Delaware gazette and state journal., 1897-07-01
VORK OF AN lNCENDIARY
! Barn on Peter Rurphy'S Farm, Near
GFeenYllle, Destroyed.
BE HORSES FATALLY BURNED
halls Were Owned by John
Mearns.

an iucendiary fire Sunday John
fns, formerly OF this city, who liyos
Peter Murphy's fnrm, one mile
l|theast of Greenvillo, on the road
5Ifing to tho Old Hillside Mill, lost
al barn aud all its contents, including
1ree borHcs, new wagon, a set OF
Hutcher's tools and a lot of harness, te.
4jdes small quantity nf provender.
Abe value of which is between SI5tt aud
8L 600, while the loss on the building,
which is owned by Mr. Murphy, is
about 81, 500, on which there is M iu-
Hprance Of 500. Mr.. Mearns has no in
eurance whatever on his property.
NaTbat the building was burned by a
.lend in human form there is little
doubt, az a time was selected whom
,ft1ere was nobody about the place. Mr..
lMearns, who LEADS Mt. Salem Church
choir with cornet, was at that
tburch with his family at the time,
md his hired man. John Megrellis, had
1one over to neighbours about 90 min
nies before. Msgrellis and the neighbor
&ere sitting in front OF ths latter e
Mouse about Ills o'clock and hoth
Boticed smoke issuing from the roof oi
fhe barn, and they ran over to IL.
Mother could account for the fire.,
(which appeared to have originated ia
Kthe centre of the building. Megrellif
Ehad been there about half an hour be.
fore aud everything was all right ant
Tthere were no signs o. fire or smoke.
\ Thsra had been no fire about the plact
Hall day. so far az Mr.. Mesrns or thu
peopls about the farm knew.
va Both men went TO work to do wha
thoy could for the relief nf the animall
n which we're known 10 he inside. Blu
before they reached the barn the entir'
4building SEEMED to no 10 flames anr
when Megrelis opened the door {,
VI liberate the three hurses, the tiame
shot out and burned him. BY marc
work two of the horses were induced I,
leava the burning building, but th,
third could not he gotten out and j
was burned TO crisp. The horse
which were driven from the building
we're poth frightfully burned. One ha'
a Ills eyes burned out and its loft sid
burned raw. Both animals we're sho
fbis afternoon TO relieve their Huiferings
81 There were some other animals 10 tn
Building at the time Of the fire. but al
rscaped uninjured. A big effort wa
mado to save the barn, hut all to n
Mail, as it burned like finder and th
heat was like that of furnace.
"A short time before the fire was dis
covered stranger was seen hy neigh
bors going in tue diEsction OF Mearnf
4lnce, and after tho fire he was seen
leave hurriedIy. just where he went
hot known. One OF the neighbors spoh
TO him about the ire. hut he appeare
alarmed and. had little to say. He dt
/ parted hastily. Others noticed hi
4oueer actions and one man living in tn
vicinity informed Mr.. Mearns that b
coud indemnity the man il he ever ga
him again.
1t was learned that as soon ns an oI
portunity offered an investigation wi
made. for the purpose Of ascertainin
how and where the fire started, whic
revealed the fact that II must hay
8originated in the vicinity Of the stall
and the indications were that the ii
X cendiary bad sprinslsd oil about II
place and interior of the building mu
4 have been pretty we'll saturated whe
tho match was applied.
AN Mr.. Mearrs has nu idea who wou
want to burn the place down or VIII
'the object could he, and the suppos
ion ia that the miscroapt set it on ii
but of pure mischief. Several tram
have been seen about the neighborho(
lately. and the incendiary is suppost
to be one OF that class. Whether an
lthing was stolen could not be asce
tsiped, for IL there was a robbery befo
tho fire, il was impossible to discoy
it afterwards.
Mr. Mearns 10 butcher and has
trade in this city. The disaster VI
n be sad blow to him.