THE FIRE ALARM.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 78, 1 April 1905, Page 6

THE FIRE ALARM.

PRACTICAL "JOKERS" CAUGHT.

THREE MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT

The following item, published by the "Melbourne Herald" of tbe 20th inst., should prove a warning to some people in Auckland who are given to the practise of causing false alarms of fire:—

"The magistrates at the Collingwood Court dealt Severely to-day with a young man named Walter Preston, who was charged with wilfully breaking a fire alarm at Clifton Hill. He pleaded guilty.

"Frank Moorman, fireman stationed at Northcote, gave evidence that he and Charles Cockran, another fireman, saw accused walking along Queen's Parade towards Northcote at 12.25 a.m. yesterday. At the corner of Kilgour-street they saw Preston break the fire alarm. He was seized and .given in charge to Constable Stanley. He said that it was the first time he had done such a thing.

"District Superintendent Catt, of Hoddle-street, informed the Bench that the brigade received 206 unnecessary and malicious calls in 1904. In Collingwood this year there had been 20 such calls already. The cost of the turn-out was £8 10/ for hose-cart, officer and men. A sentence of three months' imprisonment was imposed." A hawker najned Frederick Williams, 28 years of age, was charged at the Fitzroy Court on the same date with having wantonly broken a fire alarm glass. George White, fireman at Clifton Hill, said that shortly after midnight yesterday he observed accused draw a stone from a pocket, and with it smash tho fire alarm at the corner of Napier and Johnston streets. He held the accused until the police came. The accused was fined £5, with 6d damages, in default one month's imprisonment.