Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-01-23

4 Case OF Tncsndiarisn that E1citeS
ths Eastern shore.

FAgTyJTIE, Va, January 22.-1 our cor
respondent, in company with The Common
Wealth's Attorney for this csuBtv. visited
Cane Charles TO-DAY 10 attend the prelliai-
nary trial Of J. J. Bunting, arrested upon
tire charge. according TO his own conies'ien,
Of having caused tho fire IN tss central per
ton Of the place on Thursday morsinT OF
Last week, which but for It's timely discovery
would have resulted I'm the destruction Of
the entire butiress part Of the town. The
facts az developed were both turpri'Ins and
mvrerlons, and led TO the belief that Bunt'
inr must have been temporarily inssRt-hls
insanity caused By his carrying consldsrseie
debt.
The facts =. obtained are - follows Be-
fore day on THURSDAY mOraing last lhe en-.
trance 10 Mssons' Hall, which Is above one OF
the largest stores In the town, wss discovered
10 be on fire. The surroundings iutiih'd
the conclusion that the work was OF lnces-
siarv origin. A detective wa employed TO
ferret out the perpelrstor. II was out
short while before clue Mss found. which,
being followed up, led 70 suspicion resting
mon the now seif-sccused. TINS susp-
cion reached the ears OF the su'pec'-
ed rarty, who perhaps thought maj
abundant pre0f bad been secured ana u
would be- better for bin 10 diyulcr his parl
in the crime. This party was }. =. buntuE,
owner Of the hmidnR, and Of siI others IN
tho block. Bunting 90 ys'terdiy c1lled upon
Captain q. T. savage, and told him be vs.
the instigatOr i'm the fire; that he had p1il
coiored nan hv the name OF Samuel t0sne
$40 10 ire the building; that he had
an insurance 81 $4,000 and That he
WAS fearful that the policy W9ul1 he
cancelled, as the company dli not Wsni
the risk. He also said tbst be was unwilung
10 20 without The insurance, and That m s'o
determined 10 have it burned; that Roanr
had agreed to DO the job, snd bad made tse
attempt three days previous, but thal u "a'
NOT a sucocss. ThSt be had urged upon
RoaDe the necessity N hs burning tse buid-
inc. and that Il should be dene upou windy
rlsnt: that he made the ATTEMPT thn second
tire. aud was successful but that II was
discovered in time IN prevent The de'iruc-
ton Of the bullsing. That ne had seen ROsne
since the Gre, and that be was ccriAini! tlr
one who applied the torch.
Roaue was seen aHd denied the whole
story, aud said that be was al home sex ~
the time. Upcn BENG bard pusNcd ard IN
formed that Buntisg had confessed and im>
plicated hin also he at LAST also confessed
and said that he was the guilty man and had
been maid bv Bunting. lie thc1 told the
whole story, cOrobOrsting bunting ~
avery p9rllcular. After the confession n
RoAne both parties were brought before
Mayor sterling for preliminary hearing.
They waived IN examination ana we're
sent ON for trial in the February 'ouu.
~ Court. Both were then taken IN cnarse
hy The officers and delivered 10 the Iiiier IN
Fastville tonight. The EommonWeAllh's
AitorpeV Jaws IL il ore Of the most mystic
/ frIrr fIa notice
since he has been IN the Office he now holds
and which he has held Tor the past eighteen
wears. because, from financial standpoint,
/ ihcre WAS no excuse for burning the proper
/ ~. # could have been sold AZ sny time COR
! i.000 and vas paying an Interest on s. Ol1.
/ In addition 10 that Bunting owned some
/ -. 900 Of other properly IN the same block
! tlat weuld have been burned had the IRE
/ rotten under full hssdvsy. and the later
/ lad but sm-ll amount Of insurance. ] be
/ onlv solution is that h- owed some money
| and that he was fearful that he could not
/ meet the pavmeuts ana that this 60 Ireycd
upop his mind that he became unbalanced
and the crime was the result. Euntiug
had stood high in the cOmmunilv ana
vas considered successiul buslnrss.mau,
/ having Accumulated aH OF his property
within the past five years. lie was
4 member OF the City Council Tor two terms
sad refused 4 nomination for n third term,
/ lie wss tn officer in the Masonic lodge of
| Cane Charles and q pts;.o1icer IN the An
/ clent order OF United Workmcn and KNIGHTS
I Of Pyth.as. HIS downfall - surprise 10
every one. and crested great 'ylnWiuv Tor
| bis wife snd children, whe are almost
eart.brokrn Al the turn Ia a0airs. il wa
/ one Of the ssddesl scenes ever witnessed
when hc was taken from his home Tonight
70 be carried 10 the jail, and siout-htarted
men shed tears for th- Borrowing and grief
stricken family. Hon. John Nicely, OF Nor
/ folk, has been employee TO defend the pIiso-
1 ner.