DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT AUCKLAND.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7542, 13 August 1886, Page 3

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT AUCKLAND.

„ ■ ■ ... Auckland, Thureday. ' 'Shortly before 12 o'clock last night a : fue broke out in the shop of Mr Clarko, watchmaker, Eden Terrace, a suburban dktriet south of this city. The fire spread with alarming rapidity, fanned by a brisk breeze, until eight shops and six dwellinghouses and the ladies' seminary were destroyed. The five raged for two hburs, and there being no water supply, though '" within 200 yards of the Kyber Pass reser-' ■ voir, the' chief efforts were directed to saving the furniture and stocks. The ' buildings destroyed were occupied as fol- J lows : — The first shop was occupied by ' Mr Job Heath, bootmaker ; the second was an empty shop ; the third was occupied by, Mr J. T.- Clarke, watchmaker ; the fourth by Miss Johnson's semi-, nary ; the fifth by Mr Cole, bootmaker ; the sixth by Mrs Becknell, dressmaker; seventh by Mr Walker, greengrocer; the eighth by Mr Hennigan, grocer and iion- . monger j and the ninth by Mr Simpson, plumber. The shops had all dwolhng- " houses attached, mostly two-story Wooden buildings. The last-named three were on the- opposite side of the street from the others. The following aro the insurances, soW as is known: — Heath and Clarke's block; £450 in the New Zealand oflico, £200 in the South British office ; Clarke's . stock,' £150' in the Norwich Union -'"'office;' Miss Johnson, .-6700 in the New Zealand office ; Mrs liecknell, £950 in tho United office ; Cole, £500 in the- ". United oflice; Hennigan, £1150 in tho ■ South British office ; • Simpson, £350 in the . Boyal office. This morning Clarke was arrested by the police charged with arson. • At his lodgings £200 worth of stock was 1 discovered, and it is said that his insurance policy expired to-day. He was brought up at the Police Court, charged with setting firo' to his premises in Eden-ter-race, with intent to defraud the Norwich Insurance Company, and was remanded, The prisoner stated that the goods were not concealed ; the neighbors had assisted to remove them. An application for bail was refused. . Later. ' The arrest of Clarke, it appears, was made under the following circumstances : —Detective Herbert, who reached. the fire at 11.30 this morning, heard that the fire "had originated in Clarke's shop, and having known him at the Thames he requested Constable Dews to question Clarke about the fire. When Dews proceeded to carry out this request Clarko replied, "I do not see why 1 should be questioned'by the police." Subsequently Herbert interviewed Clarke, and the latter asserted that he had only saved two boxes containing articles of little, value. On being asked where tho boxes wore, ho stated that they were on a vacant allotment opposite. Ihe detective then requested Clarke to show the boxes, as it was necessary . that he (the detective) . should inspect the contents. Clarke took 1 the detective past a vacant allotment and down Sum'i'icv street to the house of a Mrs Irwin, wherj Clarke pointed out two, « boxes lying in a passage, which boxes, he ' said, comprised the only property saved. Detective Herbert and Constable "Dews ■ examined tho boxes, and found that they were full of working jewellers' material. Clarke' stated that that was all the property he had. saved. About this time Sergeant Gamble arrived at Mrs Invin's house, and the police made a thorough search' of the house, which re- ■ suited in the discovery of a quantity of ■ other things— watches, chains, rings, bed- • '• clothes, boots, crockeryware, a £20-note, musical instruments, and other property of considerable vajue. These were under, Mrs Irwin's bed. Clarke stated to the police that he was insured for £150 in the Norwich Union, but lie did not know " whether the policy had' ran out ,or not. - Amongst the property recovered was the . insurance policy, which it was found expired on the 12th instant (to-day). Mrs Irwin stated that Clarke had been boarding with her for some time past, though he slept in his shop. She was in the shop the day before the fire (Tuesday), and Clarke'had then literally no furniture. He slept on the floor, having no bed. He had • only a frying-pan, a chair, snd an old table. He informed her that he was asleep when the fire commenced, and escaped minus his boots and most of his clothes. When first seen 'by Detective Herbert, Clarke had all his clothes on, even to his over- , coat, and his boots were laced. Clarko .asserted- that all the property that was insured was destroyed, and that that found in Mrs Invin's house was uninsured. Clarke has only recently occupied, the Bhop in Eden Terrace.. Som.e months, ago he had ashop in Karangabdpe-rood. He was for many years in business at the Thames as watchmaker and jeweller.