Smyrna times., 1926-04-28
HARTLY METHODIST EPISCOPAL
Church FALLS PREY To FLAMES
BURNED DOWN EARLY THIS
MORNING WITH $4,000 LOSS
Number of Fires, Now the Tenth or
Eleventh, to Take Place in Hartly
In Recent Weeks, Increases Terror

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In Recent Weeks, Increases Terror
The alarm of fire early this morning
about $50 o'clock, called the Smyrna
and Clayton fire companies to Hartly
again. The Hartly Methodist Episco-
pal Church, a frame STRUCTURE which
week or more ago came near fall
ing prey to flames, was burned down
this morning with a total loss which
will reach upwards Of $4,000. This
fire makes the tenth or eleventh fire
in Hartly since the Fire Bug Scare"
became pronounced and to say the
people are excited is putting it mild
ly. In spite of the increased police
and detective force the pyromaniac,
whoever he is, succeeds in illuding the
guard and getting in his work. The
effect of it is most terrifying and has
tens the officers to closer vigilance.
Smyrna, Clayton and Dover Fire
Companies have been taking turns
staying nights at Hartly and last
night was Dover's turn. The Dover
firemen, first on the scene, were un-
able to cope with the confagration
and before assistance could arrive
from Smyrna and Clayton the church
burned down. Fortunately the fire
was confined to the one building.
William Gullett, aged 55 years, of
Hartly who was taken to Dover Fri
day afternoon for questioning relative
to what he knew about the numerous
incendiary fires in Hartly is still de-
tanned in the Kent county Jail at Do
yer, although no formal charge has
been placed against him and he is not
under arrest. Gullett was examined
Friday afternoon by DR.. Joseph S. Nc
Daniel who found that while the man
is sub-nornal mentally his condition
is not such as to warrant his being
placed in an insane asylum. Just
what disposition is to be made of the
man IS not known. During all his
questioning he repeatedly made adj
missions and then in the next breath
contradicted them. He admitted that
he did say that for $4,000 the fires in
Hartly would stop. However, he did
not know what he meant by this as
sertion, who was going to stop the
fires, who was to get the $4,000 or
why he made the statement. He ad-
mitted that he attended all the fires
that have occurred in Hartly but he
insisted he was not in the vicinity Of
any of them when they started. He
told where he was when each outbreak
occurred and an investigation reveal
ed that he actually was in the place
he mentioned and at the time he stat
ed. He has been under suspicion from
the start of the reign of terror in
Hartly, largely because of his mental
condition, but Hartly residents de-
clare they do not believe he had any
thing to do with the starting of any
of the fires. Gullett lives alone in
Hartly. About year ago he is said
to have attempted suicide, first by
cutting his throat and later by trying
to drown himself in a shallow stream.
His questioning was due to the belief
that he might have some knowledge
of the origin of the fires or of the per-
son responsible for them but he has
failed to give the slightest intimation
that he knows anything about them.
Hartly was quiet over the weekend.
Fire companies were within easy
reach in case of an outbreak. Smyr-
ma fire engine was there Friday night.