CRIMINAL SESSIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1529, 6 January 1875, Page 2

CRIMINAL SESSIONS.

_ Yes^ej? ay-t Continued*

(Before His Honor Sir G.; A. Arney; Knight > -'-Ghief Justice.) . '" ' THE ARSON CASE. .'? ".'. '■'-

.Thomas Clark, in the Employ of the North Shore""Steam Perry Company, deposed that on the 2Hh of'NcSvember, a,3 he was passing Mr Howard's house,. he observed, emoke issuing therefrom, The 'prisoner and two .children were on the verandah, and some furniture was outside the house ; the gorse fence was also smoking. He asked prisoner to get a bucket of water, with which he put out the flame. Upon Asking :the girl about the fire, she blamed, an old man, who had passed with a bag on his back. He waited at the house about an hour, until he bad satisfied himself that the premises, were safe. Grace Davis, a girl , of ten years, deposed to seeing the fire, and prisoner removing the furniture.1 r < ~ t .'

Oliver Mays, of the North Shore, was at Mr Howard's' house at eleven o'clock that morning with some parcels.. -'There was- no sign of fire thett ; but on returning at three, in the afternoon^ the place was on fire.,.-• JETe asked prisoner how the fire occurred, when she said that a man down there (pointing to the North Head) had seenanother,man.do:it. Thomas Hammond, 'the man. referred to, denied the girl's statement.

Sergeant-Major Pardy deposed to; appre-' hendiag the girl in consequence of facts .that had come to his knowledge. When the girl was in custody, he gave strict" orders that she was not to be questioned concerning the fire. He explained to the the nature of the charge against ' her. . -.On the 30th November, on going into the station yard, where the, prisoner was, she commenced crying. He enquired if she wanted anything, when she replied that-her mother had persuaded' her Jtdf tellthe tru^h. She'then made a voluntary..cohfessibn, stating that she set [fire to the house" near the gorse fence, but that Thomas Clark came along and put it out. Whence went away, she set fire to the verandah,' and burnt the house.

In answer to Mr Rees, Sergeant-Major Pardy denied that he had. ever induced her to make a confession. • ■ >- -■'-> <■ -

Ann O'Connell had frequent conversation with prisoner while at the police station, and onESundaVj the girl told witness that she had made a'vJjGuy Fawkes," filled it .-with-kauri; gum, and set fire to it on the verandah.

Frederick Ross Howard, ah intelligent boy 'of six years of age, saw theprisonerjonce. or twjce under the house ; she had been baki»g some cakes. >, , . " •■r-.r-j This being the-evideribe, the Cbiirf adjourned until nine o'clock this morning.