WILFUL INTENT?

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 91, 12 January 1926, Page 6

WILFUL INTENT?

SUSPICIOUS FIRES IN AUCKLAND

EVIDENCE OF INCENDIARISM

UNDERWRITERS’ ASSOCIATION OFFERS REWARD

By Telegraph—Special Correspondent. Auckland, January 11. More than a suspicion prevails in the city that an inccndiarist has been at work during the last nine or ten weeks. The local Fire and Accident Underwriters’ Association has come to the conclusion that at least three recent fires can be traced to wilful causes, and offers a reward of £lOO for information leading to a conviction.

During the past five weeks the city fire brigade has been called out on about 60 different occasions, constituting what is probably a record for so short a period. This fact alone would give rise to suspicions, especially when the number of fires in large business premises forms an abnormally, high percentage. Very definite evidence, however, has been obtained at the seat of several of the fires, and in certain cases the fire brigade, the police, and the underwriters’ representatives are unanimous in putting the cause down as incendiarism. It is presumed that the criminal responsible has been at work for uearlv two months. Great difficulty lias been experienced bv the investigators in reaching a denite conclusion as to the character of their secret adversary, for an analysis of causes fails to produce any satisfactory evidence of uniformity of method. The recent fire in the Government Life Insurance building led to the spread of a rumour that a human firebrand, bittcrlv “agin’ the Government,” was wreaking vengeance upon his pet aversion. Among the host of fires that broke out in private property, however, this was the only Government building affected. Of three fires specifically mentioned by the Fire and Accident Underwriters’ Association, two have been definitely pronounced the wots of incendiarists by the fire brigade. One was an incipient outbreak in the Hall of Commerce, High Street, on October 29, when a smell of smoke was traced to a box of rubbish found to be on fire near a trapdoor in the ceiling of the ladies* lavatory. It is suggested that the box must have been placed in its position between the ceiling and the floor above by an unlawful trespasser Then there was an outbreak in the City Chambers, Queen Street, on December .31. The suspicious thing about this case was that flames were discovered simultaneously in two cupboards, situated one above tiie other, near the lift well on the first and second floors respectively. It is certain that the fires were started in each cupboard separately, and had not spread from one cupboard to the other. The Underwriters’ Ass-'cinfi- ■ entions as its third case the fl. -oke out in the Alston Chambers, . ’ Street, on January 1. Although these are only three cases actuallv attributed bv the association to incendiarism, the impression prevails in many quarters that other , outbreaks in the past few weeks are attributable to more than mere accidental causes. The trouble is that something more than suspicion is required to place an outbreak on the list of incendiary cases. ■- , , A peculiar addition to the cases noted was an unaccountable bomb explosion which occurred in the Bank of Australasia building some weeks ago Here was an undisputable case of wilful intent or a malicious practical joke. Hie infernal machine took the form of a crudelv made bomb, fashioned out of a tea-till, and packed with ordinary black powder, scrap-iron, and lumps of lead. The contraption was left on the landing of the first floor about 9 a.m., and exploded with a deafening crash. Happilv, no one was in the immediate neighbourhood at the time, and the only damage caused was the blackening of the passage wall. Whether this was an act of the same maniac or whether it is to be attributed to some other individual, remains vet to be seen.