Semi-weekly Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1897-1901, 1901-10-11
WHO SET THE FIRE
At WILLIAMSVlLLE?
rwo MEN VIRTUALLY ON TRIAL
WHERE ONE WAS INDICTED

MED since recopveDing Tuesday with
The Williamsville arson case entltleo
State VS. Fred H Bushor slias Fred
n Bidwell. THIS case went Oh trlai
before a Jury Tuesday morning on an
incarnation for arson filed against
the respondent by States Attorney
Weston. The undisputed facts In the
case are substantially as follows; The
farm known as the Bowker farm l1a
miles FROM Williamsville Oh the Dum,
merston Hill road was traded IN lSoo
by c II Bruce to NJ NJ Estabronk, a
real estate dealer in Jamaica ran,
Mass. The farm had salaole value
of 5000 or S70O. The buildings were
insured by the Union Mutual OF mont
heller for S275 through the company s
local agent Estabrook failing to sell
the property leased it about May ISL,
1901, to Herbert d Bidwell OF Som
eryille. Mass. for one or five years OF
rental of $50 per year aud the
taxes. BidweIl who was meat cut
tar at Somerville arranged with one
Fred II Bushor to go onto the farm
with the understanding that Bld~ell
would 60 there later and assist III
carving it on. Bushor came TO YER
mont soon afterward. introduced MN
self as Fred II Bidwell, occupied tue
house and commenced OPERATORS on
the farm. EstabrooI, the owner OF
the farm, was owing debt to Jonn .
Eisuor, a contractor aud puliuer AZ
West Roybury, Mass. EstaDtook tcok
Eisnor up to the farm last winter "lth
view to selling him the timber 10
apply on the debt. The snow was
deep, the aspect forbiddine and the
| trip without result. About the htst
of June, however, Eisnor took the
farm. farming tools and some house
hold furniture at $500 on the dent.
| About July 1st he came up to the
| farm. met Bushor, arranged with INN
to continue on the place under the
lease and told him that he wanted
| more work done on the place IN the
| way of putting in crops and also same
stock put on to eat the hay, About
the middle of July Eisnor again came
up to the farm, as he testified, arrlV'
ing 10 the evening, finding no one
there and seeing no one in the nelgh.
borhood, and after satisfying himself
that the bay was being cut, walked
back to Brattleboro and took the
early morning train to Boston.
Sometime in July Roslindale,
| Mass, insurance agent notihea the
Union Mutual Insurance 20 that
Eisnor had bought the Estabrook
farm aud wished a considerable ID
crease of insurance on the buildings.
AS the final result of correspondence
the company declined AL increase and
cancelled the policy OF S27o. Mean
time Eisnor had been in correspond.
ence with another agency and finally
effected an insurance of sl620 on the
buildings. After visiting Herbert u
Bidwell at Somerivlle, the lessee of
the farm. and learning from him that
he didn't intend to hold to the lease,
and that Bushor had written him
THAT the hay cut on the place was OF
much smaller value than expected and
the general outlook unpromisiug Els
nor came up to the farm on the ever
ing of Sept 18th, found no one on
the premises and then went along to
the house OF Irwin Carey about 40
rods south where he put up. The
next day he went to the farm and
| talked matters over with Bushor, hav-
ing some disagreement as to the dlspo-
sition of the hay.
| Subsequent visits to the farm added
to the trouble and finally on the morn
ing of Sept 18th Eisnor got up ebout
6 o'clock and went from the Carey
house to the farm, called up Bushor,
talked with him 20 or 70 minutes,
then returned to the Carey house to
breakfast. leaving the latter place on
foot at 10 minutes past for Williams
Vile station to take the trBln for Bos-
ton. Bushor hitched up his horse and
drove to Williamsville village for a
bag of grain starting from the grist
mill Of John W Williams oD his return
home at about / 10. On his wsy home
he met EiSnor and turned around ard
carried him to Williamsville station,
arriving a few n inutes before the de-
parture of the s 90 train. At l3 mil-
utes before George r Wheeler, a
neighbor. living 40 rods south of the
Eisnur buildings discovered the Eisnor
barns to be on fire and started for the
place. Mr. Carey joining him at the
house of the latter. The fire was well
under way and the roofs of the barn
lsoon fell in. the neighto rS who had
assembled giving their attention to
throwing water onto the Roof of the
house situate few rods eaSterly.
Every door and window in the house
was fastened. After short time
lsome one saw indications of fire 10
1.-The ell of the house, next to the barns,
land on breaking in it was found that
La fire had evidently started in some
old bagging and straw under a work
bench. burned up through the bench
land was blazing upon the side OF the
ihousa ann in the roof
This room was an old store room
with the windows boarded up quite
Tightly, aud against the WINDOWS.
sabout two feet away from the house
at the bottom and touching it at the
caves was a tight boarding, put up
Apparently for a windhreak and pro
lection to the cellar underneath, and
making the room practically a dark
one.
After putting out the house
fire George r Wheeler and
Irwin Carey started for Will
Iliams7ille and met Bushor going tow
ard home. They had a little talk
With him but did not mention the
fire. Wheeler ard Carey telepboned
to Brattlt horo about the fire. Eisnor
was hunted up, told about the fire.
but continued on to Boston telephon
ing back however that he wished to
have BldEell arrested, but that he
had an appointment in Boston that
day relative to an important govern
ment cor tract He returned three or
four days later for the preliminary
hearing before the justice. On ar
irving home Busbor found there Mr.