Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 January 1884 — The Barkley Burnings. [ARTICLE]

The Barkley Burnings.

Perry Burns and family removed from the “haunted house” last Friday; and with their departure, it is safe to say, that the mysterious burnings which have lately driven several whole townships wild with excitement, have ceasejforever. On the Wednesday before their departure three fires brpke out abopt the place, two m the fournoon and cine in the .evening. /

Although a considerable number of intelligent and well meaning people, familiar with the circumstances of the fires, have expressed their belief in the Supernatural character of the phenomena, the great majority, including about all of the clear and cool headed, have no doubt that a human agency is responsible for them. As to the motive which could have prompted the mischief, their is a variety of opinions. It may have been merely from a morbid desire to attain notoriety and create a sensation, or from a

desire, from some selfish cause to temporarily depreciate the value of the property; or still again the motive may have been a wish' to revenge,upon the owner of the house, tlie ;real or fancied injury done the tenants in terminating their occupancy of the premises, or, perhaps, the family being poor and destitute, it may have been hoped that the occurrence of the fires, with reported great losses of household goods, would create a feeling of sympathy and consequent benevolence for them, among their neighbors. While we admit that Hamlet may have been quite right when be informed Horatio that “there were more things in heaven and earth than were dreamed of in his philosophy,” and will not deny the possibility of supernatural occurrences, at this day and age of the world; we do deny that there is any good reason for believing that any but a human agency has been involved in the origin of the phenomena of which we are writing. That all sides may have a full hearing,"however, we give, below, a letter upon the subject, from an old and esteemed correspondent of this paper. The writer we can vouch for as being an entirely creditable man; but that he is also a little credulous and excitable, we must also fain believe. The letter is as follows:

. THE HAUNTED HOUSE. Great excitement prevails in our hitherto peaceful borders, over the sudden and .numerous outbreaks of fire in and about the house of Perry Burns, who is an elderly man with a large fafnily, residing near the Center schoolhouse, in Barkley township, Jasper county. Ind. The fires have been of daily occurence since the 27th day of Deft., burning the hay rbof from the log stable four or five times, which was replaced ‘as often. The first hay being covered with a .foot of snow, and the next ‘being thoroughly drenched with eighteen buckets full of water, applied by Mr. Burns. The ladies’ dresses have caught lire several times, as they hung against the wall. Bed clothes, bedsteads, school cards, paper and rags have burned at various times. The roof and walls of the house have been burning over a dozen .times, in different places, and upon different days, and as often

been extinguished by the fanii'ly. Tfife ppp tc^tsi. trunk been, on fire four times. The neighbors'have been invited into aid in discovering the origin of the mischief, and hundreds of people have witnessed this young Ferra del fuego. Most of the spectators visit the spot through the excitement and idle curiosity, but many have made careful observations by day and by night, to discover a trace of the hidden mystery, but without success. I visited the scene of the excitement, saw the effects of the fire, the blackened logs, shingles, win-dow-casing, etc. Having interviewed about twenty persons (who had witnessed the fires, handled the coals, lit their pipes, etc., to make sure that the common properties of that element were present.) I recieved almost as many different opinions as to the cause of the disturbance. A majority of those interviewed, however, argued strongly in favor of some supernatural power interfering with the rights of man.

BILL BAT.

The weather on Sunday night became intensely cold. The thermometer about daylight, the next morning, according to a number of reports, indicating ‘25 and 26 degrees below’ zero. Toward sunrise the weather moderated very :c t however.