The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1889-08-22
INFAMOUS CONSPIRACY
TO Burn Alive at His Farm Resi-
denoe
Goal Oh and an Internal Machine Used

SIDNEY, o., August ID lb.--Benlamln
Snow Ia n young man ~ years OLD, VINO
lives 40 OVau, u small place nine N lth
west OF Sidney, IN this county, He has
taught school for several years, ana IN u
Young man against whom no One can
bring any complaint About year
ago no received threatening letter,
lie was given 10 understand no would
soon be murdered, but for what reason
was not explained 10 him, lie could
think of no cause against him, and In
time no forgot The matter
Last Wednesday night some one on
tered his house and left him 4 note,
telling him 10 be at homo the following
morning at B o'clock, aa business oi
Importance was 10 be transacted, lie
happened 10 not return until AFTER the
appointed time, and nothing trans
plred
Yesterday his neighbors were aroused
by ahota and yells and opening their
doors they saw his house full OF lfe,
They haatened 10 II and found young
Snow IN the yard, clad IN his night
clothes and apparently In q stupor
yet able 10 make u rather unlntelllglble
statement,
ii said that no had laid down upon q
bed and read until no fell asleep, leay'
Ing the light burn and the window
open beside him, How long DO slept he
does not know. lie wM partly
aroused by a noise, and was dimly
conscious some one was IN the house
and felt the influence OF some drug
Soon after the cool wipd blew over him,
This aroused him, and looking over
the glass OF his bedroom door, he saw
| flames leaplng 70 the ceiling OF the
kitchen. Tle ielt unable 10 get up but
suddenlya man thrust his hand through
tho bedroom window and dred Into the
bed. This completely aroused Snow,
As no lives alone no always Keeps a re'
yolyer handy. Hewent 70 the window
with this, aud In the bright moonlight
no saw a man running, Snow fired one
shot and then climbed out, llrlng three
others, but 10 no purpose, He felt des'
peralely sick, but about this time hla
nelghbOrB took him In charge. They
burst open the doors Of his house and
found q perfect sea OF lire, To all the
doors aud windows bed clothes hud
been hung inside and saturated with
coal oil. A pile OF clothes had been
placed NJ the bedroom door and oiled
and the parlor organ was covered win
rubbish and saturated, as were all the
carpets. The wOuldbe murderer had
ranaacked the drawers, and after get
ting very little OF value no deliberately
struck q match and fired the place.
Then he went around 10 Shows win
dow and raised II TO watch results
one of which was the fresh air Ieyly'
Ing Snow, causing the midnight muir
d0rer 10 fire aud the subsequent fnsil'
lado from snow. The neighbors tore
out the burning clothing and carpets
and by hard work saved the house. On
examining the bed upon which Snow
slept an Internal machine Of some kind
was found. 10 Is about fifteen inches
long and two inches long and Is eyi'
dently bomb, but no Que has had the
courage 10 examine ". In the yard
were found two boxes, one Of which
had contained u coal oil can, and the
other two bottles Of chloroform. A
few yards from the house was found
this note, written on unruled paper;
BRLLEFoNTAINE, o., Aug, y, 1850.
Ton. You failed this time; do better
this time, and do 10 quick as you can,
Go In after part Of night and drug the
room. 70 make sure, place cloth over
his mouth Fix machine under his bed
aud light a match AZ his bed, 80 that "
won't show any foul play.
Lon GEiUNh.
P.S,-Burn this paper and meet mo
at ID. and M, railway,
Snow 10 cared for now by the neigh.
boTs. He Ia completely Frustrated and
IN not able 10 give asuccinct statement,
lie Is rot known ~ have an enemy and
Is not the kind Of y young man who
might incur the il.will Of any one. De-
tectives arc making Investigations, but
so far nothing 10 learned,