Norwich bulletin., 1913-05-02

nits Burning Two Barns at Pom
 fret-In Jail in Default of 5000
 Bonds-son of Man Who Disappear
 cd Several Years Ago.
 State Policeman Robert Hurley caught f1rebug in the town of Wood stock Thursday forenoon. The pris- oner is Frank Olson, 21, of Woodstock and Pomfret, and he has confessed to the crime with which he is charged.
 Olson was captured within a short time after he had set fire to a big barn located in a wooded section in the northwest section of Pomfret and owned by M! A. Ellington.
 MT. Ellington has recently repaired place. He was driving along the road toward the property Thursday morn ing when he spied young Olson com ing hurriedly through the woods and as the fellow started to cross the field MT. Ellington addressed him and in quired as to his business. Olson did not have much to say, and seemed an xious to be getting on, according to the information that later came to the police.
 AS MT Ellington approached his property he saw that the barn was all ablaze and that there was no chance to save the structure.
 | [ J l tif1ed of what was going on and of the suspicious as to the guilty party and he immediately sent word to State Off, f1cer Hurley, who Judge Thompson happened to know, was staying in Putnam.
 Officer Hurley secured an automo- bile and with M R. Joy as driver in a very few minutes was hurrying in the direction of Pomfret. There was no great difficulty in picking up Olson's trail, which led to the store at West Woodstock, where Olson was found, ately charged with the crime by Off, flee Hurley and soon admitted that he had set the barn aflre.
 Olson was brought here and locked up at the police station. While he was there he admitted to Captain Murray that he had set fire to the Ed ington barn and that he had done So because ''Edington had not used him right when he worked for him." but in what manner he did not indicate. Olson also admitted to Captain Mur ray that he had set fire to the Shields barn that was destroyed at West Woodstock a few weeks ago. late in March In connection with this case Olson also set up the claim that he had not been paid as he thought he should have been for labor in cutting wood for the owned of the barn, although he admitted that he received as much as hs agreed to work for
 During the afternoon Olsen was taken over te Pemfret and presented before Justice Walter Bryden, Judge Charles o. Thompson acting as grand juror. When the complaint, eharg- ing him with burning the Ellington barn, was read to the prisoner, he pleaded guilty and in default of the necessary bonds of s1 660 required for his release was taken te the jail at Brooklyn.
 While Olson was locked up here Captain Murray questioned him close with any of the incendiary fires that have occurred in Putnam, but the prisoner, readily admitting the re- sponsibility for the two fires men tioned above. stoutly denied that he had ever set a fire in this city.
 Olson is a husky young chap. There is considerable interest in the family in Woodstock where they lived for a number of years before removing to Pomfret q few weeks ago, on account of the fact that the father, several years ago, came to this city one day, drew a large sum of money from the bank and disappeared. He has never been heard from. He left his wife and several children in Woodstock. i The Ellington barn destroyed Thurs day morning was & large structure, used principally for storage. Mrs. Ellington said Thursday afternoon that the value Of the structure, re- | gently improved. was $1,500, and that ] there was only q small amount of in i surance to cover the loss, which will l be a severe one for the owner a very worthy man. The house on the place i where the barn was destroyed was ! burned down about two or three years i ago, the cause of the fire being un- l known.