FIVE YEARS’ HARD.
TWO MEN GUILTY OF ARSON. (United Press Association—Copyright.) PALMERSTON N., February 5. In. the Supreme Court, his Honor Mr Justice Blair sentenced Edwin Bloomfield McGill, a relief worker, aged 36, and Edwin Walter Barringer, an electrician, aged 40, to five years’ imprisonment with hard labour each on a charge of arson. The former case was in respect of a house in College street, Palmerston North and the latter the Makotuku Hotel, Hawke’s Bay. Both had pleaded guilty in tlio lower court. His Honor said the offence ol arson was looked upon in the criminal code as one of the gravest offences. The statute provided authority for imprisonment for life. “It is unquestionably one of the most serious crimes that can be committed,” said his Honor. It appeared that both cases were deliberately arranged arson. The Makotuku Hotel had been set alight when only about three persons were in it, but there might have been a lot. Had anything happened to them the offence, instead of arson, would have been murder.
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Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 98, 6 February 1936, Page 6
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173FIVE YEARS’ HARD. Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 98, 6 February 1936, Page 6
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