ALLEGED ARSON.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 16037, 20 October 1917, Page 5

ALLEGED ARSON.

YOUTH COMMITTED FOR RIAL,

A charge of arson against a youth 16 years and 4 months of age, was heard at tho Magistrate's Court, before Messrs W. H. Cooper and J. Clark,

J.P.'s, yesterday afternoon, when Silas

James Devlin McAlistor was charged that on October 12th, at Dunsandel, ho wilfully sot firo to a dwelling valued at £3U0,. the property of Derek Westenra.

Mr Cassidy appeared for the accused. Derek Warner Westenra, farmer, of Dunsandel, said that on October Bth last the. accused started in his employ in a general capacity. Accused was to sleep by himself in an empty cottage about 100 yards from the main ho"use. About 9 p.m., on October 11th, accused told witness that ho had been ac- ( costecl by two men before entering the cottage, a search of which made it appear as though accused's belongings had been ransacked Witness informed tho police of tho occurrence. About * o'clock that night witness found the accused outside the kitchen with a scarf round his mouth and his hands tied, and when tho bandage was taken from his face, he stated that the cottage was on firo. The cottage, a fourroomed wooden building, was practically destroyed. Accused had never complained to witness about having to sleep alone in the place. John Slattery, a gardener, employed by Mr Westenra, said that accused had slept in his whare for three nights, and not in the cottage, which lie said he wanted to clean out. Accused _ had never told him that he was afraid to sleep in the cottage. About 1 o'clock on the night of tho fire witness saw accused going in the direction of thp cottage, and later on, when accused camo up gagged and with his hands tied, witness nelpJfl to release him. Detective O'Connor stated that he had gone to Dunsandel on October 12th last, when witness repeated to him tiio story ho had told Mr Westenra regarding his being accosted by two men, whose appearance he described. Enquiries were made round tho district, but no trace of any such persons could be found. Late the same evening, after the fire, witness interviewed the accuscd, who then stated that the story was not true. He went on to say that he had set fire to the cottago because ho was afraid to sleep there bv himself, and he had also gagged himself and bound his own hands.

Detective-Sergeant Connelly gave corroborative evidence as t» the statement made by the accused. The accused pleaded not guilty, reserved his defence, and "was committed to the Supreme Court for trial.