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Spacewarp, v. 4, issue 2, November 1948
Page 9
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THE ARMCHAIR FORTEAN DISCUSSES: ARSON ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! by r-tRapp In the September SPACEWARP I wrote the following: "AT this writing, they're still having quite a time over that fire-plagued farmhouse down in Macomb, Illinois. However, I'll venture a prediction: By the time you read this, it will all be explained, probably on a chemical basis. If so, I'll comment further in the next WARP. Analyzing the situation according to Fort's theories, what I would most like to know are the ages, names, and other particulars about the two children of the household. Particularly, whether one or both are adopted children. Guess I'll have to wait until FATE gets around to considering the case." For the record, the incident began on the 7th of August, when brown spots appeared on the wallpaper of Charles Willey's home. The spots spread, burst into flame, and after two hundred had been put out, managed to burn the farmhouse to the ground. In the next few days two barns suffered the same fate, and fires broke out in a milkhouse which the family was using as a makeshift dining room. Willey, his wife and his two children moved to another farm, where more fires broke out. Meanwhile, the local fire chief, an insurance investigator, the State Fire Marshal and his assistants were vainly seeking the cause. In a United Press dispatch (18 Aug) the local fire chief termed the fires "so fantastic you hate to talk about it." At first some chemical in the wallpaper was blamed, everyone conveniently forgetting the fires in the barns. This is in the best non-Fortean tradition. But the UP reports (19 Aug) "Willey thought the wallpaper to blame and ripped it off the walls. Then lath and woodwork burned." On 23 August, one John Burgard, Deputy State Fire Marshal, was ordered to devote his entire time to solving the mystery, and at that time his boss said: "There wasn't no fires yesterday, and I don't think there will be as long as people are around, if you know what I mean. There haven't been many cases of arson in these parts, but you never know. I think we'll find out it's a plain old match." Nothing like a completely open viewpoint in an investigation like this, is there? On 30 August, Burgard described how fires "shot out of walls like lighted gas out of a blow torch." For a week, Burgard's presumably diligent investigation produced nothing. The fires continued to occur. He was aid to be hampered by the crowds of curiosity-seekers on the farm. (UP dispatch, 23 Aug). In other words, while hundreds of people are watching a building, it's easier for an arsonist to do his dirty work than if only one person is on guard. Yes. It is noteworthy that no mention is made of any matches, burned or unburned, being found in the vicinity of any of these hundreds of fires. 9
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THE ARMCHAIR FORTEAN DISCUSSES: ARSON ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! by r-tRapp In the September SPACEWARP I wrote the following: "AT this writing, they're still having quite a time over that fire-plagued farmhouse down in Macomb, Illinois. However, I'll venture a prediction: By the time you read this, it will all be explained, probably on a chemical basis. If so, I'll comment further in the next WARP. Analyzing the situation according to Fort's theories, what I would most like to know are the ages, names, and other particulars about the two children of the household. Particularly, whether one or both are adopted children. Guess I'll have to wait until FATE gets around to considering the case." For the record, the incident began on the 7th of August, when brown spots appeared on the wallpaper of Charles Willey's home. The spots spread, burst into flame, and after two hundred had been put out, managed to burn the farmhouse to the ground. In the next few days two barns suffered the same fate, and fires broke out in a milkhouse which the family was using as a makeshift dining room. Willey, his wife and his two children moved to another farm, where more fires broke out. Meanwhile, the local fire chief, an insurance investigator, the State Fire Marshal and his assistants were vainly seeking the cause. In a United Press dispatch (18 Aug) the local fire chief termed the fires "so fantastic you hate to talk about it." At first some chemical in the wallpaper was blamed, everyone conveniently forgetting the fires in the barns. This is in the best non-Fortean tradition. But the UP reports (19 Aug) "Willey thought the wallpaper to blame and ripped it off the walls. Then lath and woodwork burned." On 23 August, one John Burgard, Deputy State Fire Marshal, was ordered to devote his entire time to solving the mystery, and at that time his boss said: "There wasn't no fires yesterday, and I don't think there will be as long as people are around, if you know what I mean. There haven't been many cases of arson in these parts, but you never know. I think we'll find out it's a plain old match." Nothing like a completely open viewpoint in an investigation like this, is there? On 30 August, Burgard described how fires "shot out of walls like lighted gas out of a blow torch." For a week, Burgard's presumably diligent investigation produced nothing. The fires continued to occur. He was aid to be hampered by the crowds of curiosity-seekers on the farm. (UP dispatch, 23 Aug). In other words, while hundreds of people are watching a building, it's easier for an arsonist to do his dirty work than if only one person is on guard. Yes. It is noteworthy that no mention is made of any matches, burned or unburned, being found in the vicinity of any of these hundreds of fires. 9
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