The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-22
CHURCH FIRST, NOW BARN.
ISCESDTA RTEs PURSUE TIL. REV. Or.
FRANK CLENDENIk.

Following closely the mysterious FIRE In tn 0
vestry OF st. Peters Protestant Episcopal
Church at West Chester on Wednesday
night. which the Rev. Dr. Frank N. Clendenin
has attributed to an agent OF what he terms
tho broad church" people. came an incend-
larry attempt early yesterday morning to dss-
troy barn on the old Greeley estate at Chap
paIua. which Ia owned by Dr. Clondenin and
his wife. who was Miss Gabrielle Greeley
Coming almost simultaneously with tho publ
cation Of DIR. Clendenin' 3 theory OF tho destruc-
ton Of part OF his church. the nows Of the
ATTEMPT on tho barn created a sensation in
both West Chester and Chappaoua whore DR..
Clendenin is we'll known and popular
That the burning 81 the barn was deliberately
planned by some ono who sought to do tho
minister an injury. there seems to be little
doubt. The odor Of kerosene was still stronG
about the barn yesterday afternoon. and many
ofthe unburned shingles were saturated with
1t. The bottle which had contained the oil was
found short distance from the barn, and still
held some kerosene. IN the barn was enough
Of valuable harness and trappines to have
tempted an ordinary tramp or night prowler
but they were untouched. Everything indi-
Gated that the early morning trespassers came
to burn the barn. and had no other object In
view. A strong southwest wind was blowing
when the Are was discovered. and had tho
flames gained any headway tho Clendenin
house might have caught Ore.
DR.. Clendenin 10 dnZed by this second at
tempt to destroy by fire property III which he
Ia interested. When asked II he attributed
this second fire to the same incendlaries who
partially destroyed his church. he said:
rs II necessary FOR me to say any MORE
Judge for yourself. l huve expressed myself
freely about the IRE In the church and have
nothing to retract Isn't It clear that the same
hand Is in both of these things2 The evidence
10 before you. judge for yourself: IL would not
be proper for me to say any more"
DR.. Clendenin Is much worried by the at
tempt to burn the barn. His two little children
and nurse were alone In the house. with no
one to look after them but young man en-
poyed on the place. on Sunday night. and 1t
was the thought OF what might have happened
we'll as the fear OF what his enemies may do
next that has thrown tho minister into state
OF nervous excitement,
The old Greeley estate at Chappaqua consists
OF a number OF ncres OF land just east OF the
tracks Of the Harlem Railroad. The old home
stead was formerly on top Of a steep hill. the
sides Of which are thickly wooded Eight years
ago the houseswas burned down. DR.. Clends-
min and his wife did not rebuild the place. but
converted the handsome barn OF stone and
hardwood into a home. building q new barn
and stable about 100 yards south-wes OF tho
place. 1t was this barn that tho incen diaries
tried to burn
DR. Clendcnin and his wife decided to spend
Sunday night at the rectory at Westehester
but left the two children. Gabrielle. aged Z, and
Nurie one year old. at Chappaqua. In charge
OF their nurse. As precaution, he asked
Thomas Mills. the 23-year old son OF his over
seer. Andrew Mills, to spend the niEht in tho
house. Young Mills readily agreed to do this and
O room was assigned to him on the third floor
The coachman. Ernest Bison. who generally
sleeps in the barn. went to Westchester with
Dr. and Mrs. Clendenin. leaving young Mills |
and the nurse and children the only persons !
on the place. Mills told the story OF what took |
place in the early morning hours yesterday. as |
follows:
Il took the nurse and children out driving |
during the afternoon. returning to the house |
little after O'Clock. / put the horses up and
then went and got dinner. At 0:30 o'clock |
fed the horses and at midnight went to bed, |
1t was between and $50 O'Clock this morn |
ing that woke up. ana feeling Ill. decided to |
60 down stairs and walk around for time. I |
hadn't slept vol and had sort Of premoni- |
ton that something was going to happen.
when walked out OF the front door the |
first thing that caught my eye was bright |
light shining through tho little round window |
in the front Of the barn. 1t was q moonlight |
night and for moment thought 1t might be |
q reflection OF the moon, but saw fam es a |
second later and then the horses began to |
neigh shrilly. ran to the barn as fast as |
could and tried to pull open the door, but It |
was locked. Then ! ran to tho house. got the |
key. opened the door. and. by means OF fre ex-
tinguishers and several pals Of water. sue |
ceeded In putting the lre out.
1t took me nearly half an hour to get the |
ere out. because it kept springing up again
Just as thought had settled II. This very
thing satisfied me that oil had been scattered |
about. for an ordinary FIRE would never have
noted the way this one did ! didn't see any
suspicious characters about the place, and al. |
though was at the barn door trying to get In |
within a minute OF when the fire was started, |
l didn't see or hear anybody around. II I
hadn't arrived when did tho horses would |
certainly have been suffoeated. for the place
was full of smoke when opened the doors. A
little delay would have meant the entire de-
strnction OF the barn too. for the flames were
gaining Roadway rapidly"
Mills telegraphed DR.. Clendenln OF the at.
tempt to burn his barn and DR.. and Mrs Glen.
denim arrived at Chappaqua on the noon train.
Mills meantime had looked around the back OF
the barn to see II he could find any clue to the
fncendiaries. and had picked up quart bot
tie which smelled strongly OF kerosene and
still had few drops OF the oil In ID. The bot
tie was OF dark green glass and look ed m UGH like
those In which Italian vermouth is i'm ported.
An almost similar bottle ia used by the man.
ufacturers OF patent summer drink Tho
bottle was only few feet from the barn. and
no one around the place had ever seen ono like
1t before.
1t was clear to the most casual observer yes
terday that the incendiarles Intended to make
Thorough Job OF the barn. All their work was
done at the south west corner. which cannot be
seen at all from the house. and II the fire had
been allowed to gain Roadway the harm would
have been reduced TO ashes in a short time.
There is an old-fashionsd window in the rear
OF the barn at this corner. The window doesn't
raise or lower. but swings In 1t is usually
locked at night. but on Saturday one OF the SER
wants tied one end OF clothesline In tho win
dow and this prevented the catch from snap
ping. 1t Is so high from the ground that man
would have difficulty In getting through IL
without first standing on something
Evidently the barn burners first intended to
start the fire from the outside for they satu-
rated the shingles under the window with