Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-07-30
SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES
Excitement In PownaI over Numer-
Gus Fires.

Excitement in PownaI over Numer-
GUS Fires.
During the past, for several weeks
the village of Pownal has been the scene
of number of mysterious occurrences
which are now the principal topics of
conversation. A BANNER representa-
tive was in the village Saturday and
found the people considerably excited
over the events of couple of days be-
fore, which had done more to create a
feeling of unrest and suspicion than any
thing that had previously occurred, so
much so that Grand Juror J. w. Wright
has quietly collected what evidence he
could with a view of taking further ac-
ton. A conversation with several lead.
ing men in the village reveals quite an in
terestiug series of facts dating back, as a
well known citizen said: ITO the time,
several years ago, when dead infant
was found on the banks of the river,
done up IN pair of pants" No effort
was made at the time to discover the per-
sons who threw the same into the
stream, and this gentleman in speaking
of the occurrence said that since that
time something or other was in the wind
all the time, and suggested to the scribe
that it would be profitable place for
him to locate for a while.
The first excitement of recent date
came early in the spring, sometime in
March, when about midnight one night
the corn house and hog house belonging
to John Service, farmer living about a
mile and a half from the village, were
burned with their contents. They were
not located near the house and it was
nine days wonder how the fire originat-
ed. No satisfactory conclusion has ever
been arrived at, although several theO-
ries have been advanced. People
thought that Mr.. Service was fortunate
not to have his barns and house burned.
and the affair finally dropped out of
mind. 1t was recalled again some five
weeks ago, when his house was robbed
of a gold watch chain, revolver and
some silverware. There are interesting
theories regarding this affair, which has
some curious aspects. Mr.. Service may
have had suspicious, if so he never ad-
vanced them. 1t was understood that
he was willing to let the silverware go, if
he could get the revolver and chain, and
these articles soon after came back to
him. Week before last, while the old
gentleman was down in lot repairing a
fence, the house was again robbed, in
day light, of eighteen dollars and the re-
volver. Mr.. Service locked the house
when he went away and was gone about
an hour. When he returned the house
was apparently as he had left it, There
are stories of red faced tramp going
that way but some of the older people
shake their heads and wonder where
we are at"
These are onlv small affairs compared
with the fires that have occurred there
since. June Goth, a dwelling house, oc-
cupied by three families, was burned to
the ground, the inmates narrowly escap-
ing and losing nearly all of their person
al effects. They were G. II. Potter, wife
and child, Jerry Wilson aud Mrs. White,
whose husband was away, The fire was
discovered by Mr.. Potter at about one
o'clock, a. M, when the back part aud
kitchen were mass of flames. Mr.. Pot
ter lost all of his goods, the others saw
ing a portion of theirs. The house was
owned by Daniel f. Bates, was in good
order and was insured for $500, which
Mr.. Potter says was much less than it
was worth. lie can form no idea of how
il originated. He and his wife are posi-
tive that it could not have caught from
pipe or chimney as there was but little
fire in the house that afternoon. Mr..
Bates, who lived but a short distance
away, was awakened by the barking of
his dog. 1t was thorough job and
there were no questions by the insurance
companies. Mr.. Bates thinks the fire
was accidental.
People had not ceased talking about
this, when about one o'clock, a. m., July
9th, a double tenement occupied by John
o. Cord and John Green, was discovered
on fire and was entirely consumed. 1t
was owned by Milton Potter of Blackin-
ton, Mass, and Louis Potter of Hoo.
sick Falls, n. Y, and was insured for
$1,000, the insurance being paid Satur-
day. The general opinion was that the in
mates of the house had been celebrating
the Fourth, that the festivities were kept
up until late and that the fire took from
fire crackers or rockets. The occupants
saved nearly all their household goods.
When the cry of ''Fire!" sounded the
next day, July 9th, the people were more
than surprised. Many began to think
that a fire fiend was in their midst when
they saw the flames mounting upward
from an old barn owned by Mrs. Tyler.
1t was empty, not very valuable and in
sured for $50, which amount the insur-
ance company paid. There is no ques-
tion but that this fire was of incendiary
origin. Kerosene was used and the de-
structiOn was complete. Nothing has
yet been done towards discovering the
guilty party or parties.
Soon after the residence of Mrs.
Burns was found to be on fire, but the
fire was quickly extinguished, This was
purely accidental and was discovered
about II o'clock a. m.
Three weeks ago woman rushed to
the house of Daniel 7. Bates and in
formed him that the house in which she
lived was on fire. 1t was a two-story,
doubled tenement owned by A. H. Pot
ter and Daniel f. Bates. John Sampson