Southampton-Nansemond County Virginia USGenWeb Archives News.....Fire, 1900 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ NEWS OF SUFFOLK AND OTHER PARTS OF VIRGINIA TOWN OF SUFFOLK Half of Ivor Destroyed by Fire Yesterday Morning. Bloodhounds on the Trail of a Negro Charged With the Crime-Special Elec- tion For Town Treasurer-Mrs. Norfleet Buried-Personal. (Special to Virginian-Pilot.) Suffolk, Va., April 5.-Half of Ivor, a Norfolk and Western station, twenty- one miles west of Suffolk, was burned down early this morning. The blaze was found shortly after midnight by Robert Bell. It started in a warehouse used by Bryant & Horn. That was the most favorable location in the place for a conflagration. The incendiary had chosen well the spot to inaugurate his hellish work, which might have con- sumed a number of human lives. THE FIRE WAS RAVENOUS. Fanned by a strong wind, and unim- peded by a fire department, the light, frame buildings melted away like tin- der in a furnace, or snow before mid- summer sun. The village population turned out and did what they could, many of them in their night-dress. Their well-meant efforts were resultless. The fire raged about two hours. When it stopped nearly the whole west side of Main street, the principal shopping section, was gone. THE BURNED BUILDINGS. There were burned the Episcopal Church, postoffice, three stores, several residences and some live stock. Mrs. Harris was painfully, but not seriously, hurt by falling furniture. Loss, $10,500; insurance, $1,500, so far as is known here. The principal losers are W. H. Harne, furniture store; R. M. Herrin, drug store; R. H. Hart, general merchan- dise;; Mrs. Ida Bain, dwelling; B. F. Bell, residence; L. F. Bain's estate, dwelling; the trustees of the Episcopal Church, Owen Rawles, A. S. Cobb and Burgess brothers, who owned Herrin's drug store. There were burned a horse belonging to B. H. Bain and a cow owned by B. S. Bell. Some of the stamps and government property were saved. There were families whose homes were over some of the stores. Wind carried the fire over one big leap. PERHAPS A LA EMPORIA. The last end of the news story may be bigger than the first. If the sus- pected incendiary-bloodhound "Tom" has gone for him-is caught to-night there may be a brand new Ivor edition of Emporia vengeance. The people, whose homes are gone and whose lives were in midnight jeopardy, feel strong- ly, and they may act the same way. DONE FOR REVENGE. The negro who is suspected was ejected from it store at Ivor last De- cember. He had borne malice against the proprietor ever since. This morning barefoot tracks were followed a short distance from the fire's origin. Then the man put on shoes, whose marks were traced something like half a mile into the country, where he seemed to have entered a buggy or other vehicle and escaped. Telegrams came here for blood- hounds. Hurricane Branch and Depu- ty Norfleet did not go, but this after- noon Chief of Police Ames left on the "Cannon-Ball" train with bloodhound "Tom." The train had orders to stop at Ivor to-day. Those who had insurance at Ivor were R. M. Herrin, W. H. Harne and L. F. Bain's estate, $500 each in the Virginia State company. The post- office was in R. H. Hart's store. A LYNCHING PROBABLE. At 10:30 to-night a crowd is collect- ing at Ivor to deal with Edward Till- man, suspected of burning half the town this morning. If caught he will be lynched. Bloodhound "Tom" failed to catch Tillman, but determined men mean to extort his whereabouts from his aged father, who lives near Ivor. SPECIAL ELECTION. The Town Council will have its reg- ular April meeting to-morrow night. The most important business will be the selection of a Town Treasurer to succeed the late John F. Lotzia. There have been several candidates in the field. The chances favor Colonel R. S. Boykin's election. The saloon people contemplate mak- ing a fight to have the 11 o'clock closing not effective regarding Saturday nights. MRS. NORFLEET'S FUNERAL. The late Mrs. Nathaniel Norfleet was buried this afternoon in Cedar Hill Cemetery. The services were conduct- ed from the Main Street Methodist Church at 4 o'clock, being conducted by Revs. W. T. Green, W. W. Staley, D. D., John Stanly, Thomas and J. H. Kabler. There were pretty floral offer- ings. These were pall-bearers: Dr. H. W. Campbell. W. N. McAnge, Jesse Whitley, J. O. Branch, J. H. Stewart, Henry Eley. PENSION BUREAU. Circuit Court Judge Prentis has ap- pointed the following as the Confed- erate Pension Bureau for Nansemond county under a month-old act of the Legislature: Colonel Thomas W. Smith, Captain A. P. Gomer, Dr. George W. Butts, W. J. Lee, R. C. Daughtrey. PERSONAL ITEMS. Mrs. James L. McLemore has return- ed from a visit to Franklin and her former home in Courtland. She was accompanied by a sister, Mrs. Hender- son T. Hedrick, of Franklin. Colonel Smith has a letter from Col- onel Stark, of Norfolk, who makes a touching tribute to the memory of their mutual friend, Captain Hill. Mrs. Patrick Hart and son, Dr. Ro- land Hart, of Tarboro, N. C., are guests of Mr. J. H. Nurney's family. Mr. A. A. Jones is better. Miss Bettie Clark, of Newport News, is the guest of Mrs. J. F. Love. SUFFOLK ADVERTISEME'TS Whaleyville, Va., March 22nd, 1900. MESSRS. WOODWARD & ELAM, Agents Travelers' Ins. Co., Suffolk, Va.-Gentlemen: I beg to acknowledge receipt of your favor of this date cover- ing draft for one hundred and thirty dol- lars from the Travelers Insurance Com- pany in full settlement of my claim for accident. This claim was only made on Saturday last and the company has paid it as soon as the mails could bring the draft to me from Hartford. I can most heartily recommend the Travelers for prompt and fair dealings. Very truly, mb27-tu,fr-tf A. D. MILTEER. Library of Virginia (LVA), Richmond, VA Virginia Memory [digital collections], Virginia Chronicle [newpaper collections], "The Virginian-Pilot" (Norfolk, VA), Vol. 5, No. 5, Apr. 6, 1900, p. 8, col. 1 Additional information: "A LA EMPORIA" refers to the double lynching which took place 24 Mar 1900, in Emporia, VA, of a confessed murderer (colored) & his associate (white). An account ("Virginian-Pilot," Mar. 25, 1900) is posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/greensville/news/19000325vp.txt The funeral notice of C. Alberta (HARGRAVE; Mrs. Nathaniel G. III) NORFLEET, with her marriage record appended, is posted separately at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/obits/n614a5ob.txt Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by File Manager Matt Harris (zoobug64@aol.com). file at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/news/19000406vp.txt