SUSPICIOUS FIRES

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 September 1928, Page 5

SUSPICIOUS FIRES

AN AUCKLAND INQUIRY.

(Press Association.) AUCKLAND, September 28. An' inquiry concerning a fire at an unoccupied eix-roomed. house in Lower Queen Street, Onehunga, last July, when one of the front rooms was damaged, was held to-diiy. Mr Alexander, for the Onehunga Fire Board, said an undue number of fires had occurred in Onehunga, especially in Lower Queen Street. It was the Fire Board’s intention, wherever the circumstances were suspicious, to ask for a coronial inquiry to ascertain the cause.

Janies Maxwell Robertson, owner of the house, said he was at his home at Avondale when informed of the fire. He paid £875 for the house two years a"o. There was a mortgage of £535, and 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 by the fire. He certainly would not. lie denied that his car was at Onehunga at 7.30 on the night of the fire. William Robert Wright, fisherman, who lives next door to Robertson’s house, said he was told by two boys when he was on Mangere Bridge on tllxe night that the house was on fire. Fie did not know the boys and had not seen them since he telephoned the bi’igade. He knew nothing about the origin of the fire. He gave the alarm when a previous fire occurred at Robertson’s house. He had given the alarm on other* occasions in Onehunga, and also in Auckland, including that at Winstone’s oil store. He was afterwards interviewed by Detective Sinclair, but he denied having told him it was up to them to catch him and bring along their witnesses. He had given alarms of fire during «the past five years.

In answer to Mi* Alexander, witness said there had been two fires on each side of his home, making four in all, and he gave the alarm for all of them. He did not know anything' about a deliberate attempt to burn Robertson’s and Cunningham’s houses. Questioned by the Magistrate, Mi? Levin, witness, declared, he had no opinion of the origin of the fires, although he gave the alarms. He used wax matches.

Harold Hedges said he was riding a motor cycle throqgh Onehunga oxi the night of the fire, when he saw a. fiveseater inotox - car pull away from the fire and proceed up the street at a slow pace. He did not know the driver; and could not recognise him again. Charles Superintendent of the Onelhunga. Fire Brigade, expressed the ppinion that the house had been deliberately set on fire. He was satisfied there was kerosene on the floor where the fire was. It was significant that a person in Wright’s house would Ixave a> cleax* view through the window of anyone moving about in Robertson’s house. There had been an abnormal numbex* of fires since July 24, and some of the alarms had been given by I the Wright family. Detective Allan, who inspected the fire next morning, found three burnt wax matches on the floor, also said it had been wilfully set on fire. The verdict was that the damage was caused by a fire lit by some persoxx or persons unknown.

The Magistrate expressed the opinion hat the inquiry was quite warranted.