The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-04-07
.FIREBUG REWARD
 URGED IN BEDDING
Feeling That Further Arson N Acts Should Be Severely
 Discouraged Pervades Town.
SeIectInan Barnes Victim of a Joke Supposedly by His Col Ieagues-ReV. Mir. Gilman to Leave. g
Special to The Farn1er.1

vored by many citizens is carried out Ia proposition will be laid before the special town meeting. sooni to be held, I vote the offer of a rewhrd for the apprehension of any person commit ting an act Of arson in the town.
 In the last three years there have been three big barn fires each causing heavy loss and all of them shocking in their destruction of live stock, the total mortality being more than one hundred head of cattle. At least two of the fires. those of the Williams brothers, undoubtsdly came about through parties actuated by revenge full motives. No real attempt to trace these crimes to their authors has ever been made although in both instances there were vague suspicious which if followed up by capable detective work might have resulted in the sapprehen- sion of the offenders. A reward would prove the best incentive to such efforts and without it further acts of incendiarism arS likely to go unpun- ished unless a lucky chance should disclose the hrebug's identity. Fur tf erIlaore the mere fact that there ex- isted a. substantial inducement for the hunting down of the offender would have a deterrent effect on those with dncendiary impulses With the rec ord as it now stands barn burning in Bedding can be indulged in with i'm punity. a condition which is felt t0 be, in a certain measure, 8, reproach to the town
 Upon arriving at his home on Mon day evening from New York where he had been undergoing hospital treatment for several weeks, Herbert s. Barnes found awaiting him a sum
 mons to report for jury service the next day in the SuperiorI court at Bridgeport. Instead of responding in person MT Barnes forwarded a cer- tifcate from pr. Smith setting forth that his health entitled him to ex- emption from service. This excuse Judge Williams accepted. What sur prised and nystif1ed MT. Barnes in the matter was the fact that his name should have been on the county jury roll As one of the selectmeni he helped to make up the last list or Bedding jurymen and confidently as- serts that when the completed Hist left his hands it did not include his name. By reason of being member of the bar he is not only not liable for# jury service but is ineligible for sucf. ser vice. It is of course impossible that court clerks should have made use of his name without authority and this leaves as the only possible explana- ton the surnise that one of his fell low seIectmen -sneaked in his name as a piece of pleasantry- What was doubtless intended as a harmless joke placed MT. Barnes inSas false position and caused him considerable annoy ance.
 Tine drifts from Saturdays snow storm blocked the roads to such an extent that no, services were held or, Easter at the Center Methodist and Congregational churches Rev. MT. Cunningham conducted services at the Episcopal church in the presence kof l a small congregation. JonquiIs and daffodils arranged about the altar gave a pretty effect. the usual pro- fuse decorations from Senator Peck's greenhouses being not in. evidence by reason of the previous days weather blockade Gangs of snow shovellers mustered by the selectmen had the roads cleared by Monday noon.
 Rev. MT. Gilman, who lis this week attending the yearly session Of the New York East Conference has de- cided not to accept the invitation from the Center Methodist church to remain as it's pastor for another year. Offers of two other engagements have been made him, one from a church on Long Island and the other from a church in OhioS He has not de- cided which of them to accept.
 Lew Warner of the Center drove to West Redding last Thursday even ing to attend a rehearsal, at the home l of B. F. Sanford, of the play which part of this month. When he came out to start for home his team was missing. Taking passage with an other rehearser of the Ridge sec | anxious watch for his vanished turn out. Half way up the hill from Lii braryy Corner he came upon it, the Ehorse having become stalled there by l getting cross ways of the shafts and the wagon standing across the road.
 The pretty cottage which George S. i Banks started to build on the main road below Pine Tree Corner for Geo. I Arnold, Jr., has become MT. Banks property through a conveyance made 1 1Tr7 about $50 in the site and the shanty standing thereon and MT. Banks un- dertook to finance the erection of 8 neat comfortable house for the actual outlay for material and labor. The cost proved more than Arnold had expected and at his reauest-Mr.s Banks took the enterprise off his hands, pay ing him the amount of the original 1 investment.
 Death has twice visited the house hold of William c. Sanford within a
 brief period. His mother passed l away about three weeks ago and on Monday last occurred the death of Afrs- Louisa Cole. his mother-in-1 law. i Grip was the cauSe The deceased was S1, a widow, and resided in West on most of her life. having made her ] home with her daughter and son-in- law during the past three years.
 A party of IS Boy Scouts from Bethel with s. H. Barry and W. A.
 Gilbert as their adult leaders visit ed Putnam Park on Good Friday. for a season of pastime and training. This was the parks first outing par ty of the season. Last year the park had a considerably larger number of visitors than in any previous year.
 Homer Smith, son of pr. B. H. 1 Smith, has been chosen by his class
 mates of the Senior class of Amherst. College as their representative at the Panama Exposition. The class pays his expenses on the trip.
 A demonstration of tree pruning and phosphate application was held 1 last Thursday afternoon at the farm Of Albert Williams in hometown. Many farmers from far and near at l tended and felt well repaid by the