DELIBERATELY FIRED

Evening Star, Issue 19985, 1 October 1928, Page 14

DELIBERATELY FIRED

All ONEHUKGA EPIDEMIC [Pan United Puess Association.] AUCKLAND, September _2B. An inquiry concerning a (ire in an unoccupied six-roomed house in Lower Queen street, Onohunga, last July, when one of the front rooms wan damaged, was held to-dny. Air Alexander, who appeared for tho Onohunga Firo Boa.tl, said an undue number' of fi.es had occurred in Onohunga, especially in Lower Queen street. It was the Fire Board’s intention, wherever the circumstances wer auspicious, to ask for a comma! inquiry to ascertain the cause. James. Maxwell Robertson, owner of tho house, said ho was it bis home at Avondale when informed of the fire. Ho paid £875 for the house two year ago. There was a mortgage o. £535, aii.d the house was insured for £650. After inspecting the building he concluded that it had been set on fire, but he could not say by whom He did not know who would benefit hy_ the fire. He certainly would not. He denied that his car was at Oiehunga at 7.30 on the night of tho fire. William Robert Wright, a fisherman, who lives next door to Robertson’s house, said he was told by two boys when he was on tho Mangers Bridge that the house was on fire. Ho did not (mow the hoys, and ho had not seen them cinne. He telephoned to the brigade. Re knew nothing a’smt the origin of the fire He gave the alarm when a previous fire hud occurred it Robertson’s house. He had given the alarm on other occasions in OneHnga and also in Auckland, including that at Winstone’s Oil Store. He_ vis afterwards interviewed by Detective Sinclair, but denied having told him it was up to them to catch him and uring along their witnesses He had given alarms of fire during the past five years. _ In answer to Mr Alexander, witness said there had been two fires on each side of his homo, making four in nil, and he gave the alarm for all of them. He did not know anything about a deliberate attempt to bum Robertson’s and Cunningham’s houses. Questioned bv the magistrate, Mr F. H. Lovien, witness declared he had no opinion in regard to the origin of the fires, although he gave the alarms. Ho used wax matches.

Harold Hedges said ho was riding a motor cycle through Onehunga on the night of the fire. He saw a five-seater motor car pull away from the fire and proceed up the street at a slow pace. Ho did not know the driver and could not have recognised him again. Charles Gilbert, superintendent of the Onehunga Fire Brigade, expressed the opinion that the house had been deliberately set on fire. He was satisfied there was kerosene on the_ floor where the fire occurred It was significant that a person in Wright’s house would have a clear view through the window of anyone moving about in Robertson’s house. There had been an abnormal number of fires July 24, and some of the alarms had been given bv the Wright family. Detective Allen, who inspected the fire next morning, said that ho had found three burnt was matches on the floor. He also said it had been wilfully set on fire Tbo verdict was that the damage was caused by a fire lit by some person or persons unknown. The magistrate expressed the opinion that tlte inquiry was quite warranted.