Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-11-07

The story which write is a very singular
one, and one wholly unequallcd in the annals
of inccndiarism in Vermont and perhaps
anywhere else. The general public has been
advised from tim. 10 time in two years past
of the destructive and unaccOuntable fires
which have occurred in Waitsfield and More,
town, in the southern portion of Washing
ton county, and within few days of the ar
rest of the inccndiary The kinds of pro
perry destroyed have been various in impor-
tancc and value, extending from a sugar
house to the entire buildings, dwelling house,
sheds and large barns Of Wel-tO-dO farmer
Generally, however, the buildings destroyed
have been barns. The more recent of these
ilres have occurred within the present month,
and have been three in number, and all very
serious. Great excitement and CONSERVATION
have been felt by the people Of the vicinity
in consequence of them Every owner of
buildings felt that his property was in peril,
and some have lately Kept secret surveil-
lance of their buildings during the night.
WHO set these fires" was the mysterious
question The burning of them seemed to
serve no purpose, unless it was that of malice
or revenge, and so far as could he Judged no
person of 4 sufficiently malicious or revenge
full spirit resided in the vicinity besides,
none of the victims were aware of any per-
sons entertaining any personal grudges
against them. The question us to the author
ship of the fires was most vexing and puz-
zling one.
The losses suffered by fire believed to be
mcendiary, with the names of the sufferers,
together with the property burned are given
as fallows Joel Leonard, barn, date not
stated John Towle, April, 1877; George
W. Fulsome, barns and Is cows, May, 1871;
George ". Farr, buildings, October, 1873 /;
l.. X. Joslyn barns and some stock, Oct. =,
1879 Il. H. Barns, barn, Oct. Il, 1879, and
h. W. Bisbce, barns, sheds and house, Oct.
% 1879.
In the course Of this succession of calami-
ties it came to be remembered and noticed,
after awhile, that one Josiah Seaver, who re-
sided in the neighborhOod, was always pres
ent and was usually early on the ground
These facts, with the fact that his conduct
in regard to the fires was quecr-that it
lacked heartinesS and the honesty which
other men displayed in speaking of them
served to direct suspicion toward him. The
last fire was set about six O'Clock in the even
ing of the 22nd. Mr.. Bisbec CHANGED to be
in his yard. and before he knew, his barns
had been fired: saw some one leaving them,
whose form and motions were like Sewers.
Seaver was also quite new neighbor. Not
to trace the course of suspicion further,
suffice it to say that, Seaver was arrested, and
on Sunday last made a full and unreserved
confession of setting all the fires above named.
The confession Of this heartless, aimless and
remarkable criminality was made before Hon.
j. Ii. Hastings, Justice of the Peace, in the
presence of witnesses. Seaver pretends to
give no reason for his Unprecedented con
duct. lie says he had no object only that he
''likcd to see a big fire" am told that lac
seems undisturbed, either by the enormlty of
his crime or the fact that he is found out.
lie was brought to Montpelier Monday and
lodged in Jail for the lack of bondsman
in the amount of three thousand dollars.
BY the regular course of proceeding he could
not be tried before September, 1880, but hav-
ing confessed, he can, if he chooses, 60 into
ali adjourned session of the court in Novem-
Der and plead guilty and receive sentence.
At any event it would not seem to make
much difference with him. His life hence
forth is likely to be one of confinement, if
the Judge thinks him deserving of such fate.
Sewers record, as it is now being dis
closed is n bad one in a very small, mean
way. lie has been at work for wear past
tending sawmll for ono Mr. Greene. 1t is
said that prior to his engagement there,
Greene suffered annoyance from the cutting
of the belts, and other low capcrs in his
mill, and that he received anonymous letters,
written in bungling way, as Il child would
write. saying that IF he would employ Sy
Seaver. and pay him good wages, his mill
would suffer no further depredations," or