The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1903-01-30
SERIOUS FIRE At CONANCHE.
SIX BUSINESS HOUSES AND CON-
TENTS DESTROYED.
The Sufferers, Their Loss and lnsur.
anee-eelieved TO Have Had In
eendiary origin-Letter Re
ceived Threatening Town.
Special phone to the ArdmOreIte.

Speclal GnOne 10 lne AIuhoIcllts
Comanche. I. r.. Jan. SO.--Comanche
last night suffered the most disastrous
nre in her history. Six business
houses on the north side of Main
street, together with their contents,
wero destroyed
The fire originated In the office
rooms over the drug store Of Mont
gomery & Co. and was discovered at
about 10 o'clock. From this building.
which is located on the corner. the
flames spread rapidly east along Main
street to the w A. Yates stone build
ing. where their progress was stopped.
Following is a list Of those who
suffered from the conHagration:
Montgomery q Co.. drugs; loss on
stock $2.15O building and fixtures
81 200, insurance $4,000.
A. V. weekley, drugs; loss $2,5OO.
insurance $1,000.
Drs. Montgomery & Pruitt. who oc-
cupied rooms over the Montgomery
drug store; loss on library and fixtures
$500, insurance SIS.
DIR. J. A. McAfee, dentist. who also
occupied rooms over the drug store.
lost his fixtures and library
Immediately east of the two drug
stores was a vacant building. the prop
erty Of Yates Bros, valued at s4OO; no
insurance.
Tom Begley. groceries; loss on
goods and fixtures 5000, insurance
S4OO.
q NJ. Yates, Sr.. building occupied
by Begley grocery store, estimated
value $500; no insurance.
l. w King. groceries, stock valued
at sl40O, loss estimated at $1,000; in.
suranco $575.
Lige Yates, building occupied by
King, value $3.50; no insurance.
The roof and front of the w. A.
Yates stone building. which stopped
the flames on the east. was damaged
10 the amount OF S20O.
The first room of the stone building
was occupied by w. A. Yates with a
stock of groceries. This stock was
damaged by water and the hasty re-
moval of the goods to the amount Of
$3.50.
The same gentleman occupied the
second room with a $4,000 stock of
dry goods. This stock was damaged
about $4,000. He was fully insured.
The wind being in the north the
building across the street south from
the burned district suffered consider.
ably. The three brick buildings own.
ed by j. F.. Waymire of Grapevine,
Texas, and occupied by the First Ma
tional bank, w. w. Kidd's dry goods
and the Burt B. Case music stores were
damaged considerably in this manner
The plate glass in the front of all OF
them being broken. Mr.. Waymires
loss is covered by insurance The
front of b. F. Masseys store was dam.
aged TO the extent OF $3.50 and Miller
& Co. 500. None of the merchandise
in any of these stores was damaged.
The majority of our people, especial.
ly those who reached the fire before
1t had made much progress, believe il
to have been of incendiary origin.
A few days ago City Marshal Ray
received a letter from an unknown
party in which the sender had drawn
a picture of the officer hung to lint
of tree. a coffin on the ground ne
meath him and some one standing be
hind him and shooting at him with g
revolver. The writer also threatened
the town with a fire or some calamity
1t is believed the writer had some
connection with last nights fire anC
the officers are at work trying to learr
his identity.