FIRE IN LYTTELTON GAOL.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13230, 25 September 1908, Page 5

FIRE IN LYTTELTON GAOL.

INCENDIARISM BY LIONEL TERRY SUSPECTED.

Consideralilo excitement -was caused in the usually quiet precincts of Lyttelton Gaol yesterday morning by nn outbreak of fire in the hospital wing- The -warder on duty on the watch tower, whioh is situated immediately above that ■wing, noticed deneo smoke, rising from the centre of the building, and ot once rang the alarm bell on the tower. The warders who wero on duty and the prisoners, working about tho yard immediately set to work with buckets of water on tho fire, which was found to have its seat under tho wooden stairway leading from tho entrance passage* to the upper storey of the wing. Tho flames were breaking through tho stairs, but were got under in a few minutes. The damage done was not very great, tho stairway being badly charred, as was also some adjoining woodwork. A few pounds will cover everything. Tho gaol alarm bell conndod at 9.35 a.m.. but no n-otico was taken of it outside the gaol, most people imagining it to bo the call to boot drill on one of tho steamers. A minute or so later, however, the fire-boll at the station was rung. Tho brigade turned out very smartly and got two lines of hose into tho gaol, but fortunately their services were not required. Tho Gaoler (.Mr Clcary) informed a rejrorte-r that ho was very strongly of tho opinion that tho fire was deliberately started by Lionel Terry, with tho object of creating some excitemont. Terry, as is well-known, has been confined in Lyttelton Gaol for some time. His quarters aro in tho hospital wing, tho door of his room fopening on to the j passage, a few feet from the stairway under which tho fire started. That portion of the gaol occupied by Terry was gazetted a mental hospital, and he has far more privileges than are allowed to the prisoners. i Standing erect, with folded arms, an-l clad in a grey tweed coat, white trousers, and with sandals on his feet, Terry looked .on impressively whilo tho warders and the prisoners woro suppressing tho fire. He | did not offer any assistance, but a faint smile crossed his face once or twice. '"You did this, Terry," said tho gaoler to him J, Do you think so?" replied ho with an air of unconcern. Mr Cleary informed a "Press" reporter that Terry would make ,no admission* of any sort that ho had had a hand in starting the fire. A quantity of paper and portion of a mat, partly burned, wero found in tho recess under the stairway. It is considered very fortunate that the outbreak occurred when it did, instead of at night time, when the prisoners would haye been locked in their ! cells, and only the warders on night duty aboui. The building is practically all concrote, with the exception of the wooden fittings, floors, and roof, but matters would have been very awkward, if tho fire had got a good hold.