south of the Tisser house, and separated from 1t by only a few feet It quickly caught fire and when Mir. Grayson was aroused he only had time to get his children together and get them from the house in their night clothes before the bed they had been sleep ing in was mass of flames. s. M. Cray son, the aged father of c. c. Grayson, had to be almost dragged through the flames, but all got out safely, with scarcely any clothing save what they could grab as they went out.
 The key to the fire alarm box on the cor ner by the court house could not be found, nor could the central office be raised over the telephone. Despairing of getting an alarm in, MT. Grayson put his little son AL, in his night clothes, bicycle that had been standing near the front of the house and sent him to the council chamber to give the alarm. At Dr. Mckinnon's cor ner he met policeman Alex Carr, who turn ed in the alarm from the box there.
 By the time the fire companies responded the flames were under full headway and rapidly approaching the home of R. P. Anderson, next east of MT. Grayson's. Four streams were put on, but the water main Tn that vicinity is only six inch pipe and with four streams but little pressure was had.
 The fire caught in MT. Pearson's kitchen. The doctors family are out of the city and about dark Saturday evening he had his office boy go to the house and make a fire in the stove so that tho water might be heated pr. Pearson went home about o'clock and put more coal in the stove. He was in the kitchen about half an hour later and says the door of the stove was closed. He thinks that either the pipe came out of the flue and fell to the floor or that some part of the stove gave away
 On the two houses owned by c. G. lis sier, the one occupied by Dr. Pearson to- tally destroyed and the one occupied by w. K. Peacock, damaged, there was insurance enough to fully cover the loss The exact amount could not be learned.
 On MT. GraySons house was $1 ,500 insur- ancc and on his furniture $1 ,3OO
 R. P. Anderson had $1 200 insurance on his dwelling and 5000 on his furniture with Woolsey's Sons agents.
 Dr. Pearson had $500 insurance on his household effects
 Yesterday morning about 10 o'clock Ed Nelson came stumbling up to the council chamber with his throat cut and a gash or two on the side of his head. He was under the influence of liquor, and beyond telling that John Haley negro employed by pr. Smith in East End, had cut him not much could be got out of him. Dr. Rogan was sent for, but when he got there Nelson refused to let him sew up his wounds. which appeared to be rather se- rious. The doctor told him he had better let him attend to his wounds. but the ne- gro stubbornly refused and he was allow ed to go.
 There are various tales af1oat as to how the negro got cut. The affray happened in the vicinity of the engine house and is said by some to have been the renewal of a quarrel that occurred the night before. Others say he made purchase and refus- ed to pay for 1t, and on being called to taw about it, started in abusing Haley, who went to work on him with his razor.
 Haley hasn't been seen since the affair and Nelson refuses to talk.
 George Peacock, one of Selma's most highly respected citizens, died yesterday.
 MT. Peacock was born on a farm near Stockton Sees, in the county of Dur ham. England, May 5, 1923. He was edu- cated in his native town, and at the age of 14 was apprenticed to the trade of moulder. It requires seven years to learn that trade In England, and after his 2lst birthday he accepted employment as journeyman in the city of Liverpool Before coming to America, in 1S4S, MT. Peacock had corre- spondence with and had been engaged by the famous Erickson as an expert to assist in heavy castings in the construction of the Caloric engine, but after reaching this some misunderstanding led to of the contract, and MT. Pea cock accepted a position In Townsends and Machine Shops at Albany, ". Y. From Albany he went to Troy, and from there to Cleveland He then went to Louisville and built the water works fer that city.
 He next went to Natchez, Miss, and was Churchill & Co.'S large iron works at that place when the war broke put. His knowledge of the manufacture of the munitions of war secured for the people their first contract from the Confederate state. The fall of lower Mississippi led to the removal of the iron works to Columbiana, this state. From here in the spring of 1863 he came to Sel- ma as superintendent of the Naval Foundry If the Confederate government located here md in June of the same year was made ,aptain of ordnance.
 MT. Peacock had a natural inventive talent, and during his long and useful life hundreds of inventions that have been of great benefit to bis trade were pats1ted by him. He was the inventor of the cele- brated Peacock self-oiing wheel that is so widely in use all over the country wher- ever there Is a mine or other plant f>uslng tram cars.
 Perhaps the greatest good that fol- lowed the efforts of this citizen whose death is so sincerely mourned is the public school system of Selma He was tireless in his endeavor to give the youth of this sec- ton an education, and in 1866, after the war clouds were lifted, he was appointed member of the board of trustees of Dallas a position he held until the day of his death, and 1t is safe to state that few, very few, meetings of the school board were held in all the thirty-three years of its existence that George Peacock was not present.
 There was never a public enterprise started that MT. Peacock did not enter into |t with all his enthusiasm, and anything fhat eaemed to he for the good of Selma