Delaware State journal and statesman., 1863-04-30
STRANGE FIRES-A TALE OF
THE MYSTERIOUS

The following most singular phenomena
have occurred AT the residence of VIM S.
Stearnes and Richard Freeman, in the
town Of Rush. about five miles north of
this city. On Tuesday morning last, oath
ult., soon after making the fires, Mrs.
Stearnes discovered the carpet burning
near the stove, but TO one side of it, She
cXtnguishcd the fire, surprising it to have
caught from the stove in some manner
Soon after the carpet was found burning
near the he'd which stood in the room, but
entirely away from the stove. Regarding
the latter fire as very curious she cXtin-
guished it, and left the room to attend
her work. and being attracted by the smell
of fire returned to the front room and
found the straw burning in the midst of
her Bed, under the clothes and feather bed.
She Immediately carried the bed ont of
the house. When she returned the cur
tains in rront of the bed were blazing up
to the ceiling above. Being now
thoroughly alarmed she sent her little girl,
of about ten years, the only person with
her, for Mr.. Freeman, who came and re.
moved the carpets, clothing, and beds
from the house, and eXtinguishcd the fires
in the stoves while doing this, fires BROKE
out in the pantry, burning the papers that
were spread out on the shelves, also arti
alas Of cotton i,,nitod in dienront ,,orts n
,hn chomhnr in Ills room n ciotbos ro1
snsnnndcd Inv strings of cloth ,ied to roc,
nrs ,yos hoard IN Gall and thn STRINGS ,yor.
fnnnd hnmt " " ~
Dudur Ills time Mr. Stcornos wos al,
sent. and Mrs s and the n,tir cirI WON
bnmo Vim Mr. Erenmon Whon9 tho, wV W.
rivcd there rs n nrecnntion tho cornont
of Mrs, q. and thc liulo rirl vera nlacn'
bv themselves clnnlf worn Inv ,Lo e,ir
beinw nrt an tbc hore Goor of ,Lo 5o,
room In n boIf hmm ortor this oInoi
was burning briskly If was rcmoye'
from thc room and mn hour ami n hoI
afterwards thc he'd in the same room wa
ON fire. The dov Collowing n nilIor co S
lvino in n hack yoom i,mifcd dIso ~ olotl
snreod over n 0onr barrel and nag con
taininp dried rruit These nrticlcs ,ver
| oil ot distances from ooch otbor and ION;
fed ot Jiflerent fines cio,L which 2"'
hnnn ueod to v,,el so,,o ho,tlos h,1 la',
rnnr ont and hunn nnon a mo;l ond ,,,o
ionnd burninr ot fhe hotton and MORT -
tbc clotL ot no sone limo as i ero,a, ,'i ~; u
In tbc afternoon n smcll If fro wos lis J;s
covered in tho chamber and was Gamrd IT, =,
nrocccd from n small Lox in which n mono "
,vrnnnin,, a norcol az snaar ,'os on t,pi
burned lrom oronnd tho sn,,3r T S,,'i hn;;
was ' covorod nv n l;J ,YL;1h shn, nv ",
closc A lonnrc olso ,o"L fra Sa% ~ qI hn'
room I'm Tbnrsdav Mr. Stoormos Wv Nv
turnod ~ lie hamso Mi, Gsoe -, a., H.
stnyos and COO, ar,or . Gro lrai.a a ~ Wv
hal AMI in Jam, ,ln,i, Ir;m ,"' w, o"v ~
100, shnir Ia a,.,;n,.,,;'i.a3I g. " p"i
L5s nv, aoon,i,d III" i"n'a a 1,s n''o, S'''
,n ,r ao II $50 '''"9' ''"'0' 'Nuel'
3 W T r, rio,, ,I,o l;,1a
Mr. , Sn,nn,l Sh". ,"v ,''''e s''. s'"yeu 4"
wast ~ M' Enon, - ' Tn;' W. il!'c
clo,, I,,;n,. ~, ' :. , ,,u'1 nioIli'lt
NJ NJ S5na;o,,' S''o'a ~ tnu ii,iN room
md aso %an,G J" oc wa" 'a ,o"nu a p"!m'ns
om,sido orori"o ~ H., u, Iii S'"IN III III
GmJ Man. ' hon, W 'o wal % ine house
ramoo w., A., ~ in,' ItI " t.u occur
an% - So, i' m,np alol' r H., ., ..'s Guy
''"u " s''','y "uiSc,'eS Vi tue ruin, We