The Monroe News-Star - Livery Stable and Wagon Shop Burn in West Monroe


Date: Dec. 1999
Submitted by: Lora Peppers <lpeppers@ouachita.lib.la.us>




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The Monroe News-Star
Tuesday, September 20, 1910
Page 1, Column 1

WEST SIDE FIRE; ONE LIFE LOST
MYSTERIOUS FIRE CAUSES CONSIDERABLE LOSS OF PROPERTY THIS MORNING.
FINE HORSES BURNED
Livery Stable of O.O. Clark and R.P. Benson and Wagon Shop of George Bell
Totally Destroyed.  Total Loss About $12,000, With $3,750 Insurance.
        As the result of fire of mysterious origin, one life was lost and
about $12,000 worth of property was destroyed about 1:30 this morning in West
Monroe when the livery stables belonging to Mr. O.O. Clark and Mayor Benson
and the wagon shop of Mr. George Bell were burned.  The fire originated in
Mayor Benson's stable and had gained considerable headway when discovered,
the building being full of hay and feed stuff.  Richard Thomas, colored, an
employee of Mr. Benson ran from the building in his night clothes.  He then
returned, it is presumed for his clothes, but this was the last seen of him
until his charred and partly consumed body was found later in the smoldering
embers.  Thomas had been in Mr. Benson's employ for over two years and was
considered a good negro.  Besides the building, Mr. Benson lost a lot of
feed stuff, all of his harness and every vehicle except one buggy.  Four
teams of mules were at the park hauling dirt and this probably saved them
from destruction.  Mr. Benson places his total loss at about $5000.  He
carried $2,500 insurance.  A horse belonging to Fred Mitchell was burned to
death in Mr. Benson's stable and another one was badly injuried. (sic)
        From Mr. Benson's stable the flames spread rapidly to Mr. Clark's. 
Mr. Clark had about fifty tons of new hay stored in his stable besides
considerable other feed stuff.  Some of his stock was gotten out, but he
lost three fine mules and all of his vehicles and harness, together with all
of this fixtures.  Mr. Clark's loss exceeds $3000.  He (h)ad insurance to
the amount of $1,250.
        Star Blaise, a very fine stalion (sic), the grand son of Dan Patch,
and owned by Mr. Victor C. Barringer, was burned to death in Mr. Clark's
stable.
  The horse was valued at $1500, and there was no insurance.  Mr. S.C.
Coates, a farmer at Vixen, Caldwell parish, also lost a horse in Mr. Clark's
stable.  In all three mules and three horses were burned.
        Mr. Bell's wagon shop at the rear of Mr. Benson's stable and facing
the west side of the block was also totally destroyed.  Mr. Bell's loss is
placed at $1500, with no insurance.
        Jim Black, colored, an employee of Mr. Benson had both hands and arms
badly burned.  He saved all of Mr. Benson's stock that was in the stable.
        Mr. O.O. Clark, through the News-Star, wishes to thank all those who
assisted him in saving most of his stock from the burning building.  Had it
not been for the help, his loss would have been much heavier.

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