THE WEST-STREET FIRE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 117, 17 May 1906, Page 3

THE WEST-STREET FIRE.

CHABGE OF PROCURING ARSON. ■ffiiKER COMMOTED FOR TRIAL. The charge against William Walker j of procuring James Crowther to rornmit ■ r-on in connection with a dwellingrtonsc tire in West-street was concluded | Lterday afternoon, when Mr W. G. i kiddell commit"d the acoaeed for trial. I Xhe following evidence was -ivni after , went to press:— : William Campbell a labourer, ivho "lodged at Crowtber's house in Salespoke to Walker's frequent -jsits'to tbe house. He recollected Crawthcr grrin ? Walker a kny. Witness did not see Walker on this occa- -, but he knew it was thr accused ieeau«e of his peculiar knock. Walker told Crowther in witness' hearing tb«t h( , ha( i the authorities -beat." and witness asked the awnn-d on one occasion if he had received his in-uranee money, talker replied thai he had nol received 1 the money, but hud <ml hi« wife down, j He added something to t!ie effect that j the police were having another inquiry, j He had seen no indkatinn .-.: Cniwtlier | bearing malice against \V:ilker. A k'.g o f clothes raise to the house a r the san ,e time a< a nuir of t-nrk frame?. THE INSURANCES. William B. T:iit. valuer of the M;inebester Insurance office, stated that two j houses in West-street belonging to Mrs Walker were insured with the office, for £100 each. And Walker's furniture for £105. When be inspected the furniture some time prior to the fire, on March 9th he valued it at £100. After 1 the fixe he examined the furniture, and \ came to tbe conclusion it was -worth j £gO. His company had not paid anything to Walker since the tire. At one ' time the company refused to insure the nuildins?- hut policies were when Walker improved thr property, roofing the hou?es with iron. Ou«s-tion- j d by Mr Singer for the dofenr-e. the ; ■ -Hitness said the insurance was increased hv £25 npon each hoiif-e recently at Walker's request. It would cost from £175 to £200 each to re-erect the buildings with new timber. Xo furniture was destroyed by the lire. Hol">E APPARENTLY RANSACKED. Askrd if lie could rei-ollect anything which, v.as in the hoii?>o when he inspected it which «.iji nof thpre after the fire, the \riini" , -i> .-.liil there were no | kiichen utensils, i-lot.hinj;. or oraanients ] in the front room, and very little bed- j ding. The drawer* were eTnpfierl, and ; the house »ppear>-ri m if it had heiMi J ransacked. In reply to .Mr Mays. the. witness | said the ruortg.igees' intPi-est in the insurance policies amounted to £150, while 31r? Walker's interest totalled ■ £155, inrluding the policy on the f'lrnitare. When he saw the house after 146 616 the rooms harl a wry bar.: appearance, the back part, which had been untouched by the fire, being in .1 disordered state. NEIGHBOURS' EVIDENCE. Annie O'Brien, who lived in the house next door to Walker, said the ax-eused's family went away on Thursday, April 13th. She repeated the evidence given in Ciwther's ease as to being disturbed on the Sunday, and discovering the fire on the Tuesday night. She saw the accused at the hou*e on (he ;ifieraoon before the fire. Occupying her liousp at night were the witness, her three child--18, and two othei children. Wnlkev took Ms dog away from The house on Monday or Tuesday. In reply to lUr Singer, the witness said she' was in Walker's kitchen on the Monday before tie fire, but did not notice that it was tare in appearance. Samuel Holt, a bootmaker of WestEtreet, deposed that a few evenings before the file be saw Walker go away from lishorae with another man. He" asked the accused for a cigarette. Constable Cox again described the Mc of the accused's dwelling immediately after the lire. He corroborated ilr Tail's description of the bare sUtn ot the rooms, and added that a false key-hole in the hasement door at the Mckbore signs of having been recently blocked up. AN ESTERESTING CONVERSATION. Detective McMahon deposed that he IOOk a statement from Walker in preparation for the inquest, and asked the «ra«d if he was aware that oil was ounj a the flax: He replied that he ?™> bu t he took some samples and Si w A ested - No oil was found - "c H but the smell comin- from it was S dmit ' He arrested Walker on night., and told him of CrnwJff state ment. Witness confronted Siw™ mcD aml read the statement. mi r remarked ' ■■ That ' s all ri K ht -" Ma«ack stepped into geadjonung cell. Walker was then Njt..nand placed in , cell opposite «•« a S the watch-house liwdT ? ade t0 ~,p p° Uw, - Wit "" «2Safi '• ,d Wa ' k " Pr abo ' U th " c WiW « r /"""P , b, overheard. CmS bei " Wd, ' w ''*t if yon did? Chief n? t a row on <:,c cart - ? ' C s b? eCtne M -"nek gave eri*i^2s! , t0 ( / hat »* the previous ««fedlv <^w lat Walker Writer h *dW T Say? " s^eral W J deluded case for the prose£%t D U!T d ■«««* Pleadfen( »-ae»o and his deC °f for S, MnUnited l ° Thp Su P reme gra*S a JP lird fnt - and this bond of i-S, the , aw «sed in his own fach. "" - and two sureties of £100