FROM MURFREESBORO.
...
About 4 o'clock last Saturday morning fire broke out in Mr. I. Pipkin's house on Main St.
and consumed 15 buildings. The store and 2 dwellings owned by Mr. Pipkin were burned.
Mr. Pipkin, mother and sister barely escaped with their lives. Mrs. Pipkin and Miss Georgia
leaped from the second story of their home; the latter sprained her ankle. The Baptist parsonage,
the St. Barnabay Episcopal church the large wholesale and retail grocery and bar owned by
E. F. Rice & Co., E. L. Jones' large dry goods store, restaurant and livery stables and other smaller buildings
were all burned to ashes. The people and horses escaped without injury to themselves.
Mr. Pipkin had some fine hogs burned. The loss is estimated at between $20,000 and $25,000;
no insurance. Some of the people lost all they possessed while others saved some of their goods.
It is thought the fire originated from a box of ashes which Mrs. Pipkin had taken up and set in her cookroom
on Friday sometime in the day, but Mr. Pipkin says he looked around his home for fire at five minutes
to 12 o'clock that night but saw no sign whatever, and between 4 and 5 next morning was awakened
to find his house wrapped in flames of fire. The wind was blowing at a high gale and thus it was hard
work to extinguish the flames. Those in and around town are deeply grieved at the loss our
citizens have sustained and we hope it will not be long before the buildings will be replaced.
J.
Oct. 12, 1896.
"The Patron and Gleaner", Andrew J. Conner, ed., Rich Square, Northampton County, N.C.
Thursday, October 15, 1896
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A Big Fire.
A destructive fire occurred here last Saturday morning about 4:30 o'clock, burning about fifteen buildings
in the heart of town.
The wind was blowing a stiff gale from the North east and the fire spread rapidly.
The buildings burned were the Baptist parsonage, occupied by Rev. S. Saunders, the two residences owned by Mr. Isaac Pipkin,
the Pipkin store, E. F. Rice & Co.'s store, the livery stables, restaurant and the store occupied by E. L. Jones,
owned by Rice & Co., and the Episcopal church. Loss in buildings and stocks about $15,000.
No insurance.
The fire started in the rear of Mr. Pipkin's residence and is supposed to have caught from the kitchen. The house was
nearly enveloped in flames when the fire was discovered and the family barely escaped.
Rev. Mr. Saunders lost a portion of his furniture and books, Miss Murphy lost all of her furniture, Mr. Pipkin lost
everything both in house and store. He will open in a building near J. N. Lawrence's residence.
Rice & Co. lost most of their stock; they have opened in the M. W. Wise store.
E. L. Jones saved most of his stock and have opened in the old bank.
The pulpit, organ and a few other things were saved from the Episcopal church.
Steps will be taken at once to rebuild the Baptist parsonage and the Episcopal church.
It is the purpose of Messrs. Pipkin and Rice to rebuild their stores at an early date.
"The Murfreesboro Index", John W. Hicks, ed., Murfreesboro, [Hertford County] N.C.
Friday, October 16, 1896
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