Randolph journal. [volume] (Winchester, Indiana) 1865-186?, 1867-04-25
GREAT FIREIN FARMLAND. IND.
The Psrtics Arrc>ted-They Make Pull
COufcssions-LiVes Threatened.

Doubtless there are many people
through the country who would like to
read an impartial and full history o:
tlic great fire that took place recently
in Farmland. will state the facts in
~ brief a manner a. possible:
The building belonging to the /. O.
O. f., and occupied by ID. * Il. Thorn
burs's dry goods store, Terrell & Con
roe'- harness shop, Tucker II Sons
shoe shop, and Taylor IL Clcvcnger's
furniture room, was discovered on fire
April -, mt II o'clock l.. VI. When
the alarm OF fire was. given, the citi-
zcns promptly repaired To the spot.
The fire commenced in the back part
of the building. The front door was
bursted open, and nearly two-thirls Of
Thornburg's goods were saved; one
third OF the harness and saddles were
saved, ~ also most Of the leather of
the shoe shop. All the furniture be-
longing To Taylor d Clcvenger were
burned. Above these business rooms
was hall, where the following orders
regularly met: /. o. q. f., Lodge No.
3jS, +. and \. MaSonS, Lodge No. 5ns,
and the |. O. of 6. T., Lodge No. I0l.
All these orders lost their chartc-S,
books, papers, rcgalias, jewels, furni-
turc, &C., there being nothing what
ever saved The entire loss is esti-
mated at SCOOP. The dry goods and
building were fully insured. The
building burned down in about forty
minutes, thus giving very little time
to save goods.
After all the goods Were saved that
could he, the citizens directed their at
tcntion to the depot. which was i'm inn
minent danger. About fifty buckets
of water were applied every few minu.
les on the top and side Of the building.
If the depot had not had good roof
it could not have been saved; even
then the pitch commenced melting.
The heat was 50 great that the~indow
glass were all spoiled Ivy the fire. Thus
the depot was barely saved.
The ]. o. of G.. +. held meeting iii
the hall that evening and adjourned
1T 9o'clock, just two hours before the
fire commenced. They were accused
by the public of being the cause of the
iirc-not ly-but accidci,tally,
hut the sequel will throw different
light on the subject.
On the morning of April II, at :
o'clock, Curtis Thornburg's store was
discovered on fire, but the citizens did
not arrive in time to save any Of his
goods. All they could do WAS to save
the adjoining buildings, which they
did successfully, though not without IL
great deal of labor and skill. At one
time Mr.. G.. Stanlcy's store was i'm
much danger, the heat scorching the
sides and roof, while, mt the same time,
about fifty hands were constantly
!. throwing buckets of water OH the
building. Ii the wind had been blow
ing tn the north the building could not
have been saved. IL WAS still night,
and the buildings were very damp, il
having raincd nearly all the day before.
After the building burned down il
was discovered that Geo. Watson's
grocery had been broken open and tn,
money drawer, with about three dol
lars in change i'm it, taken out. w,
then, for the first time, concluded that
these desperate fires were not caused
10y accidents, but 10y the ficndsh act oi
an inccndiary. Immediately fly,
committees We're appointed and or
ganizc,l, who made diligcnt search
guards were stationed all around tn,
place, as il was believed the pcrpctra-
tors and goods were not far oil. About
fifteen men, properly armed, went
through different parts of the county
in search of the parties.
One of these committees made dis
covcry which led Us 10 believe that
Joseph McNces and DENTS Fletcher
were implicated in firing the building,
and they were at once arrested. ID.
Fletcher, after being arrested, made n
partial confession, stating that he only
knew whore the goods were that had
been -tolcu out of the building before
being fired, and he nj once, accom-
' panied Ivy twenty OF thirty men, went
about half IA mile out of town To n
grove, where the goods were sccrctcd
in five or six different places. The
goods found were at once recognized
10y &. Thornburg a. being his own.
The quantity was about what three
men could carry. Among the articles
stolen were pants, vests, boots, tobac-
60. &c, amounting in value 10 near
$40. After this Joseph MeNec- made
full confession of all the particulars.
lie stated the parties were Jackson
! Hester, Joseph McNccs and DENTS
Fletcher. Fletcher il "a colorcd boy,
about eighteen years cid.
They met ON last Saturday night,
by previous prciaeditatcd arrange
ment, to burn the store building occu-
pied 10y ID. Il II. Thornburg, ~ they