Year: 1869

In our last Issue we made mentor


of fire having occurred about three
miles north of Pontiac, on Septem


Der 80, destroying the dwelling house
of Mr., John Utley.. Since then fact,
have come to light which clearly
prove it to have been most dabolica


act of incendiarism, the intent being
the destruction of the inmates of tho
building.


1t seems that there are three mem
bers of this Utley family-two broth


ers and sister-John, Walter, and
Fanny. John is a well-to-do farmer
owns the place upon which the dwell.
ing stood, and lived there, with his
sister as a housekeeper, he being un.
married. An estrangement had tax
en- plUce between them and Walter
years before, through some grievous
act OF the latter, and he had been alb
sent a long time. About three weeks
ago he returned very suddenly. In
the yearnings of his heart toward his
erring brother, the honest farmer for.
gave him, and extended his hand OF
hearty welcome. He ordered the fat
ted calf to be killed, and all to make
merry at his return, that he might
prove that he did not treasure up
malice against flesh that was his own.


Walter visited them two or three
days, and then departed. saying he
was going to Flint, in this State He
came to Pontiac and went thence as
far as Waterford, where he proceeded
to a grocery store and purchased a
can OF kerosene oil. With this he re-
turned secretly to his brothers farm,
waited till all had retired and every
thing was quiet for the night, when he
deliberately proceeded to saturate the
underpinning OF the house with the
oil at different points, and then set
fire to it. Without waiting to learn
the success of his dlabolical designs,
he fed away, to his avowed destiIa-
ton, hoping to reach there in time to
mislead justice and hide his guilt.


The inmates were aroused by the
smoke, and succeeded in gstting safely
out of the house, and with the help OF
some men who had been threshing on
the farm the day previous and were
staying there over night, saved a
quantity of the furniture, but the fire
had made such progress when discov-
cred that all attempts at saving the
house were unavailing. --s,4z-:.as


. About eight years ago Walter Ut
ley was charged with tnal;c:oasly' Rset
ting fire to building, and duly con-
victed therefor: bat, on a plea Of in
sanity, his counsel obtained a rever-
sion OF his sentence. and at the time
hewas set at liberty. The remem-
brance of this act aroused strong suspi-
cions in the mind OF John Utley, and
soon after an officer was on the track
of Walter. The can in which the
kerosene had been boughttwas found
near where the house stood, and as! a
clue in the hands of the officer was
soon back to the!' store from whence
it came, at W aterford. A description
was obtaiued from the storekeeper
of the purchaser of the oil, which
Warranted the officer in lat once pro
ceeding to Flint where he soon found
his man, seemingly the very imperson
alton of innocence. II want you,"
he said. 'sWhat doi'you want me
for ?' assuming anair of indifference,
but turning deathly pale. 'You
know as we'll as I do. Come sir in
a tone of authority. For a moment
the wretch lost all self-control, and
quaking with o fear, stammered out:
''Is JOIN, iorFaany burned up %


Thus by a momentaIy weakness,
did this guilty mana betray himself,
and bring upon his own head an over
whelming evidence, against which it
would be worse than useless for him
to plead. But twas not long before
his reaso. returned, and with it the
memory of his old strategy. Acting
thereon. ever since his arrest he has
been personating the antics of = crazy
person, and for several days would
not taste food. .,. are -r .a.'.a
. There is still more evidence of the
fiendish intentions of the incendiary,
The oil of which. the fire was kindied
was placed directly under the sleeping
rooms of the brother and sister, and
there can be no doubt, but the main
object in view was to destroy them
1t is assigned as the only reason fol-
his actions, that, could he have beer
successful in getting them out Of ths
way with out detection, Walter woule
have fallen heir to their property.