Newspaper Clippings - Volume 44 - Volume 45

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT VIRGINIA.--About 8 o’clock last evening a fire, occasioned by the bursting of a coal-oil lamp, broke out in the meat market of Jacob Steffan, on C street, Virginia, and owing to the combustible nature of the buildings in the vicinity, the spread of the flames was exceedingly rapid. The Fire Department was unusually quick in reporting to the alarm and getting to work, and certainly did most effective service in checking the progress of the flame. Washoe Engine, No. 4, and Young America, No. 2, were both out of service for painting and repairs, but the hose carriages of each were present, and their companies did good work. Chief Malone was on hand, as usual, and was very energetic and efficient. All the boys worked like heroes, "One’s" to "Six’s," and none will object to our saying that old Jim Cartter did splendidly. He worked like a hero, and made his mark fighting the flaming foe, particularly at the north side of the conflagration. Jim is a full-blooded fireman. There were twelve or fourteen buildings destroyed in all, the burnt district lying between Mill and Carson streets, and extending form C to B streets. Steffan's market, Wright's house, just south of it, Dellapaine's store and two dwellings, Jerry Quinlan's Golden Gate boarding house, Lurch & Kimball's meat market, grocery and provision store, and two buildings owned in San Francisco, were among the property destroyed. The entire loss foots up to about $22,000, and the insurance to but a small proportion of the amount.

THE LECTURE.-- The lecture on Woman Suffrage given by Mrs. H.M. T. Cutler, M. D., at the Methodist Church, Gold Hill, Saturday evening, was well attended by a very appreciative audience of ladies and gentlemen, every seat being fully occupied. She is a very able and interesting lecturer, dispassionate, logical and convincing. Her argument was good and full of telling points, and not to be successfully refuted or set aside by mere idle, irresponsible prejudice on the part of those who are disposed to ridicule the cause she so able espouses--a cause which daily increases in popularity, and will not be lightly set aside. This lecture was also a novelty in its way, in that there was no admission fee and no collection taken up.

PIPER'S OPERA HOUSE -- THE BLIND TROUPE.--The famous Pioneer Blind Troupe of vocal and instrumental musicians, composed of Messrs. Smith, Walker, Wood, Fuller, and Miss Ella Moran, all blind, made their first appearance last evening at Piper's Opera House, to a fashionable and appreciative audience. Their entertainment consisted of popular ballads, duets, trios, choruses, etc., aided by their own instrumental music, each one being a good performer on some instrument. Miss Moran is a very pleasing singer, possessing a clear, sweet soprano voice and pleasing appearance, which merit added to the sympathy of the audience for her sightless condition, induced the warmest and most encouraging applause of her every effort. She is only about eighteen years old, a graduate of the Boston Blind Institute, and a teacher of vocal and instrumental music. Mr. Smith is one of the sweetest and most talented performers on the cornet, Wood excellent on the violin, Fuller a good player on the violincello, and guitar, as well as a good singer, and Walker is the funny man and comic singer of the company, as well as a capital violinist. His Irish and Dutch comic songs were heartily applauded and encored, also his violin solo with cuckoo imitation. Fuller's original medley song was also encored. The violin duet from the opera of Martha, by Wood and Walker, was very good indeed, and that other comic arrangement in that line, by Sith and Walker, concluding the entertainment, is not easily to be surpassed. They played their violins in twenty-five different positions, and were much applauded. Altogether it was an entertainment well worth seeing, aside from the a laudable desire to patronize and assist those who, deprived of the blessing of sight, are thus availing themselves of the talents Nature has compensatingly endowed them with to gain a respectable livelihood. they deserve, and we sincerely hope will receive, a crowded house to-night. Prices of admission as usual with no extra charge for reserved seats.

[Gold Hill Daily News, September 8, 1871]

SUICIDE OF JUSTICE LIVINGSTON.--Yesterday afternoon, at Virginia, Wm. Livingston, Justice of the Peace for the Third and Fourth Wards, committed suicide at his office on South C street, by taking an overdose of laudanum. The cause inducing him to this rash act is said to have been financial embarrassments and an investigation of his accounts by the County Commissioners, he being considerably delinquent in the matter of paying the county's share of the proceeds of his office into the Treasury. He had been evidently uneasy in his mind for several days, and even talked as though he contemplated suicide, as an end to all his troubles. Other causes are given, which it is not essential that we should mention. He attended to the business of his office as usual, almost up to the time of his death, his last official act being the signing of a commitment in the case of John Alvarez, arrested by officer Lackey for grand larceny, and sentenced to the County Jail in default of bail to the amount of $700. He signed a commitment, instructed his clerk to fill it up, then retired to hi sleeping apartment in the rear of the Courtroom and took the fatal dose. His situation was discovered about 3 o’clock and Dr. Heath promptly summoned, but the unfortunate man was past all earthly aid, and died in about half an hour after. A note by his side read as follows: "I have willfully wronged none, nor never intended to do. Wm. Livingston." He was 52 years of age, a native of Scotland, a widower, and leaves two daughters, married, at Virginia, also a son working in the Chollar-Potosi mine, and a younger son at school in the city. An inquest upon his body was held this morning at 10 o‘clock a.m. His funeral takes place this afternoon, attended by Young America Engine Company No. 2, of which he was an honorary member, and the Order of Red Men, of which he was also a member, besides numerous warm personal friends. The body is to be forwarded to California tonight. Justice Livingston was a man universally esteemed and respected, and his melancholy death throws a shadow of grief upon the community.

WAS IT AN INCENDIARY ATTEMPT?--About 1 o’clock last night a fire was started on the front stairway of the Newport Lodging House, on South C street, adjoining McGurn's well known family grocery and provision store. The lodging house is in the second story of the building, directly over the store, and is kept by Mr. and Mrs. O'Donnel. A man known as Portuguese Joe, employed as a cook at Daly's Temperance House, further south on the street, came up stairs evidently somewhat intoxicated, and went along the entry trying to doors of each room. Mrs. O'Donnel stepped out of her room, and seeing the fellow, ordered him away. Instead of leaving, however, he came toward her, and she retreated into her room and shut the door. He used considerable abusive language toward her and soon started away, having the entry lamp in his hand. It was a coal oil lamp, and as he passed down the front stairs with it Mr. O'Donnel went out the back way and around through a side alley to C street, in order to get a policeman and have him arrested. Mrs. O'Donnel followed the intruder and saw him sit down on the fifth stair from the sidewalk and deliberately pour out some of the oil upon the stair, setting fire to it with the blaze of the lamp, having already knocked off the chimney. She at once shouted fire at the top of her voice, and one of the men lodgers and herself ran down and smothered the flames with a blanket. Meanwhile Joe started to run away, but was immediately caught by Mr. O'Donnel and transferred to the charge of officers Larkin, Beebe and Cummings, who were already hurrying to the scene of the alarm. They had quite a lively time getting their prisoner to the station-house, as he was under the impression that the Vigilantes had him and that they were going to string him up forthwith. He shouted and struggled most lustily and had to be carried most of the way. He probably has an examination this afternoon. What he proposed doing in that house at that time of night is not exactly understood, as he was never there before, unless he wanted to see or find somebody there. He had been previously at Scott's dance house, drinking and spending money, and had a dollar and six bits in his pocket when captured. He might have upset the lamp through drunkenness, or just set the fire through pure recklessness as to consequences. It certainly was an exceedingly drunken careless freak, for no sane, smart incendiary would have made so barefaced an attempt, where he was sure of being caught and hanged. It would do the fellow much good to be shut up awhile out of the way of mischief, as well as perhaps rendering property a little safer from conflagration. It will be borne in mind that this little episode occurred just two doors south of the place where the deliberate and unmistakable incendiary attempt was made a few evenings ago. Although known as "Portuguese Joe," we are informed that he is a Peruvian; and we are also informed that he has formerly been an inmate of the Nevada State Prison. He has been employed as cook at other boarding-houses or restaurants in the city, and is very well known. Whether this exploit of his last night was intentional or merely the result of blundering drunkenness, he certainly is not a safe man to be about loose with whisky in him.