The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1905-03-17
NOTED FIRE RECALLED
Hotel Burned al HiliSbOr0 which Resulted
In the Loss of Two Lives.

e. Nj. OIiYer Is now on trial III
/ the district court at Hillsboro on the
double charge of arson and murder.
This trial recalls one OF the most
disastrous fires in the history OF
/ that town, resulting not only in great
destruction of property, but also in
the loss of two lives. One of the
parties burned to death was James
l.. Grizzard. a brother 10 W. II.
Grizzard of this city.
Referring to that fearful confla-
grafton the Hillsboro Mirror says;
| About $3.50 o'clock on the morning
| Of Friday, January 27, 1899, the
\ Commercial hotel a wooden structure
| that had for years stood on the site
now occupied by the Mirror building
and of which the defendant. Oliver,
was az the time In charge OF as pro-
/ prietor, was discovered to be on fire.
| the ravages of the flames having de
stroyed a good portion before an
alarm reached the fire department
| The hotel and adjoining buildings.
| being mostly frame structures and
of very combustible material, burn
ed rapidly and a strong north wind
prevailing, the flames were speedily
| conveyed to the Windsor hotel,
| building situated on the adjoining
| lot Immediately south of the Com
merciai.
| The most serious feature was the
| loss of two lives In the burning of
| the Commercial hotel. these victims
| being Ross Leary, son OF Lem
4 g.. .zg ~
| county living on RiChland creek, near
Milford and an old gentleman nam
! ed James l.. GrlzZard, who together
| occupied room in the upstairs of
the hotel aud were burned TO death,
the body of the latter being almost
/ entirely consumed About twenty
| other guests who were sleeping in the
| building made their escape In their
night garments by jumping out of
| windows. and climbing down avn
| ing posts. one, man named Rabb.
| getting his face and hands badly
burned while escaping.
| Among those who made narrow
| escapes were Eugene Porter. Tom
Bragg, Or. Dazey, Ernest Woodruff.
Bob Moore. Ed. Rowan. John McCul-
| Tough and the wife and three chill
dren of MFR. Rowe. a Katy brakeman.
| The Mirror in It's first issue after
the catastrophe had the following to
| say OF the unfortunate gentlemen
who lost their lives:
Ross Leary, who Is a son of Lem
| Leary. was a young man about TWEEN
ty-fiye years old. He came TO town
with Mr.. Jim l.. Grizzard that night
In buggy and put up at the Hunt
wagon yard. They engaged a room
at the Commercial and about 8 or
lIo O'Clock Mr. Grizzard retired.
| Young Leary went to see his aunt.
! Mrs Frank Leary, who Is boarding
at J. w. Morrison He left there
about S30 and then visited an old
friend, Bob Williams at Hughes
saloon and stayed with him until
about 10 O'Clock. He left a wife
and three children. He was a popu
lar young man.
MI Grizzard has a brother, w.
H. Grizzard, at Waxahachie, and an
lother. c. p Grizzard. in the hard
ware business at Wortham.
| Mr.. Lem Leary came TO town this
morning on hearing Of the fire and
says there can be no doubt of his
son being burned up.
The bodies were too badly burn
ed 20 be identified The head. hands
and limbs of Leary were burned off.
while the body of Grizzard were en-
tireiy consumed. only the heart and
a few bones being found There was
an odor of burned flesh about the
ruins of the building all day. A large
crowd OF curious boys and men were
stirring about the embers and ashes
of the building today, looking for
valnabies and trinkets"
Oliver <ot Guilty.
The trial of Oliver was concluded
yesterday afternoon. the jury returns
ing a verdict of acquittal.