The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-11-28
THE MANSFIELD FIRES AGAIN.
Two Barns or John Costello, Formerly eus.
pected Of the lncenslimrism. now Burned.

Two Barns or John Costello, Formerly 9us.
pected OF the Inccndinrism, now burned.
W1LLIMANT1c Nov. 27.-Two barns, 100 feet
apart. the property Of John Costello. about
eight miles from this place. In the town Of
Mansfield. were burned to the ground yester.
day morning. The barns were set on fire at
the same time. one OF them at both ends.
They were both on fire when FIRST discovered.
This fire adds another to the long list Of In
cendiary fires in Mansfield. But the peculiar
thing about this last fire is that it is John Co.'S
tello's barns that were burned Soon after those
fires began suspicion was directed to mem.
bers'of tho Costello family. OF which there are
four brothers. John. Dennis. Timothy. and
James,
In q section OF the town not more than three
miles square. since September. 1885, there
have teen twenty barns. nearly 100 head OF
cattle. a half dozen or more horses. one silk
mill. one stockinet MILL and ono bone mill de-
stroyed by incendiary 1rea In addition to
these fires cattle. sheep. and calves have been
embowcllcd and injured. the little white
Congregational church has been thrice daubed
with paint in obscene and vulgar characters.
and severa! dwellings and outbuildngs have
been painted outrageously In the night The
quiet farmers on the hllsides and In tho val
legs. after dve.years' reign OF the fire aend
have become tsrrorized. and many OF them
dare not 60 to bed for fear that while they
sleep tho torch may be applied to their build.
ings. Pistols. shotgune bulldogs. and deteo-
tiyes have been brought into service. but all
In the mean time one OF the Costello brothers
had been arrested and james had been, con-
hood Cossi began to connect James Costello
with nearly every one OF the fires. many per-
covered him fleeing from the burning build
ings. or to have seen tracks in the soft ground
the shoes supposed to have been worn By
James Costello. The suspicion against him
il he com united the deeds it was because 10
was drunk. and James was generally on
5s E
arrest. ana no attsmpt was eyer made to fasten
Tie In fact the people
guilty. ear That theT Sud n woad e.
Between tho middle OF August and tho mid
ole q December ha ISL silk mill three barns.
Soon after these fires tho matter was taken up
from New BosiO" AN" and Hs 81 a.
ManslsIa TsSforizea Barn Burn insa n n
Mansfield" Tho Costel!os at it Again" be-
paper, agitation was that barn burning in
head Of cattle burned on the night Of Dec. iS
is 1891; being the last blaze in Mansfield until
the IRE OF yeSleruuy.
. or course the Costelos were indignant at
being accused. and finally brought suit against
Hartford newspaper tor libel or the four
brothers only Timothy is married. The other
three until recently lived alone, without any
father, BY the industry and economy OF the
sons this has been added to from time to
time until It has hecome by far tho largest
jointly by the four brothers unit within year,
when John purchased the brothers, interest In
the old homestead and Inns since lived ther0
with Dennis. Timothy has u farm about .
mile south. and James has purchased farm
about two miles north. where he has since
lived alone. 1t is not thought reasonable that
so industrious and frugal man as John Co.'S
insurance did not cover ono half their value.
Evidently the mystery surrounding the Mans.
Held fires OF the mast six years is as far from
q solution as ever