The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-08-09
GANG OF YOUTHS
BLAMED FOR FIRE
Which DANCED Plant of South Barre
Granite Co.-Deputy Fire Marshal
Also at Work on Bianchi Fire.

Deputy Fire Marshal A. G. Preblt
and Fire Chief John Heney, after max
ing a thorough investigation of the
origin of the fire at the South Barre
Granite Co. Inc, which occurred Sun.
| day afternoon, are satisfied that the
| fire was caused by the careless use OF
matches or cigarettes by a grouP- OF
boys and girls, who, it has ben prov
en-, were in the shed just prior to the
fire.
With the cooperation of the police
department it was proven that gang
of boys have made the shed a general
hang out" place on Sundays, for play
ing cards, shooting craps" and smoking
cigarettes. The gang was there as us
ual Sunday afternoon, and several of
them admitted it when brought before
the police and the fire officials yester
day afternoon and evening.
The fire officials, hyaing come to a
conclusion on the matter, are, threfore
finished with the investigation of this
fire, but the matter has by no means
been dropped by the police and there
is possibility of prosecution of some
of these lads implicated.
The bale of cotton waste, which was
missing from the room adjacent to the
boiler room, was found stored away in
another room just over this, it having
been removed by one of the firm to
make room for other things.
Commenting on the fire at this plant
g H.
Mr. Preble declared: '1t is as good a
fire fighting job as | have ever seen
1t shows that the boys got right in
the shed and fought from the inside,
at the heart of the fire. Not even the
windows were broken and the sides of
the building were not damaged, which
goes to show that the fire was fought
effectively with as little damage as
possible"
Mr. Prebe also gave out startling
bit of news on the big fire which oc-
CURED at the C. Bianchi & Son stone
shed the night of July 1920. He has
been investigating ever since and is
from what he has learned that
the fire was incendisry.
This fire, causing one of the heaviest
losses in stoneshed property III the
history of Barre, started, he declares,
from the end of the building and on
the outside. A man was seen running
from the shed about lao by the man
who discovered the fire The party com
ing from the shed was approaching di
rectly towards the discoverer of the
fire, Sinking under the shadow of
trees, when he suddenly noticed the ap-
proach of the discoverer and darted off |
in another direction. Chase was given |
by the discoyerer but the incendarist |
was lost in cluster of houses in the |
district nearby.
Mr. Preble refused to give out any |
names concerned, as his investigation |
is not yet complete, though he stated |
that one man was questioned at the |
police station last night. The man who
had given chase declared that this |
man did not answer the description of |
he one he saw running from the shed, |
and the police and Mr.. Prebe were sat
SIZED after inierrogating the man that
ne was not the one wanted.
Deputy Marshal Preble left the in.
to-day to take up an in
luiry into fires in three farm buildings |
ind sugar house of Greensboro, one
let of farm buildings in Hardwick and
hree barns and house in Burlington,
learly all of which occurred last week.
dr. Preble investigates all fires, whose
,rigin is doubtful. and has already
carried out three inyesti-
,ations of ineendiary fires this year in
which the parties were convicted and
entenced for arson. And he declares
hat one or two more convictions are
hanging FIRE"