Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-10-27
A MYSTERIOUS CASE.
What Became of u Stranger
Known as j. Larney?

The shRnty which He Had Rented and
His Horse and Effects Were Burned
Nothing 20 Indicate His Whereabouts,
But 1t Is Not Believed That He
Perished.
The past week has been one of consider
able speculation as to the whereabouts of
man who appeared Saturday, and disap-
peared during Saturday night, under very
strange circumstances. He was about 80
years of age, well dressed and good look
ing, probably of either French or Italian
extraction He came to Dennis Drislane's,
just south of the village, and wanted to
hire a small shanty located on his farm
near the south end of the Westminster
iron bridge. He had good horse and an
old buggy wagon. He said he wished to
fix up the building, make it warmer, run a
partition through it and use it to keep his
horse in one side and he to live in the
other. Mr.. brisbane rented the building
to him FOR 81 per month. He paid one
months rent in advance.
The man then came into the village, pur-
chasing stove, some cooking utensils, sup
plies of food and about 400 feet of boards
He took all except the boards with him,
while Mr. Stuart delivered those as di-
rected. He paid for all the things pur-
chased, having a roll of bills that at some
places is estimated 20 contain about 500
He bought a lantern also. The building,
which was a small rough board sAanty,
stood but a few feet from the main road,
and light was seen there about o clock
that evening, and indications that he was
there.
At daylight the next morning it was
found the building had been burned to the
| ground during the night. In the ruins
were the remains of his horse the stove,
cooking utensils, boards, and in fact every
thing be was known to have had, that
would leave any trace, but nothing could
| be found of any trace indicating the where
abouts of the stranger. His wagon stood
but short distance from the ruins and
was somewhat burned. In it were found
three receipt books indicating he had been
engaged in repairing chimneys, fitting
them with what was called an Expansion
top" and that he did work as late as
Thursday in Winchendon, Mass, for
Humphrey Conner, who paid hun Sl.25.
There was also a printers cut of the device
which he placed upon chimneys.
The book indicated that his name was
j. Larney, of 20 Summer street, Worces-
ter, Mass. He paid out about the village
during the afternoon $12 or $40, his pur-
chases, as we'll as his horse, being destroyed,
and since then no sign whatever has been
found of what became of him. The author
tiles have tried to communicate with diff.
ferent parties for whom he had worked
and also with the Worcester officials, but
as yet nothing has been learned. The af
fair has interested many people and many
theories have been preached, but the mos,
reasonable one seems to be that his object
in coming here and taking the little build
ing was an honest one and that he acci
dentally set fire to the building. Their
finding his horse dead and property al
destroyed, he preferred to depart rather
than to remain and be blamed for the oc
currence, or the loss of the building.
1t has been found that Larney's HON,
was not at 70 Summer street, Worcester
He simply lived there a short time, anC
the people there with whom he boarded
knew almost nothing about him.