Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-12-03
William al! B. Richards I! A.
raigned On Two Counts
For Burning Frank 2. Rand's
Barn at China, Nov. IS.
Also for Attempting TO Burn the
Rand House, Nov. Fl.

William b. Richards, z, 1o-year-oli
boy, was held Thursday afternoon I'M
der S200o bonds by Judge Benedict +.
Maher, Of the Augusta municipal court.
aron two charges of arson 20 one or
which the boy pleaded guilty while he
stoutly denied the other. The two
warrants against the boy charged him
with burning the barn of Frank ID.
Rand of China, the man with whom he
lived. CT! Nov. il. and attempting 10
burn the house Of Mr.. Rand on Nov.
q. The boy in his confession of the
attempt to fire the mousse gave as his
reason for doing il that Mrs. Rand did
not make his bed and compelled him to
sew his own buttons on his clothes.
He WAS unable to secure the bonds
required and was committed to Jail
at the close of the hearing. The boy
was q few months over l6, having been
born. March %, 1898, which left to the
judge II" discretion in the matter of
binding hi:n over after probable cause
was found. Had he been under 16 he
conld have been turned over to either
a regular prObG ton officer or one APP.
pointed by the court. The Richards
boy is an unusually bright looking lad
for one of his years and his face
shows no signs of degeneracy. There
vas nothing abnormal about his con-
vereation or his testimony on the wit
ness stand except his statement. re-
peateG without any hesitation, that he
attempted to D1rn the house because
Mrs. Rand would not make his bed OF
sew buttons on his clothes.
Supt. W. {. HaWes of the Maine Chill
drcn's Home Society, under whose care
the boy was for little over a year,
was seated beside the respondent DUR
ing the hearing and at it's close, be-
fore the bail was finally fixed, offered
to take him to the Home and be re-
sponsihle for his appearance at the
January term Of the superior court.
This peculiar case has caused a
great deal of feeling and excitement
among the residents OF the usually
quiet town of China. An investigation
had been quietly conducted previous
to the hearing Thursday afternoon by
County Attorney Guy A. Hildreth of
Gardiner and State Insurance Commits
sioner Beechcr Putnam of HOultOn,
while the China board of selectmen, of
which Mr. Rand, with whom the boy
lived. is a member, has also been look
ing into the matter assisted by Deputy
Sheriff Charles w. Jones of China since
the attempted burning OF the house
Sunday night.
There was somewhat of a mystery
about tie burning of the barn. the fire
there being discovered in one of the
bays, shortly after the Richards boy
left the Earn, but it was generally sup>
posed that it might have been caused
by mice or spontaneous combustion.
After the attempted burning Of the
house, which the boy at first claimed
was set by burglars, who drove him
from the house, suspicion was directed
towards him, but it was not until
Thursday morning in the presence OF
State Insurance Commissioner Beecher
Putnam, Deputy Sheriff Jones and 9TH
ers that the boy denied his previous
stories ia regard to the men who broke
into the house and confessed that he
attempted, 10 burn TIE house by setting
fires in aeveral ploc-.; IN the different
rooms because of the fanc;ed grievance
which he had against Mrs. Rand.
Frank G.. Harrington of Augusta was
counsel for the Richards boy at the
hearing. which began at O'Clock. The
State was represented by Guy A. Hill
dreth OF Gardiner and the State insur-
ancc department was represented by
Commissioner Putnam.
Frank d. Rand If China. with whom
the boy lived, testified that the boy
came in from doing the chores in this
barn about Sis on the afternoon OF
Nov. 1G. He sent the boy back to the
barn to get down some more hay for
the cattle The respondent said he had
rather go after supper, but the Wit
ness told him to go at once and the
boy went around the corner of the
house and came back in moment
saying that the barn was in flames.
Witness testified that the fire was
in a bay of hay, back of a wooden.
partition and had gained but little
Roadway when discovered. 1t could
not have been burning more than five
minutes when he saw it. He had new.
er heard the young man make any
threats against him or his wife and
had never had any serious trouble with
MIN. He was sometimes obliged to COR
rect the boy. Witness admitted on
cross-examination that he had a lan>
tern in tho barn when he was there
but took it into the house with him
and the boy did not have the lantern
at all. Witness also admitted that on
one occasion when the boy was un-
truthful ne gave him a licking with
horseWhip.
Witness did not suspect the boy of
setting the fire in the barn until after
the attempt was made to burn the
house on the evening of Nov. q. He
and his wife went away leaving the
hoy in the house and before he got to
East Vassalboro he received word that
there was fire at the house. The
fire was set in four places, upstairs in
the open chamber, in another chamber
on the north side of the house. in the