FIRE IN UNOCCUPIED HOUSE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 1 October 1928, Page 7

FIRE IN UNOCCUPIED HOUSE.

EVIDENCE AT’ INQUIRY". (by Telegraph—Association.) AUCKLAND, Sept, 28. An impiiry concerning,the fire at an unoccupied six-roomed house in lower Queen Stret, Onehunga, last July, when one of the front rooms was damaged, wavs held to-day. Mr Alexander,.for the Onehunga Fire Board, said an undue nmiiher of fires had occurred in Onehunga, especially in lower Queen Street, It was the fire hoard’s intention wherever the circumstances were suspicious to ask for -a colonial inquiry to ascertain the cause.

James -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 ago. There was a mortgage of £535 and th* house was injured for £OSO.

After inspecting the building he had concluded it had been set oh lire, hut lie could not say by whom. He did not know who would benefit by the lire: he certainly •would not. He denied his car was at Oneluniga at 7.30 on the niglft of the fire. William .Robert Wright, fisherman, who lives next door to Robertson’s house, said he was told by two boys when lie was on the .Mangere Bridge that night that the house was on ike. ■He did not know the boys and lie had not seen them since. He telephoned •to flic brigade. He knew nothing about the origin -of th c fire. He gave the alarm when a previous fire had occurred at Robertson’s house. Ho had given alarm .on oilier occasions in Onehtinga and also in Auckland, including that at, Winston’s oil store. He was afterwards interviewed by Detective Sinclair, but denied having told him it was up to them -to catch him and bring along their witnesses. ‘He had given alarms of lire during the past five years.

In nil's We r to Mr Alexander witness said there had been two tires on each side of his home, making four in all, and he gave alarms for all of them. He did not know anything -about a deliberate attempt to burn Robertson’s and iCunningliam’s houses. Questioned by the magistrate, IMr F. H. Levies, witness declared he. had no opinion o'f flic origin of the fires although he gave the alarms. He used •wax matches.

Harold Hedges said he was riding a motor-cycle through Onehunga on the night Ttf the fire, when he saw a five's cat or 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 recognise him. Charles Gilbert, superintendent of the Onehunga fire brigade, expressed the opinion that the ho'use 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 have a clear view through a window of anyone moving about in Robertson’s house, There had been an abnormal number of fires since July 24 and some of the alarms had been given by the Wright family. . Defective Allen, who inspected the fire the next morning and found 'three matches on the floor, also said it, was wilfully set on fife. The verdict was. that 'the damage was caused by a fire lit by some person or persons unknown. The magistrate expressed the opinion that the inquiry was quite warranted.