ALLEGED ARSON

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 December 1931, Page 3

ALLEGED ARSON

FIRE AT TOWN HALL. LONDON, October 13. A yoppg rent collector who was alleged .to have set fjrg to the Hampstead Town Hall oul of revenge, because. he thought he had a gri.eyap.ee against a sanitary inspector, was remanded for a medical report at Mary-, lebope" Police-court yesterday. The accused, Edward- Ernest Overton, 23, of Rosslyn-hill, Hampstead, was charged with “maliciously setting tire to a dwelling-house (persons being therein), to wit, the Town Hall, Hampstead." Mr Harold, the Town Clerk, said that, at six o’clock on Sunday evening the prisoner was seen by a constable to enter a gate at the back of the Town Hall. The officer heard the smashing of glass, and almost immediately saw a burst of flames at one of the windows of the Public Health. Department. Overton ran towards him' apd was seized, beipg taken to the police-statjon after a slight scuffle.

Accused, added Mr Harold, had gone to the Town Hall armed with a chopper. Having broken a window, l>e threw a bottle of paraffin through and set fire -to some paper. The flames obtained a good hold before, the caretaker, who lived on the premises, pyt them out. Accused apparently intended to burn some papers regard?eg property as to which certain requirements. bad been proposed by the Public Health Department. Detective-sergeant Hayward said that he saw the accused at Hampstead Police-station, and a police constable mentioned the charge. Accused remarked, “I wish I hadn’t done it now. I did U out of i-.evenge to .the sanitary inspector.' I don’t Avynt this to get Info the pajpejs. Lain ko well known.” Witness Aypiit to thje Town Hall and found that a pgn.e of glass was broken in the w'indoty o? j-lm Public Health Department office. There was a quantity of charred correspondence and books on the inside ledge of the window.. Witness returned to the policestation and told Overton that he would be charged. Accused replied, “I did it out of revenge. la m a 'property/ owner, and they wanted me to do work that was unnecessary. I only wanted to burn my papers. I didn’t set fire to the dwelling-house. I only set fire to the papers.’’ •