The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-08-23
THE WORK OF
A FIRE BUG
Jacksonville Aroused Over
Incendiary's Work.
w. A. BROWN VICTIM
His Barn Was Destroyed by Fire
July 80 and an Attempt to Burn
Building Occupied by His Horses
Was Made Wednesday Morning.

Was Made Wednesday Morning.
! Residents of the village of jack
sonville are considerably excited over
what seems like a systematic attempt
to destroy property belonging to Will
liam A. Brown, one of Whitingham's
well .to-do citizens and a man whose
stern business dealings are said to
have gained for him the enmity of
number of people in that section. The
trouble started the night of July 80
when Mr.. Brown s large barn and
several outbuildings were destroyed
by a fire which was undoubtedly of
ineendiary origin. Mr.. Brown 8 son
Greedy was the only male person at
home when the blaze was discovered
and he was able to get three horses
out of the building before the flames
waxed too warm to permit entrance.
Several cows and large amount OF
hay and farming tools were destroyed,
and it was only hard work on the
part of the village firemen and the abb
sence of any wind that prevented the
house from being consumed There is
no doubt in the minds of Jackson
vile people that this fire was set for
when first discovered the barn was
ablaze at opposite ends and burning
fercely as if some infammable mate
rial had been used in starting the fire.
After the fire Mr.. Brown hired
what is known as the William Dono-
ghue barn. a short distance from his
house, and has been keeping his
horses there. The second attempt to
harm Mr.. Browns property came to
light there Sunday morning of this
week when a mixture of Paris green,
oats and salt was found in the man
ger in front of one of the horses.
That this particular animal had an
aversion to oats and would never eat
them is the only thing that saved its
life, for the mixture was of sufficient
strength to end the days of a half
dozen equines. A short distance from
the barn was, found a glass pickle jar
containing a small amount of Paris
green and as yet this is the only clew
to the mystery.
The latest attempt to take revenge
on Mr.. Brown occurred early Wednes-
day morning when the Donoghue barn
was set afre. Frank Cross discov-
cred the blaze when he went out to
feed his horses and with the assist
ance of Clarence Grousbeck exiting
uished the flames, but had the fire
been allowed to burn much longer the
building would have been destroyed.
Near the barn was found woman's
rubber of large size, and this is
thought to afford a elew to the perpe'
traitor of the crime, especially in the
light of what was discovered later IN
the day. William A. Clark, driver OF
the Jacksonville and Brattleboro
stage, had Just reached the top of the
hill this side of the village Wednes-
day morning when he noticed line of
footprints coming into the highway
from the bushes at the side of the
road At first he thought nothing
about them but as they continued IN
this direction Mr.. Clark noted that
| the person who had made them evil
IDENTIFY had a rubber on one foot and
tennis slipper on the other, the lat
ter leaving the marks of the CORFU
gated rubber sole plainly discernible
in the sand. The prints of the other
foot showed that they had been made
by rubber of the same size as the
one found near the scene of the fire
that morning. both being about 10
inches long, the length of a No. Z
shoe. The tracks were apparently
those of tall person who walked
with a long, powerful stride and MI
Clark followed them for about mile
after which they turned in the direc-
ton of Marlboro and were soon lost
to view. Efforts to ascertain the iden-
tity of the person who made them
were begun at once but up to yester-
day afternoon nothing had been learn
ed 1t is understood that an attempt
to poison the horses of Mr.. Clark, the
stage driver, was made Sunday night
by someone who gave the animals
saltpetre. The horses were made
very sick by the dose but will recov'
er.