Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1912-02-01
TAX COLLECTORS
STORE BURNED
BELIEVED STORE WAS FIRST
ROBBED THEN SET A FIRE.
Tax Records Safe. About SSO0.OO
Paid In City Taxes Yesterday. But
Only About S:s25 Was Left I'm Store

Only About sa25 Was Left in store
Truly Brownsville y favored BY
the Gods II she were not a large
p1rtion. " not the entire city might
be a heap Of ashes and debris this
morning. This makes the third fire
that has threatened 70 destroy our
little city. but each time II has been
favored hy conditions which confined
the area OF the fire 10 where NJ
started.
Last night about IN o'clock. the
fire warning realed out Instantly
the streets became alive with people
" was not necessary 10 ask where the
fire Was. for the sky was ahlaze from
the flames Of the wooden building
which was occu pied BY Macedonia
Garcia. grocer. and tax collector 0f
the city Of Brownsville, on Twelfth
street just opposite the Catholic
church.
The fire department was PROMPT
IN responding. and hnrriedly made
hose connections. The street was
4 heavy with mud. and in front Of ne
building that was fire a large pool
~ water and slush. DELAYED the work
on the fire fighters. The fire was
already burning fiercely by the time
the alarm was given. which was
against the firemen also. Worst of
All there IVES very little pressure on
~ the time. and despite their brave
efforts the hose brigade could Do
nothing with tho little stream that
irickled from the hose.
IN remarkably short time the
entire building was completely en-
veloped in flames. and n was quick
4 IN evident that the house was doom
ed.
SeSteiro Building Threatened
For n time II rocked IA if the
Besteiro building also would surely
i fall A victim to the flames. that
werH Hlickinc the walls. and ;he
saark that we're falling on The wood
en Ids and dry goods boxes that
had tcen stored in the yard Roth
lose bud Manuel Besteiro. rcaii-
zing She danger organized bucket
brigade. that managed 70 keep thn
outhonses wet. and another brip4de
4 was ser 20 work removing the loose
niisTabie material
The flames leaned 70 the adioin-
ing frame building ~ the alley. mex
to the Garcia store and quickly rta
them up. An other adjacent small
wooden buildings We're. torn dowr
md by this the fire was confined n
the small area
The available water rld n hrici
wall kept the fire from spreading I'M
wooden structure on the corner
next 20 the burning building. whifh
I belongs 70 Mrs e. p. san Roman
Robbery Relieved "a Pe Responsible
for the Fire.
Macedonia Garcia was interviewed
hy q Herald reporter last Eish. nnh
In reply 10 a question ms to the cause
Of the fire. said that ne believed
that IFS store was Just robbed ana
then set on fire.
Yesterday was the last day 10 Dny
CITY taxes. sum anproVimafins
SS.onn more or less was paid dur.nc
the day To the city TEX collector. NY
his office. which was IN the buildinr
that was burned. large part of
this amount had been deposited. am
the checks and paper money thai
was received after banking hours
Mr.. Garcia took home. but the sil-
ver money. amounting 10 between
$500 and Sa2I. was placed in iox
and left IN the store.
City Tax Rolls safe.
Fortunately Mr.. Garcia took an
the tax hooks home with him last
night. 20 thar an the tax records arc
safe. the only loss 0f city property
being the silver money that was left
in the store. Mr. Garcia IN tall.ing
to = Herald reporter last night raid
that ~ ala not have an enemy in