FIRES.—EXCITING CIRCUMSTANCES.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5275, 19 July 1888, Page 3

FIRES.—EXCITING CIRCUMSTANCES.

Blenheim, This day.

A doublo fire occurred at 2.30 this morning. A Chinaman's cabinet maker's place was burned down, and while this was going on a fire broko out in a four-roomed houKe a quarter of a mile off. Tho extraordinary circumstance attending tho latter fire was that the occupier was accidontly found in the back yard gagged and bound hand aud foot. Ho says ho had been overpowered by two burglars, bound and left on tho kitchen floor, whilo tho men were setting fire to tho place, who then decamped. The story caused tremendous excitement but it is only half credited. Insurances—£loo on tho building in tho Union oflicf, £-10 on the f urnituro iv the South British : in tho Chinaman's case £G0 in tho Equitable ofEco. Later. A further development of tho fire. A quantity of furniture and stuff has been found planted in lhe> Wesleyan Church grounds. Documents were found on Honeyman proving he had just come from Masterten, and not Melbourne, as ho said. He was arrested just before noon. CiuuSTCitUKCit, Thiii day Early this morning a cottage in Chesterstreet, occupied by Mr Taylor, bootmaker, was burned. The furniture was insured for £100 in tho Norwich Union Office. Very little was savid. The fire is supposed to havo been caused by embers left in tho grate.