Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-07-30

occupied the portion belonging to Potter
and Edward Rhodes the other. The
nelghbors say that the feelings existing
between the two families are not of a
cordial nature. There are we'll vOuched
for rumors or frequently expressed
threats of one kind or another being ex-
| changed. Mrs. Rhodes was the one who
called for Mr.. Bates, but when he went
and investigated no fire was found. Last
Thursday. Mr.. Bates was approached by
a son of Mrs. Rhodes who told him that
the house occupied by the Simpsons,
who were all absent, was on fire. Some
say they had been gone two hours,
others say fifteen minutes to half an
| hour. 1t was apparent to Mr.. Bates that
| this time there was no false alarm, as
smoke was pouring from the house. He
broke open the door and found a brisk
| fire in the cellar, near where the beams
rested on the wall, and extinguished it.
| Upon investigation, Mr.. Bates was sur
prised to find neatly tucked into the par
tition bundle of partly burned rags,
| saturated with kerosene. In a cistern
was found a vinegar bottle plainly ac-
counting for the presence of the kero-
sene in the cellar. A pepper bottle with
exactly the same figures on it, the same
style and perfect match to the vinegar
bottle was afterward discovered, which
belonged to Mrs. Rhodes. But there
were couple more discoveries. A heavy
board partition extends through the cen
tire of the cellar. At the lower end of
the cellar two boards had been pushed
off into the Sampson part, one of them
having been partially replaced. To get
to where the fire was discovered it was
tn arOH nj
one of the men who visited the spot
states that directly under that bench
was the mark of hand on the ground
No measurements, etc, were taken.
To say that the village is excited
would be expressing it mildly. There is
a feeling that some rigid investigation
should he started and that an attempt
should be made to put stop to like pro-
ceedings in the future, and to discover
who is to blame for some of those that
nave happened in the past. The village
has no apparatus for fighting fire, the
work all being done by the bucket bri.
gade. Some of the insurance companies
are already talking of VI wthdrawing their
risks, and should another fire occur soon
there is no knowing what will be the re-
suit
Nearly everyone conversed with had
some new idea to advance in regard to
all the fires Nearly everyone had some
rumor to repeat. One man called atten-
tiOn to the fact that all of the dwelling
houses belonged to or were occupied by
some one by the name of Potter, and
that Charles II. Potter was the largest
individual loser, his goods all being
burned in the first fire, This mans wife
repeated statement that she had heard
some one had made, that all the Potters
belonged to the A. P. AS. and that
there would be more fires. Neither Mr.
Bates nor Mr.. Potter, who were IN the
first fire, place any truth in this rumor.
Altogether, there is much of a mys-
terry surrounding the experiences of the
month which should be investigated
The Rhodes family has beer ordered out
OF the house by the owner, d. F. Bates,
who said he would not have them there
longer under any circumstances, and the
insurance companies, it is said, have al
so ordered the family to vacate. What
the end will be is cOnundrum that can
not yet be guessed.
LATER;-Deputy Sheriff John Nash
went to Pownal to-day and, says a spec
ial despatch to the BANNER, after some
investigation, arrested Clarence Rhodes
on suspicion of setting the fire in the
double tenement house occupied by John
Sampson and his parents, last Thursday.
Rhodes, who is eighteen years Of age
was brought here and lodged in Jail. 1t
is probable that more arrests will follow.