The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-02-20
HOLD z BOYS FOR
BARN BUR MING
At VERGENNtS
One of Them Alleged to Have
Made Confession
HAD PLANNED TO ESCAPE
Fred Wooster, Of West Rutland, and
Ernest KlmbaIl, Of Sharon,
Held as lncendiarIes
HAD PLANNED TO ESCAPE

yergennes, Feb. 20.--Fire emit rely
destroyed two large barns belonging
to the State Industrial school yester-
day morning entailing a loss of over
$4,000 and as a result, Fred Wooster
OF West Ru land and Ernest Kimball
OF Sharon, both inmates of the insti-
tuition were taken 10 the house OF cor
rec.ion at Rutland last evening by
Judge ]. +. Weeks of Middlebu y,
chairman of the state penal board,
charged with having set fire to the
buildings.
The fire started about 10 o'clock IN
the large barn directly opposite the
building formerly used as school,
and had spread to a Stable nearby
and had gut ed both buildings includ-
ing their contents before anything
could be saved except 5S head OF cat
tie in the COW barn, and these were
saved with great difficulty.
Immediately after the fire was un-
der control the Two boys wee taken
in charge by the officials and after a
severe grilling, Kimball, young
man 20 years old broke down and
confessed.
He stated that he was led into the
act By Wooster, who seems to have
been the primo mover in the crime
and had qui an influence over the
other boy. He furnished the match.
es and told Wooster that they would
bc.h escape during the excitement OF
the fire. Tho boys had talked the
ma ter over considerably since tho
other fire which destroyed the main
building and plans were made TO
make the attempt yesterday morning.
Kimball, who is Of q rather tlmid
disposition mentioned the plan to an
her boy in the school who immedi-
atCly notified one of the attendants
An examination was made of tho
buildings and no traces were found
of any attempt to fire the place and
the a tendant commenced to regard
the affai.' as a joke some of the boys
were attempting to play. a short
time afterwards flames we're seen
shooting out Of the building.
Wooster was also given brief
third degree" by the officials but
refused to diyulge anything.
The cow barn, which was the 4 g;
to CO. was bull. completely OF wood
and was 100 feet long by 40 feet wide
and con aimed a large amount Of hay,
where the fire was started. The other
building was stable. 72 feet long
and "a feet wide was also of wood
with the exception Of O cement floor
and q composition on the walls to
make it more SAM airy. This build
ing caught soon after the other had
started and was n total loss.
Wooster Is II years old and al
though Of n low mentality Is Of
dominating personality, and has been
in the school TO- several years. This
is not his first escapade. He Is the
same boy who several weeks ago
made sensational escape from the
place with a young man named Burke
Wooster is son of Charles Woos-
ter Of West Rutland.
Kimball had been az the institution
for about six months
Both boys were questioned last
evening but nothing further regard
ing the affair could be learned, woos
te- refusing even to answer.
The boys will be detained at the
house of correction until the next ses
sion of the Addison County court in
June.