Incendiarist In Prison?

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31379, 26 May 1967, Page 1

Incendiarist In Prison?

One of the 240 prisoners in Paparua Prison, the police and prison staff suspect, is setting fire to prison property. Yesterday afternoon, the western end of an old, wooden stable at the prison was destroyed. It was the fourth fire at the prison in three weeks. The last three fires have been in the same area—about 200 yards south of the main prison and administration block on the 3000-acre farm. “You can bet we think we have someone who is lighting the fires,” the prison superintendent (Mr M. C. M. K. Carew) said last evening. “We have two detectives out here now making inquiries.” The first three recent fires were in haybarns. The first destroyed 2000 bales of hay, and on May 11 800 bales of hay were destroyed by fire or damaged by smoke and , water. The barn, which can hold 3000 bales, was only . slightly damaged. On May 22 3000 bales of lucerne hay j were destroyed, and the fire caused £lOO worth of damage to the bam in which the hay > was stored.

Sockburn and Sydenham firemen used three hoses yesterday to bring the fire under control. Half the stable, 100 ft long and 20ft wide, was destroyed. Chaff and oats stacked in the building were also destroyed, and a chaff-cutter was damaged. On the advice of firemen, the prison authorities called the police. Detective-Sergeant D. Porteous is in charge of the inquiries.

“We have been sorting things out and trying to find who could have been in the

area in which the fire broke out,” said Mr Carew. “It apparently broke out in the chaff and straw. There were no animals in the area. “As far as we know, there are nb prisoners here with a record of incendiarism. Inquiries will continue, and extra precautions, by way of guarding areas, will be taken.” Questioned, Mr Carew said that the prison was housing

100 more prisoners than it was built for. The prison staff was under strength, and no recruiting could be done without permission from the department.

“Finding out any person who lights fires is a very difficult task. We hope that this is the last fire here for a long time —but we are taking precautions ,as well as hoping,” Mr Carew said.