Friday, February 03, 2012

Affidavit of Frank Langdon

I Frank Dinehart Langdon do solemnly swear the following is true.

On June 15, 1987 I milked our cows at Bull Spring Farm; I Checked on the dry cows and visited my friend Ernie who was raking hay before I returned home to eat at about 8 PM. The fire company tones went off and announced a structure fire in progress. I asked my Dad to take care of my half cooked hamburger and went to my truck. On the way to the firehouse Bob Dextrose, the fire truck driver, flagged me down by for a ride. I asked him where the fire was. He said, "Bull Spring." I stopped at the firehouse and let Bob out. I could see the smoke less than a mile away. I drove to the fire and saw the main cow barn was on fire. I pulled up on Larry Dick's lawn, went in and called my Dad. There was no answer. Mr. Dick then told me he wanted me to get my truck off his lawn. I moved the truck and went to see what I could do at the fire. I found my Dad already getting the calves out of the wing of the barn that was not on fire yet. I helped him and the other firemen save what milking equipment we could. A while later Dad saw me and said Sheriff Proper wanted to know if I would go to the Sheriff's office and take a lie detector test. I said I would but only if Dad went with me. I was told the test would be administrated on Friday; it never was. I was sent to ask neighbors if we could use their barn to milk the cows in the morning. Later we went home to wait for a phone call about the Jenkins barn and watch the 11 o'clock news. Deputies Kane, Wilson and Investigator Shook came to the house. All three interviewed me in Dad's office. Later when Dad was asked if he had a suspect he told Investigator Shook George Pitcher. My brother Cliff was also present and watched Investigator Shook's strange reaction.

________________________________

Frank Dinehart Langdon

Sworn to before me this

_____ day of December, 2011

_________________________

Notary Public

Affidavit of Grant Dinehart Langdon

I Grant Dinehart Langdon solemnly swear the following is true;

On the night of June 15, 1987 my son came in to eat at about 8 pm and was in the process of cooking a hamburger when the fire radio announced a structure fire in progress. My son went out without eating to go to the fire. A short time latter the fire radio announced the fire and said it was at Bull Spring Farm. I immediately got my shoes on and went to the fire. After going across the bridge at Browns pond I looked to the left along Snyder pond Road and was surprised to see a person in my pasture looking at the fire. I took a second look and saw 4 or 5 cars parked along Snyder Pond Road. Some people were out of their cars and standing by the fence appearing to be watching the fire. My reaction was the person went out into the pasture to get a better view. My next concern was getting the calves out of the barn and saving what I could. I was taking calves out when Scott Hedges ordered me out. I kept working to get the calves out when Frank showed up. He, Scott and other firemen helped save what we could. I then saw Char Peck, the landlord. I asked him what happened. He replied "I got too close to you." This was my third arson fire. I then demanded an investigation. He said he would ask Sheriff Proper. He returned and said the Sheriff said he would not do one for me but would for him, but only if he signed a request. I asked him to sign the request and he said he would and went to make the request. He later conferred it was done. Later Sheriff Proper said there was some talk about Frank and wanted to know if he would take a lie detector test at the Sheriff's Office, "just to clear it up". I said I would ask him. I believed the Sheriff was upset with me for bringing attention to the arson problem. He had previously asked me not to talk about arson. Frank agreed to the test, but only if I went along. It was set up for Friday when a deputy would pick us both up to take us in for the test. It was never done. Later Frank helped in securing a barn for the cows. He helped by first going to Don Duksa, and then Dotty Jackson. Later the offer to use the Jackson barn was withdrawn because of a government contract. A call was made to Murray Jenkins that was to be returned later that night. We went home to wait for the call. Investigator Shook and two deputies came to the house and interviewed Frank who was the last person known to be in the barn. Investigator Shook asked me if I had a suspect. When I said George Pitcher he made two fists and threw them down to his side three times each time repeating "that Pitcher thing again while turning completely around counter-clockwise before me. After he regained his composure I told him why while the two deputies and my sons listened..

Frank took an early interest in taking over the farm. He worked off the farm to earn money to purchase registered Holstein calves to add to what he earned on the farm. He was going to Cobleskill and owned 20 head of cattle. He was taking part in making decision on the farm. After the 1985 fire he traveled with me to Des Moines and Knoxville on diversifying the operation. He was opposed to taking part in the Government Buy out Program that could have eliminated completely the debt on the farm. The government program would have prevented a dairy operation. When adding a milking parlor to an existing barn was explored, three estimates were obtained, Agway, Morton Buildings, and Marty Moore Consulting. The cost, about $100,000, pushed the cost well past the point where it would be profitable. Frank proposed a California Flat Barn that was eventually built for about one third the cost and was profitable.

In the spring of 1988 after the snow melted I reviewed what I saw the night of the fire. I first went the way I thought a person would have had to go. It was in sight of the road. On my return I tried to locate a way through Bull Spring Swamp where a person could not be seen. I discovered the brook had been cleaned out years before and dirt was left piled up alongside the brook. It created a path out of site of the road through what I had believed was not passable. When I did a time trial, I discovered the man I saw in my pasture was exactly where he would have been if he started when an accelerant, such as gas ignited. The exact time of the ignition of the accelerant was known by the time recorded by 911 when the call was being made by Mrs. Dick; she reported hearing the explosion like sound. I concluded the man did not come through the fence to view the fire, but was running backward viewing the fire with outstretched arms. The people in their cars and by the fence had to have seen him. I do not know if they reported what they saw to the Sheriff.

______________________________

Grant Dinehart Langdon

Sworn to before me this

_____ day of December, 2011

See previous post for the letters)

Grant Langdon

Penfield, NY

585-388-4303