AN EXTRAORDINARY CONFESSION SETTING EIRE TO A HOUSE.

Bush Advocate, Volume XX, Issue 1002, 14 April 1908, Page 6

AN EXTRAORDINARY CONFESSION SETTING EIRE TO A HOUSE.

' AUCKLAND , yesterday. Thomas Fitzgerald, who plfeaded not guilty to setting fire on two occasions to Mr Leo Myers' house at Newmarket, and who was committed * for trial, is expected to enter a^plea of insanity. On. arrest he made a startling confession, admitting .'"having removed two cases and certain . other articles from the; box-room to' the tool house, and also a kerosene tin full of oil from the same place toj the coalhouse. He then went on to — . _ ... . . ■ . . fi l,got up about 3 a.m. on Maxell- ' lstV ? ' and went out to the coalsh^d. I opened the kerosene tin, brought in some kerosene in the other half of another kerosene tin, and also a whitewash^bVnsnW Si- sprmkletf the passage with, kerosene m^ ■ bedrtxjm, and' then put ? a lighted 'taper to it, . /It- began,, to light, and / tirhen it .had got a strong- hold, I saw I had made a great mistake. I rushed for my bedding, threw it at the flames, but they were too strong, and . 1 could not \ put them out. They drove me back into my bedroom. I then began to realise what a mistake I had made. The flames were rushing into my bedroom, and I could see there . wfl* nothing for it but to get out of the road, so I lifted tip my bedroom window and threw my box out, and rushed for my . clothes, which were partly bijrning, threw them out and theli jxunped'out myself. I went out on to the green and eang out 'fire' to. rousjp. the people, in the house, I saw the servant put her head out of the window, and then I knew-<that the hous& would bje alarmed." . i Referring to the. second outbreak;, the accused statement was as follows: — '' "I got up, lit,, the. candle, and dressed myself, and went in under the house, gathered a bag of, case packing* and some wood, and .piit .;-,. them under my arm. I then went thi-ough the frontdoor of the house, through the dining-room, put an old ladder up to the passage ceiling, arid •. went through -the. manhole. I laid the packing and wood down, lit ; a qandtej, and then_ set fire t^o the heap. -'Jfcffcer- "dcring" sot cainis . adwitf- aiftl left Ihe hous%by the front door andjstood *fc the . gEeenkouse, *vnefe I faw a «j*onstable, he Jumped across and grabbed me" by ihe" arm. I" cannot assign any reason for having commit- £ lied these acts other than I tliihk"l must have been mad. I have always well treated *b"y my bosses ever since I have been employed at- the / same house, for the past 23 years. " I .... .have no- grudge or ill-feeling, agaiiist any person. The reason I asked Yonng to call me at 3 o'clock on the • morningjbf jthe 22ndfwas for the. purpose of? again /attempting i to '.burn doAvii the house."