ALLEGED ARSON.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 256, 4 November 1897, Page 4

ALLEGED ARSON.

CHARGE AGAINST SAMUEL

ADAMS.

THE CASE AGAIN DISMISSED.

(By Telegraph—Own Correspondent)

PAEROA, Wednesday.

Samuel Adams was brought Wore Messrs Nathan and Colclough, J.P.'s., this morning, and charged with that he did on October 7th last maliciously set fire to his shop in Belmont Road. Mr Tele, Crown Prosecutor, appeared for the police, and Messrs O'Meagher and Parr on behalf ot the accused. • Mr Tole briefly stated the facts of tM case for the prosecution, which shoved that Adams and his family had been hvrng in rooms at the back of 'the shop for six months, paying 25s weekly for the whole premises. Some three weeks before the lire Adams took a dwelling house aU« weekly some distance away, and Jivea there. The circumstances in connection with the lire, together with Adams' statement of his loss of £201 in notes, the recovery of the ledger by a fireman and us having been found subsequently on tne Tararu beach, were detailed. This we could not possibly have been an accident. The evidence would show that three or four days before the lire, Adams boarded up w two windows in the shop, where the ure originated. , ~ Thomas Saunders, who worked w Adams, said that there had been aixe» the grate, which was left when.he Adams left at 8 p.m., but in his opinion this could not cause the outbreak.. , D. J. Evans, who discovered the nreanu burst open the door with a billet of ti-tree, described the state of the store wlien w entered. He saw no fire near, the irepiau* Henry Moore and J. J. Cassidy, hrenjen, swore to handing over to Adams the iea B which was found afterwards on the iaw»

Beach. . !{ v. George Ludwig swore to the finding otow ledger and handing it over to the policeJno. Lawson, - Official Assignee, prodjjg the sworn statements of the accused, w on the 14th and 16th October (aireauj published), and his schedule, s» liabilities £409 2s Sd, assets £125. W a deficiency of £284. After inves |ga"o and realisation he found the !»»££% be £1,704 0s lOd, and the assets tx> »« id, thus leaving a deficiency, of i1}"'* Gd, or about £135 monthly. l"» according to the Assignee's value or - book debts at £400. „ ~,ii at By Mr Parr : He could not say «»» advantage it was to Adams. • After a review of the evidence oy O'Meagher the Bench considered there a case to answer, and evidence was called to prove an alibi. \atMAnnie Hendlev deposed to >»*? Adams' house the night before the 1 When she left at 9 o'clock, Adams ..

mained. Mrs Adams corroborated tne E 1 ~t j ,e witness. She and Adams occupieu^^ same room, and he did not leave v> the alarm of tire was given, and cow have left it without her knowledge. The Bench adjourned for halt an and on returning dismissed considering circumstances more tow

1-..CIOUS.