Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-21

| himself from my grasp. and exclaimed,
%. father. I am DYING This reused me
/ from my state of almost insenstbilitE, and
| my reply was, Ny son, / Will die WITH
you Dark as midnight. my hand inVoi"
| unfairly seized the skirt of his coat. got
| him again in ms hold, when we We're
able TO rise l gave to my body q sudden
| impulse that carried me over the dead and
! DYING bodies and pieces of flaming wood.
1 that the STEPS were crowded with, ana
| In that manner, with him in my arms, l
| got to the lower fioo1; when terminated
by the air rushing in at the doors. got
! up and most miraculousIy and unhurt.
/ placed myself and child out of danger
! Instantly returned to search for my wife!
! But death and destruction inevitable
! urged me back. Where my wife was,
/ whether, saved or not. l could not tell. L
| knew only that DR.. Grecnhow had taken
her under his care. But. Oh, sad 10 tel:
the fatal mandate had issued.
AS there were distracted mothers seek
! Ing Tor their children. and faithful nus
| bands striving to rescue their wives, SO
| there We're lovers sharing common
| peril one pair of whom We hear belnS
| happily saved while another romantcal-
| " persisted together Mr.. Robert Stanard.
| after heroic efforts, succeeded III eXtrlcal-
| ing his betrotned a Miss Craig, but ler
| sister. who was with her. was lost. LIZ
| ill-starred lovers who We're Killed We're
| Lieutenant Gibbon and Miss Conyers
| T'I,, latter VAS the niece of Mrs. GalIego
and lived with her aunt. Just opposite
to them. on the same street. was the resi-
lence of Major Gibbor, an old ofhcer OF
the Revolution. Lieutenant dlbbon, MS
son. was in the navy. and had distinguish
ed himself in the war with 'Fripoi. has
mother and his ladyiove were both III the
theatre Filial duty led him first TO ms
rescue of his mother. and having saved
her he returned for Miss ConyerS-. But
il was too late and they died in cacu
others arms.
Two incidents are related OF ladies viz
were saved by means OF their lonS anu
abundant hair One of them, Julia Wick
ham. became afterwards the wife OF the
celebrated lawyer and statesman BenJa-
min Watkins Leigh. The other lady, Miss
I1omoselle who seems TO have been solie-
thing of q coqucttc, had two lovers pay
nS her attention at this time, one OF
hem DR. Thornton, she had just re-
iected. the other upon whom She seemed
. LOOK more favorahly, had taken her TO
he play The rejected suitor wandered
lisconsolatcly round the theatre that
3ight. unwilling To go in where ne
would see his rival il the company OF
the lady he loved. When the cry of fire
was heard he was near at hand, an6,
cushing TO one of the windows he caught
sight of Miss IIomCSellc, who. III the con-
fusion had become separated from mex
escort He called to her to let down her
hair. and winding his hand tightly in
he heavy braids. he lifted her up through
he window and bore her safely down on
The other side. and then and there, SO
he tale runs. he addressed her again.
rhile ner heart Haa warm with gratitude,
and she soon afterwards became Mrs.
Thornton.
The rescue of ten or twelve ladies was
effected through the combined eNerucns
of Or. James McCaw, an eminent Rich
mCrd physician and Gilbert Hunt, a
negro blacksmith Both We're Of fiercu-
lean size and strength. Gilbert had bee1
employed by MRS George Mayo to so Is
the theatre il search of her daughter, ana
on reaching the building he recognized al
one of the widows Or. McCaW, VINO mao
just succeeded in breaking out the sash.
The doctor told him to stand under the
window and catch these he should let
down One after another the poor wo-
men within reach of the good doctors
strong arms were in this way saved, Gil
bert catching them as they We're lowered
out Of the widow. The last OF these, as
if 10 reward the pllilanthroplc physician,
proved 10 be his own sister She, now
ever was, like her brother, Of Formidable
size and Gilbert, though he caught her.
fell with her hut neither of them We're
Injured The doctor IUw sought TO es-
cape himself. but i'll jumping from the
window of the already lettering wall
he caught his leather gaiter IN an iron
protection and hung suspended for some
minutes in great pain and peril lie at
length fell but was famed Tor life. ne
faithful Gilbert dragged him TO place
of safety Just in time 10 save MIN from
being crushed by the wall. winch 1ell a
few moments later. y sad death at TINS
time was that Of q Young girl CT II, Maria |
{T.Al. I al
son. of Yorktown, and siSter-ln-iaW OF
Francis Walker. OF Castle Hill. Abe |
marie county. Her remains were identl- !
fed by means of a gold watch OF her |
which she wore ina,
night. and which is still in possession OF |
the family. |
1t is in a great crisis, a period Of mortal |
reril. that character is manifested. and |
fbe brave, man is distinguished from the |
coward. Among the brave that night was
a Mr. Marshall who. after saving q num-
Der of ladies by dropping them from q
window at length was about TO Jump out
himself. when a woman frantic with Ter
ror clasped him about the neck, Ialii1is
with him. He was killed ana she was
saved. But another type Of our frail hui
man nature was TO be found here
youuf, girl who had gone with a large
party TO the play, became separated from
her II lends, and making one OF dense
mass of people who were SHOWING ana
pushing one another III the mao struggle
TO escape. 1t was with difficulty she could
keep her footing. Many near her were
thrown down and trampled upon. AS the
crowd surged to and fro. the lady sud
denly saw beside her gentleman or her
q young man Wel!-kno"n
IN society, and highly thought or, one OF
the fashionable heauX of the DAY. ne
and without a thought OF de-
tanning him, yet doubtless with a vague
sense of possible protection. she put out
her hand and laid hold OF the SKIRT OF tne
yentleman's coat TO the young elrIs
,mazc,nent he drew out a penknife from
ais pocket and in an instant had cut on
he coat skirt and passed on. leaving the
severed portion in the lady's hand, Both
we're among the saved, and naturally the
adv never forgot the incident In her
I'D age she would often tell the anecdote.
showing the cut piece of coat which shei
had preserved 90 y memento B1f Is