Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-05-24

completely destroyed. This beautiful
establishment was located at Locust
Valley, a few miles to the south of
the Dawson place. No one knows
how the fire started, although, as is
usual in such cases, 1t was attributed
to defective insulation.
The very same day the country es-
tate of Raymond E. Baylis, at Hale
site, Huntington, few miles from
the Crayath place, was nearly de-
stroyed by another mysterious fire,
and the following day the mansion of
Stephen e. Burgoyne, at Elm Point,
Great Neck, and the colonial cottage
of Mrs. Peter +. Collier, at Southamp-
ton, l.. l., were reduced to ashes
through fires occasioned no one
knows how.
Add to these disasters the four
fires of April to 10, which were dis
covered successfully on the place of
z. r. Chapman, at Great Neck, l.. l.,
the fire of April 3. which completely
Quilted the 100000 mansion of Mrs.
Jessica Taylor, daughter of the late
James R. Keene, at Cedarhurst, the
fire of February IS, which destroyed
Mrs. w. K. Vanderbilt, Jr.'s establish
ment between Jericho and Westbury,
and the fire of January rs, which
started in the Port Washington ship
yards and destroyed 100000 worth
of pleasure yachts owned by million
aire residents.
In the case of the Chapman fires,
there Is no doubt at all that the fires
were of incendiary origin. Four dis
tinct efforts in two days to burn
down the place were made in two
days, but the identity of the firebug
has not yet been ascertained. Mr.
Chapman is president of the Hudson
Trust Company.
The theory that an anarchistic con-
spirator is responsible for the fires is
based upon the fact that in every
case the victims were millionaires
There have been no fires at all in
the affected area among the homes of
people of average means.
The possibility that the fires are
the work of "pyromaniac" is held
by some persons, but no tangible
evidence has yet been secured to sup
port this view. The typical pyro-
maniac is one who is instigated prin-
cipally by desire to see the fire APP
paratus and firemen at work, but in
these out of the way country places,
which boast of no elaborate fire de-
partments, this motive could hardly
have been present.
While the turning out of a big
array of fire fighting apparatus is not
a characteristic feature of these
country fires, however, they do occa-
sion a form of excitement of their
own, and it is quite possible that
some degenerate mind might derive
peculiar pleasure in starting fires
of this character just for the sake of
watching the frantic efforts of the
neighbors put them out.
A more ingenious theory is that of
an insurance man who believes the
Long Island fires are the work of
some INSCRIPTIONS builder or ma
terial man, who not having shared in
the previous contracts hopes to profit
by the rebuilding of the houses
which he destroys.
In the same was some ambitions
architect who had not shared in the
giving out of plans might figure that
If the houses had to be rebuilt he
might this time be more lucky. No
evidence at all has been secured thus
far to support this theory, but the in
vestigators are keeping 1t In mind.
That the fires may be due to will
fully careless building ON the part of
owners is the suggestion of a we'll
known technical publication.