The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-16
WERE THE CHICKENS STOLEN?
IF THEY WERE, DID STATEN ISL
AND VAMPS GET THEMf

These Are the Innuendoes Mr. william Cur.
It's Gibson Has Deen Called Upon to
Sweep Away with the Power Of His
Pen--Wtll He do II? He Will.
After braveiy fighting three serious fires
Monday night In their usual Strenuous
way the Staten Island volunteer Aremer
were accused Yesterday Of robbng chicken
.,let i.-s;eai Of Dire ching the blaze. THO
accusation has aroused the vamrs TO an in
diSnation hotter than any fire they have
tackled since the memorable three whistle
blaze Of last winter, when several Of the
red-ehirted heroes were actually late for
dinner.
The Medoras, who lead the North Shore
Are fighters In point Of age. having been
organized when the venerable William
Curtis Gibson Of East Houston and Elm
streets was q mere lad. are particularly
wrought up over the accusation. They
term il slanderous In the extreme Iand at
meeting yesterday resolved not 10 allow
any more freq copies Of the Staten Island
newspapers to bo pu. In their library unless
n rc,racti,n wns forthcoming speedily.
The fres that called out the Staten Island
vanps Monday night would have been
passed by without serious consideration
II il had not been for what came after.
IN fact they we're such fires "a the volunteers
get nearly twice a year. The first was
bru. l. fire on Toad Hill near West Brighton
and threatened at one time o spread several
wards into a lockwood hodge. The De-
fender Hooksee "a the Defender Hook
and Ladder Company No, of Four Corners
West Brighton, are known. were the first
,,irt ly frAG hoh
We, withered the lockwood hedge and ii
'ithstood the hapes.
Hardly had the Defenders. the C1ions
the Wyandot.os. he CatIracts and tho
Patrols get bac. 20 their checkers and golf
scores y hen the histe b.ew its ominous
olas, for FIRE in house a, Hamilton Park
recently leased by J. Randolph Grymes
There was no hydrart available except
in Franklia avenue. whi~h is at distance
from the house. and ~ the house v As al
ready afre in two place tho work Of the
fi-onien Was unavai ng, eN,e pt that piano
lamp and two sofa cushions were saveu
from the place before the house went up
in smoke,
Then came the third fire. The volun-
teore had been n.ltt.riNg their suspicious
of Lncendiar, FORK in Tho first tWo la2rs
but now suspicion became, certainty ard
their sirGed nustachcs. The fire was ON
the Manor farm In Marung avenue, West
New Brighton, ownuu by airs. K. Penn
Snith, and occupied by her son, Morton
". Smith. as a country home. il start d
in IN, chicken roost where MIR. smith kept
a M, Der Of choice fowls.
several Of the clic"cns were heard 10
squawk Just after the hrcmen arr ed and
il was th,u,.n' that some Of tho chickens
had r,en saved ALI but no trace Of then
oxccIt a few feathers was found after
waid. Willie the Occur ants Il the coop
were being attended to. tie fire SGT into
Mr.. Snih's barn and destroye,. that.
Mr.. Smiths chicken coop had been in
danger OF tre three times before that in
two weeks. fires having been discovered
near It each time but early enough TO PER- 1i
them 20 ho put out. AT West Br!rhtou
yesterday il was said tina, this looked very
When the West Brighton hremen heard
veS''r'sy th7' they HID be'n charged with
a,astiLs tlH "hcl; ~ odi =! te'r corl.
the held indignation meetings In their
several houSs md east. cOinian conferred
wit all the r.ot an 10 tie best thing to do.
IL VAT hrbhy c., iu'u that II Mouiu be
rest 10 bend "A complete report on the three
1,., Of NoI.,'uv night ~ Will, - Curtis
Gibson and then let him = ,Hcrt tie case to
he public III q GOWN iii & form. MIR.
Gilsor WIS thercupon He'd uTon TO assist
lie ~ IA lie WIS very tired as the result az
several sp-sclcs which he hid made this
week TO Ga,heril c. &C lii old friends ,monr
the firemen. but at E"t coi.ser'ed. II,
promised "a issue "A statement It hi, oflic.
~ .Gst Houston IT cot toinc time to-mor-
'tv'
When ..r. Cib-on was rcqi sted to tax
on the case Yesterday nc ia l. reFu ed 40
do so On the ground that tho evidence was
not nl in. II was learned, however, that
he already had in his possession several
affldavits from the New Brighton flrcmr II.
One Of these is from an officer Of the aie-
doras, WHO ayers that he saw no amir al
at the Smith farm fire except two polo
ponies. lie admits having heard chickens,
but says he In confident that these were
flying away into the brush at the time.
Mr.. Smiths hired man said yesterday,
however, that he clipped the wings Of ali
the chickens the Saturday night before the
ERE and that they couldn't have flown.
Tha feelinR Of tha hramen Ia hnnxn NV