Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-11-21
FLRE.BU0 ARREsTED.
The WestmInster West Incendiary DIa-
covered In the PersOn Of Johnny
COOnlbs.
HE IS ARRESTED coNFEssEs AND GOES TO NEW


HE IS ARRESTED, CoNFEssEs AND GOES TO NEW
FAME JAIL.
The people OF Westminster West breathe more
freely than they have before for months since the
arrest on Tuesday OF the person who is believed
to have caused 50 many destructive fires there In
the space Of year On the night Of the 30th of
last Noyemberthe large sheen barns Of Geo Camn-
bells cons were burned with Is blooded sheep and
their other valuable contents, INJECTING a loss OF
100000 During the winter the barn Of p. Dfislanc
was burned with live stock and other contents.
After this the house aud barn OF Matthew Gorhtm
IN the north part OF the town, three or four miles
distant, were burned AZ midnight on THURSDAY,
Oct. s, ID. e. GOrham's four large barns and sheds
were burned with all their contents, causing a loss
OF 5000 Ten days later Geo. Z. HarlOw's farm
barns were burned, aud on Nov. G, less man three
weeks afterward, his house, horse barn, etc were
burned clean sweep being made Of his buildings.
This made the NTH inceudiary IRE inside Of year,
aud the total loss Inflicted was estimated at s25,-
CO., OF these fires all but the two last occurred In
the dead Of the night; the Harlow hfes took place
at 10 or II O'Clock 10 she forenoon II need not be
said that II became evident that a deadly hre-bug
was at work, aud that there was universal state
Of anxiety aud alarm among the residents Of TINS
usually quiet parish.
Suspicion early nXed on two or three persons.
but more especially on Johnny CoonDs, young
man Of rs or ~ years, much below the average In
intellect,but shrewd and cunning In many respects
as such characters are apt to be. COOmbs was tue
only child of his pare IS, who formerly lived IN
the edge Of Dummerston or miles above Brat
tlebOrO. His father, TOlman COOmbs died last
summer and John aud his mother have since lived
here alone.
As suspicion began to fasten upon John. differ
ent men made II a point to question him on the
subject Of the fires IN a roundabout way, apd thus
got many admissions and stray remarks from him.
all Of which were carefully noted down. As an iu-
stance of this II was believed, from the fact that
the Harlow fires took place In the daytime, that
they were set with a slow match. Rev. DR.. stevens
took occasion to talk with John, leading the con-
yersatiOn around to the subject Of tue nres. Johu
ny said something about slow matches, when Dr.
mai ches johnny ~ "Why, the books are full Of
de crptiOns OF them I" the reply, showing h Il
the fellow had been studying up tue subject JOnn-
u 4 "a lsp a he "a Fn-
the suspected persOn?" aud when DR.. Stevens ask
ed who this was, he at once replied, "Johuny
COOmbs." He was continually protesting great
knowledge on the subject, saying that one dnl an
other had set the ires. When the GOrham barns
were burned, ne oraculary sald there would be
"lhree more nres-one at Harlows. one at +. ii.
Goodell's, andone at Freeman GOTham's'-all large
farmers. After the first nre at Mr.. Harlow,
COOmbs went there and talked with the boys IN a
suspicious way asking about their dOg-if ne would
bite anybody who came around at night, etc.
The most convincing evidence against him was
obtained at the time Of the Gorham IRE, when a
peculiar track discovered IN the soft earth to
aud from the premises. II was the track Of a boot
which had patch on the side Of the sole. The
shoemaker was asked for whom he had mended a
boot In that way, and he replied, FOR johnny
COOmbs "
rewards for the discovery OF the incendiary, ag-
gregating In all $1,000, were offered by the select
men, and finally Ward Wggiu, Boston nrm Of
! detectives were employed 10 wOrK up the case.
/ After looking the ground over they sent up au eN-
peri, who arrived last Monday. ON Tuesday John
nv was got away from home, and the detective
read over TO him list OF his remai Ks aud admis-
sions and OF the suspicious circumstances against
him, and finally showed him the patched boot aud
told him he had been tracked to aud from the Scene
/ OF the nre at Mr.. GOrhams. Johnny replied, 81
might as well plead guilty for yOu' prove 1t against
! me, although am innocent" This was tue only
| admission he would make at the time, though II Is
! understood that he afterwards made an explicit
! confession to Mr. GOrham.
He was arrested by Deputy Sheriff Lowell OF Bel
lows Falls and taken to that place, and on the fol-
| lowing morning he had an interview with Hon. e.
| b. Eddy, counsel for the town He was taken bach
/ to Westminster West for examination before JUS
tce Lane, the court being held In the chapel OF the
church, which was nled with intensely interes ed
listeners. COOmbs, however, waived examination
and refused to have counsel secured for him. say
Ing that "hls course was all marked out" He was
bound up in the sum Of 5000, In default of which
/ sum he was taken to Newfane Jail the same night
/ where he will undoubtedly remain until the next
meeting OF the grand Jury. His bearing In the JUS
| tce court was that OF proud self-cOnsciOusnrss
| as though he was the chief actor on an important
] occasion.
/ He is a member OF the Methodist church in Put
ney, and has said that the methodist churCt
! would take care OF him."
1t is known that he had grudges against all the
parties whose buildings have been burned. There
are few persons in the parish, in fact, agains
! whom he has not had some grievance. He hai
/ been accustomed to say that there twas "Only one
decent man In tOwn"-the exception being Mr.
! Cutting, the administrator of his fathers estate.
The relief at his arrest is great. Several farmers
particularly those whom he had specified as bsinl
| on the fatal list, have watched their property d
| night, never feeling safe from he flames.