FIRE IN TOWN

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 12140, 30 December 1933, Page 4

FIRE IN TOWN

SMART SAVE IN s. AND E. STORES. HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES.

Verv suspicious circumstances surfound an outbreak of fire which occurred in the S. and E. Stores, No 1 next to Le Gralnd Lounge, shortly after midnight. . • In the course of his duties the nightwatchman, Mr. N. Pilcher, visited the back portion of the building ail'd saw smoke issuing from the storeroom of the shop. Mr. Pilcher at once sounded an alarm, and within a few minutes the brigade was on the spot. On arrival Superintendent Kane found! a hole about six inches in diameter in the lower portion pf tho window, immediately below which were two blazing sacks. These sacks were surrounded by numerous highly inflammable articles such as a tin of paraffin, desiccated coconut, boxes of soap, etc. The room was protected from robbery by heavy iron bars about six inches apart, inside the glass. There i s littlo doubt that had the fire not been discovered the whole storeroom, would have, been ablaze in a very brief period. Tho brigade soon extinguished the flames, removed tho sacks outside and all danger was over

Tho manager, Mr. U. A. Coyle, states that ho left the shop at 8.15 last night, when all was quite safe. Tlibro had been no matches or fire near the sacks, and the. window was then unbroken.

From tfli 0 circumstances, it appears as if a deliberate attempt had been made to set fire to the shop. A hole has been knocked in the glass, and a match oir matches thrown into the room, falling,fortunately, as it happened on the slow-burning sacks, tlie smouldering of which g a 've the first intimation of fire. With an extra largo assortment of goods for the Xmas'and New Year trade, the loss would undoubtedly have been a heavy one, but for the promptness of Mr. Pilcher and the smartness of tho brigade im turning out. _ _