The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-07-13
Our Hartford Correspondence.

FWts-Cfy authorities rs. EVenen-Incendtdrtes
-41,rsss - Commitments - Heather - Crops
Business-HeaAh.
For several months past, our city has been visit
ed by many fires, and all, with two exceptions,
were the work Of ncendanes. The only reason
why half the city, the past year, has not been
burnt up has been owing to the fact that our fire.
men have, excepting at one fire. run thereto with
such promptness that the spreading of conhagra-
tons has been prevented Bat owing to GER
tain set of purse-proud GROWERS, who begrudged a
few pence repairs OF their side walks, upon which
the fremen run with their machines to the fires,
and to their base and false allegations that the fires
were the work of fremen, portion of this patri-
otto class Of our citizens took il into their heads to
wait at the next fire alarm, at their engne-houses,
for men enough to drag their machines through
the mud in our Streets instead of for a dozen men
merely, to run herewith on the sidewalks. When
they got to work, they did 1t upon the saw of
Take your time, Miss Lucy" Such conduct,
of course, excited the indignation of our citizens,
who never before have had any occasion to COM
plain OF their promptness and falthfulness. Oar
city authorities, few days after this affair, met
In solemn, if not dgnl6ed conclavs, as is their
wont on the first Monday evening Of each month,
but. they did not dare to even call in question
such conduct. The tiremen, In day or two, saw
they had committed great error, and repente..
Their repentance was shown, most cOncluslvey,
at fire of two barns, on a subsequent Sabbath
afternoon: Immediately on the alarm, they rallied
In all their Sunday go-to-meetng toggery-rght
out of the churches-and went to work like II art
ford firemen. They saved, by their promptness
and energy, upwards of 300, 900 worth of property
from destruction. One insurance company had
$50, COO insurance upon the contents Of block of
stores on State street.-The rear OF the buildings
being contiguous to the barns AS the iiremen
had repentrd of their folly and gone to their duty,
the citizens generally fOrgave their one indiscre-
ton. But not with our city Solons, or Solo
mons; for now that they had no one to fight. there
fore. as usual with them. they waxed mos> valiant.
After spending two sessions upon the subject, they
disbanded five cOmpanies-those which had COM
mitted the offence-ihese being one-half OF the de-
parment. Mark well, this was done for one
ofence-and where Is the man, or body of men,
that in long series of years, or even in one year,
does not commit more than one mistake! Sup
posing the constituents of this learned council
were TO have risen up in judgment against them
for every one of their errors and perverse actions,
and Judge them with the same judgment as they
have the firemen; the freemen of Hartford would
have had TO rise up every hour that they have been
In session, to drive them from their council cham
Der, so outrageous have been many OF their acts
Had the council, at their first meeting after the
hremen acted so amlss, promptly dlsbanded thcm
the tiremen themselves, as well as the citizens,
would have respected them therefor. But by their
dlllydalyDg, and time serving conduct, In waiting
as lhave above stated they have earned the contempt
of all. 1t is generally understood, from the re-
marks OF couple of the councllmen In their dis
cussioDs thereon, that the five companies were
fremcn had returned to their duty, In order to
clear out OF the department the foreman OF No. j,
the same person that tbs fremen OF the City OF
Norwich so lovingly remember for sending them
word that he should visit them with his company
on the 4th of July, and then stopping instea! at
New London, thus throwing all their fat In the
fire that they had cooked up TO receive him. The
disbanded hrsmsh OF TINS city, at their meeting
a lew evenings since, would not receive him into
their councils. These five disbanded companies
are now filled up, however, with other citizens,
hve-sixths OF whom have yet TO learn what it is to
"man the breaks" | doubt not that the depart
ment VIII be as efficient as ever. Hartford city
papers have published so many columns upon this
subject that they have completely befogged it.
Our citizens " have now got their dander up" on
this subject, from the great CONJUNCTION that the
council have kicked up, even as high as the fire.
men ever had theirs.
On the 18th of February last the American Hall
was fired by an incendiary. The public have been
very indignant at THIS cruel deed, because it was
great INJURY To Mr.. Carter, the proprietor, for he
had invested more than his all in beautfyine this
most central part of the city by the erection Of
American row, one-hslf thereof being finished off
IN nice and tasty style for hall and Offices, the
fore stood the old circus barn, Sheds and the like.
ON the night Of the Sd July inst, four holes were
bored IN the roof of one of the large wooden barns
that connect with this Hall and American IIo-
tel. These holes were near the caves, and within
Fix inches Of the hay. The day before, twenty
tons OF hay had been moved away therein. These
holes were discovered the next morning, and a Sc
cret watch put upon the barns. On the night Of
the 9Th, at half past ten O'Clock, p. M, DR.. Henry
Lee, who has occupied rooms under the hall, since
ITS erecton-a lodging room in connection with his
Office, was seen to be man@uvring about the
building In his stockings and 90 on the root Of
the barn. To get to this root, he had to pass
through another tenants room, who did no, lodge
there. DR. Lee was seized by the constable, who
was on the watch, and kept under arrest until the
next day On the 9Th, at his request, the examine
ton was postponed until o'clock on the l0th-he
in the mean time was placed under keepers. Yes
terdny, he requested for one week farther a post
ponemepi of the examination Of the complaints
against HIM, for attempting to fire the barns the
9th Inst and for firing The hall the 18th Of Feb
last. The Justice told him that hr would give him
until " O'Clock M to procure So 900 bonds, to an
swcr TO both compliinis-or I've sbould commit hun
TO Jail. No bonds were forthcoming the time and
the Or. was moved from his comfortable quarters
ut the American Hotel, to- the Pcsrl street Hotel"
yulgarly ycl,pt ail, which y under the care Of
that grnilemaply landlord. N. III. Morgan, Esq.
IL now comes out that three psrsons have been
gathering every possible circumstance in regard
Ia the fire OF the 18th Of February, in consequence
OF their suspicious having been aroused by the
conduct Of DIR. Lee at that time, and previous TO
that fire. And they were ouly waiting to weave
the web hule closer, before they complained of
him as the incendary Of the 18th February, when
be was caught on the 9TH, as above described
This arrest has caused great excitement IN our
city. The doctor was known in several other
places IN New England and the South where he
hss been located. He ~ about 20 years Of age,
strong built, .corpuleni, fluent OF speech, fond Ut
fun, and lrile more than SLY feet in height The
reasons and evidences tor hts commitment deem
II UNJUST 10 him and the public to make known be-
lore his examination. There ~ now. and has
been for some days, secret watch kept upon all
portions OF our city exposed TO the torch of the in
cendlay. Therefor, ye gentlemen OF the barn
burning fraternity, II We see III To commit further
Expectations Of this sort you will get permanent
situation IN the Westhersted institute, under the
charge OF the State prison warden
The weather for the past week has been very
unTropitious for The hay-makers. To-day the
thermometer runs up 10 %. Yesterday and to-day
much hav has been housed that was cut a week
since. The upland hay crop in Connecticut will
not average but trne over half a crop. Here
abouta, l~J ,h-s h.- y,,d-d two tons TO the acre,
this year yields scarcely one ton. The meadows
and wet lands yield the usual crop Corn, rye,
oats and potatoes lock well.
Business Of all kinds Is very staGnant save that
If the farmers, whs now in the very midst OF
their hurry, securing their grass and grain crops.
The health Of Hartford never was better at this
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