Cassell's Castle The Decatur Review May 30, 1915 Cassell’s Castle Traded For Land Consideration in Deal Put at $19,000. 173 Acres at $225. Plan Is To Open Up Lots on The Hill One of the most interesting deals in real estate made in a good many months was made last week, when B. Hilton Cassell traded his residence, the Cassell castle, on the hill just north of the intersection of Wood and Webster streets, to J. M. Wolfe, a Sullivan farmer, who will make his home there. The price placed on the Decatur residence was $19,000. Mr. Cassell takes in the trade, a farm of 173 acres, two miles west of Sullivan, valued at $225 an acres, or $79, 925. C. A. Burkes and R. E. Persinger made the deal. BUILT IN 1886. The Cassell house contains twenty-two rooms, in a three-story frame structure, modern, and was erected in 1886 by Mr. Cassell’s father, Berry H. Cassell. It is built of costly material and part of the interior in hardwood, cut from the timber that at one time stood around the house. ELEVEN LOTS Eleven lots of regular city size go in with the property. This ground is not platted yet, but the amount of ground was figured out that way, as it is the plan of both sides to open up East Main street west and Webster street north, making the corner come right in front of the residence. Four lost are on the west side of the house, four on the east and the other three will be and the southeast corner of Main and Webster, after those streets are opened through. This will mean opening Webster north about half a block and East (?)in street west about two blocks. OGLESBY SPOKE THERE The Cassel house and grounds are quite well known. It was on the grounds that Governor Oglesby made his first political speech. Berry H. Cassell came here in Decatur earliest days and he made money and bought what was then a farm of 160 acres, bounded on the west by Broadway, the east by Jasper, the north by the Wabash railroad. Practically all of this now, with the exception of a few acres, has been sub-divided into city property and is built up. The farm that Mr. Cassell gets is fine black land, one of the best farms in that vicinity, all in cultivation, well tiled and with a fair set of improvements on it. Mr. Cassell has not made any plans as to where he will move, but he will probably vacate the castle soon, as Mr. Wolfe gets it for a home. The Decatur Review  Saturday Evening, January 1, 1916 Baffling Case, Say Marshalls Only Circumstantial Evidence in Cassell Blaze. Wolf Returns Home After Conference With Officials – No Arrests Made One of the most cleverly executed arson plots we have ever encountered was the statement of the State Fire Marshal Saturday after a twenty four hour investigation of the blaze which gutted the old Cassell home Thursday evening. Though the fire sleuths declare they were working upon some excellent clues it was generally admitted that the outlook for apprehending the guilty fire-bug is more or less uncertain. Stage Well Set That the fire was set by men who are experienced in the game is the opinion of the officials. The stage was well set and the old structure should have burned completely. The house was almost saturated with gasoline, but there was one flaw. A rope soaked with oil which was used as a fuse, burned too quickly. It was evidently the intention of the incendiaries to have the house destroyed at midnight or in the early morning before the blaze would be detected. But the fuse turned too quickly. Wolf Returns Home J. M. Wolf, owner of the property, returned to his home in Sullivan, Friday night. There is absolutely nothing which can throw any blame upon Mr. Wolf. He was at his home in Sullivan on the evening of the fire. After a conference held with him yesterday the duputy fire marshals saw plainly that they must turn their attention elsewhere. No arrests have been made and the fire marshals do not promise that they will make any. They have nothing but circumstantial evidence. The identity of the man who, like a thief in the night slipped into the old house and set the fire which burned out its vitals, is still a mystery. It may always remain so. Notwithstanding that they have many suspicions the officials have as yet been unable to place their finger upon the arson fiend. There is nothing but circumstantial evidence. Deputy Fire Marshals Bogardus, Barnes and Morgaridge are still on the (?o?). They examined the old house again Saturday in search of possible clews (clues). Still After Proof The investigation is going forward as rapidly as possible and we hope to have the case in shape to start official action within a week said Deputy Bogardus Saturday. Of course we have definite suspicions concerning the identity of the plotters but we must have proof before anything can be done. No crime can be completely covered up and we are looking for the loop hole which will lead to the identity of the men implicated. Trace Oil Supply Among the details of the search are the tracing of the oil supply which was used in the fire a close inquiry into the whereabouts of all suspects or persons thought to have had any hand in the fire the tracing of insurance and real estate deals in the past year the collecting of all evidence both that indicating incendiarism and the identity of criminals left by the only partially successful fire. Wire Preparing From unofficial conversations of people interested in the search it is plain that the fire marshal’s office has been looking for the fire to clear up for good and all the mystery surrounding many suspicious looking blazes in Decatur. The local fire department had the Cassell fire fought three weeks ago even the laying of the first lead of hose, and this careful planning for really what happened is credited for the efficient work which headed the dangerous blaze and left the tell-tale evidence of a plot. Firemen say that the plan did not include snow and mud nor that the fire should break out at the supper hour when stations were short handed. The general fight followed the lines laid down sometime ago by Chief Devore and his captains when the possibility of a blaze in the transferred Cassell property was tipped off to them. In the meantime the closest watch is being kept in the ruins and nothing is allowed to be disturbed. Rumors coming from residents in the neighborhood concerning the sight of someone working in the house Thursday before the fire are being traced to their source. Several people are said to have heard pounding inside of the house Thursday and thinking that repairs were being made investigated no farther. The officers expect to remain in Decatur for the next three or four days and will appreciate the aid of Decatur people who may have valuable information concerning the fire. $10,000 Official Loss The building lost in the Cassell house fire was officially placed at $10,000 on Saturday morning following the estimates of expert insurance men. Administers will be on hand the first of the week to make their decisions as to the amount of damage done to the old house. HOME ©2008 Genealogy Trails