April 3, 1980

Arson suspected in blaze

       White River Township fireman and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department speculate arson may be the cause of an early morning barn fire behind the Richard Jump residence, 827 Peterman Road, Greenwood. Fireman, were called to the scene at 2:38 a.m. to extinguish the blaze in the combination barn and henhouse. Four trucks and 16 firemen responded and put out the fire within an hour and a half. Authorities declared the building a total loss. Several chickens inside the barn were killed. Jump told investigators he heard noises outside his home around midnight, then discovered the fire at approximately 2:30 a.m. Jump’s house had also been vandalized with white spray paint. Authorities speculated the vandalism and fire were related. The incident is still under investigation. A neighbor of Jump’s told the Daily Journal today that the incident Thursday is one of several acts if harassment in the White River Township neighborhood recently. The incidents, he said, range from obscene phone calls to actual vandalism, including broken windows in homes. “The neighborhood is in a real uproar,” said the man, who asked not to be identified for fears of reprisals. The man did say that the chicken coop, which burned had been “raided” in the past. “I’m afraid this is turning into a real range war,” the man said. Damage to the Jump property was estimated at $4,000 to $5,000.  (Reprinted with permission from the Daily Journal)

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