The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-11-29
A VILLAGE .TERRORIZED.
ASTOUNDING SERIES OF GRIMES IN
u MAN vFIELD, CONN

~ NAN pFIELD, CONN
Zen barns mad 7 Nree ASnIs burned n e.
Past Two Yes re, and . Church EAisc
ElDefaced with Oh seene FiGures-The ReiE,
or Terror Renew ed snaee Jsues Costcli,
JTns Been Releas Cd n-om Jaii.
wrL1rMANr1c. Nov es.-The town Of Mans
fbhl. high up among the Tollard county hill
i'd eastern Connectc ut. has suffered i'm
rASnsely In the past two or three years on 40
count OF IN astounding series Of crimes. The
b6rns Of prosperous for ners were burned. q
handsome new schoolho use IN Mansfield vii
Ito was fred twice. cattle were poisoned OF
embowolled in u,e fields. and a half dozen
tfhies the sanctuary OF tho Mansfield Congre-
Rttionat Church was desp oiled: and big OBJ
scene pictures were traced in black paint on
its walls. All these misdeeds were believed to
he the work Of single miscr cant. but country
constables and Sheriff and New York detec-
tives sought in vain for clue TO his identity.
For months there was almost reign OF ter
ror in Mansfield. People put double padlocks
on their house and barn dcorN A vigilance
committee was appointed. whose members
pntrolled the principal highwhts Of tue town
with loaded shotguns. rcvolvers. and rifles.
and at different times the Mansfield selectmen
offered rewards for tho arrest of tho evidoer
that finally amounted to $500. Still the van
dial kept on with his mysterious nocturnal
crimes with impunity. and on one night the
flames OF three burning barns in Mansfield
Redeemed the midnight sky. So intense and
general was the terror that women and chill
dron dared not quit their houses after dusk.
and insurance companies in this and other
States declined to take risks on Mansfield
property. Several Hartford companies refused
to renew policies that had expired for exor-
bitantly high premiums.
In oight or ten months barns were burned
belonging to these prominent residents Of
Mansfield. and whose homes are not very far
upart: j. L. Ross. George H. Harris. Martin
Tlaherty. Charles Popple. Charles Cummings.
BENJAMIN Harris. Charles Tilden 1.-TWO barns).
Dennis Flaherty. and Charles Clifford. In the
same period George Hnrris's bone mill was
DESTROYED, as were also Morrow's stockfhet
mill and o. s. Barrowss silk mill. One OF the
mills was fired in the middle OF the day. while
the proprietor Of it and his employees were
away at dinner.
The perpetrator OF the vandalism at the
Mansfield Centre Congregational Church was
finally detected by, accident while he, was in
the tbs MANSFIELD i State Hsrisalsara ssho9l nsssed
nh aGd saw dim sht o6 tho
the church. and saw man crouo6ed under
with obscene figures. As the men came near
leaped quickly to his feet. dropped his itntern
anu paint pot, and scampered away. Ihe Ian,
tS Se en shs II an n sn
lis sa' two brothers in one q the handsemest
hoSsss On one OF the largest and finest farms
isw days later later yamss Costello Iso, Vas ar; ar
In Hs was kee
before q Justice Of the Peace and bound over
to the Superior Court for trial at the fall term
worth not less than 100000. became his
FOR Court about six weeks ago. promptly con-
church and painting and smashing grave
Imprisonment In the county Jail for thirty days
on each count. He went to Jail on one count
respect to tho second Count. to the Supreme
Court Of the State. He was defended by able
Costello completed his term in jail about
ti9n NO barns We're burned and Il no other
people SLEPT in eonldenes. tho Vigilance com:
mttee temporarily disbanded. and armed
ioGds from sunset until sunrise Tho popular
sense Of security was duo to thefact that since
Costeli9's arrest no citizen doubted that he
TIC hour when the yandsi should be released.
ever. james behaved ali risbt spies watched
atl ms actions ana repoFted them to the cit
.os s at home e on his farm h and ddpt taRs
on sunday afternoon last tho spies reported
ss and T ssd E NoS chem s
was not unioundcd. On tic folIoH%iSs night
the large barn and cider mill OF Char !. Tilden.
half mile northwaTd 81 MerEoW Station on
Snd anS ys head d sssts again aa
sky ., Vas A. t red With ths Tsesticn
Mansfield Church that Costello had so f hae
1usntly defncel. Phelps and Tilden had testl-
nsopsS neesed The TACT hat ' Fspss
was burned ne ,Ms SHr ysa r. Gn Thres
citizsns Of Mansfield. and this time the barn arm
3f Wallace King, i5pr miles northeast e the
Agricultural School. was. totally consumed:
Nor was tho destruction OF the barns noted all
elny night and Monday morning. Early on Non
ny 9nnE thG bpe9aps 81 Mansed GsnFe
church at the Green" and
thoy saw that tn, vandal had been at work on
It's walls again. In this instance green paint
mad becn used. and ~ large part OF the north /!
wall was daubcd with great giarlng sketches. |
most OF which Were OF an obscene or comic |
nature. md with ribald texts and comments.
since these fresh misdeeds the reign OF ter |
nor has.been renewed in the whole town. the |
Committee Of Public Safety has met again, and |
the armed guards have resumed their duty OF |
pptrolling the highway after nightfall. a vivid
idea may DO had al tho general terror that has |
pervaded Mansfield for three years when 1t 10 |
said that not long ago a prominent farmer of |
tic town became insane through broOding
DVor his losses and fear OF still worse mis-
fortune. and he is still an inmate Of the State
lunAtio asylum at Middletown. Mansfield |
citizen, speaking OF the situation In his town
To-day. said:
"Farms have, become practically valueless
ON account OF Nil his vandalism. and insurance
ure afraid to take risks on our
property. no matter how high premium you
not dare shy 4 word publicly against James
Costello or have you use my name with this
nor dare Mr.. Barrows or Wallace
kinE, who were witnesses In the church-de-
Iacing trial. and all the people who dwell near
mo church.sny word further against him.
IN fact. we are fairly terrorized and are only
willing to whisper our suspicions. and then on
pyomise that our names shall not be connected
With them"