The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-05-26
OFFICIAL.
 AOJUDGED INSANE:
 TAKEN TO ASYLUM
Sad Case of J. H. Duncan W hose Incapacity Leaves
 Two Offices Vacant.

Bedding, May 26.-On commitment 1 papers issued by Probate Judge San ford, Jesse H. Duncan was taken to 1 the state hospital for the insane on 1 Tuesday in charge of former Sheriff George s. Banks, the trip being made 1 with Sanford Osborn's car. At the hearing Monday on the petition of rel l atives Dr. Smith of this town and Dr. Gorham, of Weston testified to Dun cans physical debility, loss of mem ory and dazed and other conditions plainly showing mental unsoundness. Duncan had refused to go to a sanf- tarium and his family and friends de- eided that the action taken was the only alternative. The patients decline in health began several months ago, its first marked manifestation being an almost complete loss of eyesight. Recovery from this trouble was fol- lowed by various nervous disorders, including, at intervals, locking of the jaws and loss of speech. As Duncan is only 40 years old and had previously been in robust health and active his friends could hardly realize the serf-5 ous character of his malady until about two weeks ago. His failure has since been rapid and the doctors have scant expectation of any change for the better. The case is a tragicaI1y sad one, as MT. Duncan was the head of family consisting of his aged mother his wife and their six young children. For the past five years he has been town tax collector and for about twice that period the only act ing grand juror. In both capacities he made an exceptionally good record and his bright and genial personality ] won him friends everywhere he went #
 Probably 200 persons turned out to fight the fire which destroyed Herbert S. Barnes large horse barn last Sat urday morning and it needed their best efforts to prevent the flames from making a clean sweep of the prem ises: An important factor in the work came from the operation of the three chemical engines. One of them was quickly hustled to the scene by the boys of the. Sanford school who also cleared out the movabIes from the other barn, including the furniture of al family. occupying part of the buiId- ing. The proximity of this barn to the one on fire and the direction of the wind seemed to render it's destruc- tion inevfta ble and the agile roof work done by Joe Busser and others alone saved 1t. The insurance on the burned building. is $2,000 and on the contents 8. 900. The cause of the fire is still unaecopnted for and seems likely to remain so.
 There were no substances in the
 building to create spontaneous com
 bustion and as far as known no one
 had been inside it for two or three
 hours The theory of a careIess1y dropped match ignited by rats gnayv- ing might be advanced and about the
 only remaining one is that of a slow
 burning fuse or possibly a screened lighted candle set some hours before the flames burst out. Commercial fires of this character with insurance mon ey as the object are not uncommon in
 cities, but arson prompted by malice
 rN1- r,v1 i,a
 an origin. If this actually was an in
 geniously planned time" fire it
 makes the local situation even more alarming than had, been conceived be-
 cause it indicates the addition of skill
 and daring to a deprav1ty which had
 previously used cIumsier methods. As suming that the Barnes fire belong
 it's origin, to the professional firebug class possible explanation of the
 authors motive is found in the fact that MT. Barnes was active in the movement which led to the recent of fering by the town of a $500 reward for the apprehension of incendiaries. All these theories, however, are purely conjectural MT. Barnes has ar
 ranged to rebuild at once. Eugene Ad- ans, who put up the former building,
 and has started the rebuilding of J. B.
 sanford's burned barns, will have charge of the job.
 The laws offenders delivered by the
 Bedding authorities to the criminal I superior court for the final disposition
 of their eases are of late faring Aq1lite
 fortunately considering the gravity of
 the charges. Thus William Kealy, who last fall sold a horse he had hired
 and for so doing was bound over for l horse stealing. was let off by the state
 attorney on payment of less than $50,
 the original charge having been mean
 while reduced to the minor one of talk
 ing a team without permission The
 degree of surprise locally occasioned
 by the outcome of that case was sur
 passed when it became known how l gently Henry Crossman and his wife, l the Ridgefeld couple who burgIarized
 and footed the sunm CT home of Law
 yer William N1u1ligan at Lake .Umpa- waug, had been dealt with. The court
 believing from the representations of
 counsel, that the wife had been the l leading spirit in the robbery Of the
 Mu11igan house and also of the But l terworth summer home in RfdgefeId,
 assented to 8 proposition that the hus- 1 band receive his liberty through a l no1le. The wife escaped with a, sen tence of three months in jail after
 pleading guilty to the theft of goods l valued at $200. Burglary alone,
 which was an element in this case,
 carries the penalty of prison sen tence while the theft of goods valued at $50 or more is also a, felony and
 also punishable by a prison sentence.
 In view of the dire possibilities
 man may well congratulata thern- 71a%<