The "Fire Bugs."

Franklin Times, Volume XX, Issue 81, 16 July 1930, Page 2

The "Fire Bugs."

\ decision that the reward of £250 offered for information supplied to ! the police for the conviction of the . "firebugs" cannot be given to ConI stable Gillum or the detectives con--1 cernccl in the case has been announcI trd by the Police Department after goI ing into the question. The departi ment states (according to the Weli lington correspondent of the Christ--1 church Times) that regulations forbid : acceptance of the money by police ! officers. An official statement issued !bv the Minister of Justice (Mr J.. G. ! Cobbe) states: —"Application was i made bv the constable and the detec- ! live concerned to the allowed to par- ' fieipatc in the. reward, and their ' claims were investigated, but it was decided that as the information had not been supplied by them, they had no legal claim to any portion of the reward. The only persons who supplied any information to the police that led to the conviction of the offenders were the offenders, themselves. The constable was granted an acceleration of his increments of pay, in recognition or his vigilance and good work in effecting single-handed the arrest of these youths. The reward of £250 was not received by the Police Department."