FIRE-RAISING.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 14975, 22 April 1909, Page 9

FIRE-RAISING.

[Per Press Association.] DUNEDIN, April 21. ( Yesterday afternoon a patient at the Seacliff Mental Hospital escaped, and early this morning threo destructive fires broke out at Waitati, Evnnsdalo and Warrington. A store at Waitati was entered and matches and tobacco taken and clothing was taken from the Hon G. M’Lean’s house at Warrington. The coincidence of tho hours of the outrages with the escape of the patient seemed to indicate that the esdapee is the perpetrator. It would seem that ho began work at Waitati by securing matches from the store, then set fire to the Waitati Presbyterian Church, followed this by igniting a cow byre at Evansdale and destroying the eeasido holiday house at Warrington owned by Messrs Allan and Smith, of Dunedin. This morning tho man was seen at Evansdale at 7.30 and at 10.30. It is reported a pedestrian on Walcari Road was stuck up by a man with a gun. At 1.30 the lunatic was arrested at Wakari and lodged in the Dunedin police station.