ALLEGED ARSON.

Evening Star, Issue 7339, 11 October 1887, Page 2

ALLEGED ARSON.

At the Kaitangata Police Court on Friday Fitz Anderson was charged with setting fire to his dwelling-house at Kaitangata on September 17. Mr D. Reid defended. William Kelly, agent for the New Zealand Insurance Company, stated that he insured the accused's house, furniture, and effects on August 12, 1886, for the sum of L 75. The policy was renewed on August 12 last. He valued the building at L 75, and the effects at LSO. The house was burned down on the morning of September 17. He saw accused a day or two afterwards, who stated that he had lost everything but what he stood in. Ann Porter Anderson, the wife of the accused, stated that she left Kaitangata to visit a daughter at Waipori a week before the fire, and took her granddaughter with her. Accused gave her IQs to pay her expenses, and he at the time told her to take plenty of clothes, and all in the house, if she could take it. She asked him if he intended to burn the house down, but he made no reply. She then left. About a month before the fire Mr Sewell's daughter came to her place between seven and eight o'clock in the evening, and she turned her out. The accused was angry at this, cursed and swore, and said he would never allow another belonging to her to sleep in that house. After she had turned the girl out, he said : " Every • was defrauding the Government, and I don't see why I shouldn't do the same." After the girl was turned out she had no life with him. She returned to Kaitangata about a week after the fire, and heard that the acpused and Mr Sewell's daughter had been taking away from the house bundle after bundle of things before it was burned down. She then gave information to the police, and went with Constable Dale to search Mr Sewell's house. They found the articles produced in the house. The blankets and pillows were on accused's bed. The other articles were found in boxes under the bed of Miss Sewell. With the exception of a few things, all the articles produced were cleaned and folded away in her drawers when she left for Waipori. [The articles produced consisted of tivo »nda-balf pajrsof b>nket*, eight shirts, five socks, twelye pillow-cases, four towels, two handkerchiefs, five yieces women's underclothing, three books, and a number of smaller articles.] There were one or two chaff pillows, one pair of single and one pair of blue blankets left in the house, and some wearing apparel belonging to herself and the accused. She knew her husband was heavy in debt. Cross-examined by Mr Reid: She made up her mind to leave for Waipori on th<i Tuesday, and left on the Thursday following. She was engaged cleaning the house during Tuesday and Wednesday, but did no washing for a week previously. She had not been on friendly terms with accused for some time, and'this was because of Mr Sewell and his daughter. She wished accused to keep from bad company. Ly bad company she meant Miss Sewell aid Mrs D,unn. §he never accused Mrs Jarvey of impropriety with her husband, tut had seen him carry drink pb her. She was not jealous of Mrs Jarvey, but was of Miss Sewell and Mrs Dunn. §he often complained to her husband about it, but generally got a b}ack eye fpr her pains. ' S.he ]iad a son aqqut thirty years of age, whom she had spoken to ft* ", or frusftand's miscopduct. She had not beep pn'good terms with accused since Miss Sewell was turned out. They were on friendly terms when he gave her the 10s to pay her fare to Waipori. On ' a previous occasion Bhe was away for six weeks at Gore with her daughter. She did npjb know when she left her how long she mi'glii b'eav'fcy on occasion, but might have remained away sis weeks or two months. Before she went away accused asked' h'cr to take a large box of clothes with her. She said she had no money to pay for it. He afterwards gave her the 10s. He did not say '.'goodbye," because they were not on gopd terms. It ran fn her ijjirid that he wagoing to burn down the hoase. (Witnotp then enumerated the articles which were in the house when slje left, which, corresponded with the statement of loss furnished by accused). She caused the information to »P laid against accused because she did not eee why Miss Sewo.ll should have her things, She would not have given the house and what was in it for LIOO. Everything in it was plain, but very good. Rubina Sewell stated that she was sixteen years of age, and kept house for her father #fc W>ngaloa. She had known accused as long aa'i&te Sfif&d remember. He came to her father's house \A te» IMBUtea past seven on the 16th September, and stayed ail night, He left next day at twelve o'clock, when he heard his house was burned down. Accused <j'ar«e -to- work for her father. She did not see him bringjanytbing with him that time, but he must have brought his ;blankets. She was at home when* the constable a,nd Mrs Auderson called. They searched the UQUje. Some of the accused's things were found In her (witness's) bedroom, and were identifiedi' She washed the sheets produced I and put them away. On September 2a accused showed her a butidle of things and asked her to wash them. She washed some of thorn, and on tfce Tuesday and Wednesday following ironed and folded what she w'as.h'e'd; andput them in two boxes Whieh tfere in her bedroom. She did this because accused asked' her" to jfnt them into any suitable place. 'He broughi two pillows'6n rf»e 15th, and tw'o'on'ithe'ip! Sfie p; U > two #ean niUow-sljps on accused's Led. ShG always thought >pc,used-s yjfe was' friendly towards her until lately, Accused's wife never turned her (witness) oui of the house, She had often stayed thero all Bight, and used sometimes to wash for her.

By Mr Reid : Accused was making coal boxes for hsr f£ser, and repairing the house. When the constable <?an)fl t# search, she showed' 'Kim' where the thlngu were. Mrs to 'be jealous o." jfe'r. 'She'was'not' jealous'of her alone, "but offiyery jyom'lp the tya'ce.' She had not time to wash ajl the 'ShiftgS which web given to her. It was aot a fact that nearly a'l the articles brought to the house weiv clean and folded up. Before the window blinds were brought, accused asked her ii she coijld supply him with one. She said she'co'ald not, and he then brought those produced. "s!Jie"jbok nothing from accused's Kfiuae to Jjer R, M. Sfiwellj coal-miner ? deposed that acoused brought nothing $6 his hoijse on the 16th that he saw. He knew lis wonw jjayp to bring his own blankets, as he (witness) had npne to give him. He was at Kaltangata after the fire took place, and saw in a coal-shedabag oontaining dirty slothing, and his daughter selected the articles to be washed. Accused said he would send them flyer-M' that purpose. He did not eee wmKfbfag anyMDg tp his h6use. There was no washing dorie on the Suth tft "is knowledge, ffr bought his dau|hter wjth him to Kaltangata op fh»t day." Accused would have four or five days' ypyk at hjs place. Before the fire, accused asked nitu to allow his daughter to go to his house to do his washing, but he refused, and stated •his daughter would do it if the things wort brought over. Msgaret Smfth, wife of W. T. Smith, storekeeper, stated th'at'.accused game to the store <m%e eyenjng of tljte lsth, "arid for kerosene. He purchased two bottles. He usually brought a bottle for the kerosene, but this time he brought a tin. This would be between four and five o'clock. She thought acoused looked sleepy, but did not think he had been drinking. By Mr Reid; Acoused was in the habit of purchasing kerosene at her gtore. He usually brought a bottle. She. did not think it strange because he brought a tin, on the last occasion, and considered it probable that he could not find a bottle because his wife was not at home. /

Constable Dale [>ave evidence of the tire, .and,corroborated the previous witnesses as to finding the articles in Mr Se well's house. He found in the coal-house a bag of clothes, an'd opened same in presence of accused. It contained men's clothing—socks, drawers, and shirt. He questioned accused about the fire, but Be said he could not tell how it originated; that be had lost all, except a clock, which was at Raggitt the watchmaker's. He said also that he had removed nothing from the house before the fire whatr ever, and that all he had was what he stood up in. Accused admitted to him that he left the house about 6.30 o'clock, but had had no fire or light, but that he had warmed some tea in the forenoonAccused, who reserved his defence, was committed to take his trial at the next sittings of the Supreme Court, bail being allowed, himself in L2OO, and two sureties in LIOO apiece.—' Bruce Herald.'