Chesterfield Jail Consumed by Fire, 8 Lives Lost

 

 

From the Cheraw Gazette

Awful Calamity.

The startling intelligence renched this place yesterday morning about 10 o’clock that the jail of the District was consumed by fire, together with all the prisoners confined within its walls. This report was soon after confirmed by the following letter, to which we refer for particulars:

Chesterfield, C. H.

March 29, 1853

James Powell, Esq.,
Dear Sir:
The Chesterfield Jail was consumed by fire this morning about 3 O’clock, destroying the lives of eight prisoners. The fire was first discovered in one of the front rooms, used as a cook room. When first discovered it was then too late to render assistance, to the prisoner’s up stairs, sufficient to enable them to make their escape.
The names of those consumed are:
Mandavile H. Hall,
Robert Dickson,
John Parr,
Frances M. Hall,
Wm. Grooms,
Malcom Martin,
Mrs. Martin, wife of Malcolm Martin,
John Martin, brother of Malcolm Martin.
The last two were on a visit to Malcom Martin. James W. Jowers and Richard Dickson, were discharged yesterday, so they escaped. W. W. Campbell was in the debtors’ room and was turned out in time to be saved. –
Every exertion was used to save the lives of the prisoners and building, but all failed. Yours &c.

                                                                                            J. C. Craig

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[1] "Awful Calamity.," The Sumter Banner. (Sumterville, S.C.), April 05, 1853, Image 4, Chesterfield Jail Fire, 8 Lives Lost; on-line images, Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ : viewed, copied, extracted, 31 July 2013), Historic American Newspaper; From the Cheraw Gazette.