The Daily Dispatch: may 10, 1861., [Electronic resource]

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Grocery Store destroyed by fire.

--The alarm of fire at a late hour Wednesday night was caused by the burning of John Kearse's grocery, (a brick tenement,) located near Port Mayo, in Rocketts old field, which was totally consumed, together with its contents, (a new stock of goods.) The inmates barely escaped with their lives, the wife of the proprietor getting severely scorched in her efforts at egress from the burning house. The loss falls quite heavily on Mr. K., who is represented as a worthy and industrious citizen. It is not known how the fire originated, but is believed to have been designedly caused. Damage, (not insured, so far as we could learn,) about $1,500. In the last two days half dozen fires of a destructive character have taken place in this city. All of them could not have been the result of accident; we therefore renew the suggestion that the Home Guard perform patrol duty. It is the best ‘"defense"’ they are capable of making against a lurking, insidious foe to the peace of Richmond.

P. S.--We learn, since the above was written, that the house was owned by Timothy Kearse. It was a two-story brick building, insured for $1,500--stock for $1,000. The bars in the window were found to have been forced, when the house was probably fired.--It had been broken into and robbed twice since Christmas.