Fire Bug Wanted to See the Flames

Fire Bug Wanted to See the Flames

A remarkable case of incendiarism was that which destroyed the barn of John Reinbeck, Cape Vincent, N. Y., twentyfive miles from Watertown. The Rcinbeck brothers, John and David, have a large milk and vegetable farm at that place. The barn, which was 90x100 feet, was stocked, besides the animals, with twenty tons of hay and a large amount of grain, onions and beans. Several orders for these had been received, but none delivered, so that the whole was a total loss. Twenty-six cows and a large number of smaller live stock were burned. The fire department, under Chief Newman, succeeded in confining the fire to the barn, saving two silos, nearly filled, and the farmhouse, about 70 feet from the barn. As there had been six suspicious fires in or near St. Vincent within two months, John Doe proceedings were started to determine if the fire was of incendiary origin. Suspicion pointed to Robert G. Grimshaw, the son of a small farmer, because he had been seen in the farmyard at the time of the fire. At first he denied his guilt, but when confronted by numerous witnesses he broke down and confessed. He related how he had gone into the barn, and, shaking the coals from his pipe, had blown the embers until the hay burst into flame. When asked his reasons for setting the fires—for he also confessed to setting two of the other fires —he answered that he wanted to see the fires burn. The loss on barn and stock was $20,000.

Fire Prevention Day in Nebraska was observed on November 2. It has been pointed out that fire has an important bearing upon the high cost of living as well as upon the high cost of insurance. The lack of fires will reduce the high cost of both. Insurance, no matter how much is carried, is no remedy against fire losses.