Lafayette DeForest
Chenango Union, May 20, 1882
Mt. Upton [Chenango Co., NY]: Much excitement was occasioned in our town on Friday night last about 8 o'clock by a great blaze nearly in the direction of Sidney [Delaware Co., NY] which illuminated the whole Southern heavens in a manner truly grand but expensive to somebody. The next day curiosity was satisfied by learning that it was a large barn on the DeForest place, two miles from Sidney. One of the family, Lafayette DeForest, enjoys the reputation of being crazy, probably acquired by the festive and eccentric freaks in which he occasionally indulges. He got off a mighty good joke on a span of valuable horses about a year ago by cutting their throats. And then to have a little fun with his sisters, who no doubt appreciate his efforts to have something going on, he dug a couple of graves in a desirable spot, and cheered them up, as it were, by telling them that he would have them both into them all in good time. On Friday night he wanted to make things lively for the neighbors, so he generously set fire to the barn, which contained a large quantity of hay, and burned it to the ground. It is said that while it was burning he seemed to enjoy it the best of anybody, and appeared to be having a ripping old time. A relative with such a cheerful and humorous turn of mind cannot be too highly appreciated by his family. They should build new barns enough so that when he [desires to have a good time, a barn is available to set ablaze].
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