ATTEMPT TO BURN DOWN AKAROA.

Auckland Star, Volume XV, Issue 3795, 28 August 1882, Page 2

ATTEMPT TO BURN DOWN AKAROA.

Three Hotels Fired.

(BY TELEGEAPn.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

CHKISTCHURCH, this day. The own on-respondent of the "Star" telegraphs from Akaroa this morning as followa:—Mackerlie's hotel was bnrned to the ground last night, and, the Criterion hotel and Bruce's hotel were also set fire to. Alt three fires are clear cases of incendiarism, and it is presumed that each act was perpetrated by the aame person, i'he two hotels last mentioned started burning a second time, but the fresh outbreaks were fortunately discovered ataii early stage and promptly extinguished. Garwood acd Co. 's premises had a narrow escape, The indications afforded by subse. quent careful examination show that a moat deliberate attempt was made to born the town down. A quantity of gone was found to have been placed under the Criterion and Bruce's hotels. The incendiary had so arranged matters that the tluee fires broke out almost simultaneously at each end of toe borough and in its centre, the time of the alarm been shortly after 2 a.m. It v a remarkable coincidence that in each case the fire was diecoTered through the reatleasness of an inralid. A feeling of intense excitement and indignation prevails.