PAHIATUA CASE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 92, 18 March 1936, Page 14

PAHIATUA CASE

CHARGE OF ARSON. Having pleaded guilty to a charge of sotting fire to Mr G. A. H. Beetham’s house at Pori, on January 25, Walter Bishop, 21 years of age, was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence, at a sitting of the Magistrate’s Court at Paliiatua on Monday. Accused is at present serving a sentence of three montlis’ imprisonment for vagrancy. On a further charge of having assaulted Albert Hull, farmer, of Pori, accused was convicted and discharged. Messrs L. C. Hartley and E. P. Badger, J.P.’s, were on the Bench. Detective-Sergeant Biclcerdike conducted the ca.se for the police. Tiie owner of the house gave evidence that on January 22 he had had occasion to visit Masterton and did not return home again for several days. His residence was a sevenroomed one and was fullv furnished. Although the lock on the back door had been out of order the door itself had been closed and he had taken all precautions to sec that everything was in order when he left. No fire had been left burning in any of the fireplaces. Witness said that no one had had any 'authority to enter the premises during his absence. On January 20 be had returned home and had found the house destroyed by fire. The remains were still smouldering. The firo could not have been caused by anything he had left on the premises. The insurance on the residence itself was £725, and the furniture wa.s covered for £l5O. He estimated the approximate cost of replacing the house and its belongings at £l2oo'and his loss over and above the insurances available at £4OO. The nearest farm was situated about two miles away. He did not know accused. Evidence was given by J. H. Ammundsen, farm manager for Mr D. Morrison, of Ridge Road, Pori, that accused had visited the farm on January 25 and had asked for a cup of tea. Witness had then been engaged in painting the roof of the woolslied and had told accused that the fire was out and that lie corsl not very well give him refreshment at the moment. Accused had then walked away. He had been the only stranger witness had seen on the road that day. .Shortly after he had occasion to look in the direction of Mr Beetham’s homestead and it was then all l'ight. Witness went to Pahiatua that day at about l p.m. and did not see any stranger on the wav to or from 'vvti. E T Byrnes, employed by Mi ». A. Hull, farmer, also residing at I on, gave evidence that accused had called at the homestead and had asked lor a cup of tea. Witness had been at the woolslied and had agreed to the request of accused, who tlien walk eel in the direction of the house. About five or ten minutes later witness also walked toward the house and met accused, who kicked a pup that crossed his path. He told accused not to kick the dog as it was only a" pup- Accused became abusive and picking up it. fence batten hit Mr Hull in the lower part of the ribs. Accused became abusive and said, “1 will burn you out.” Eventually they quietened him and after giving him a cup ot tea and something to eat in the kit-' chon, sent him away. Witness said accused was a stranger to him. Corroborative evidence of accused s visit was given by George Arthur Hull. Witness related how accused had assaulted him with the piece oi wood. . Accused had admitted causing the fire, said Detective-Sergeant Bickerdike. Witness had visited Paliiatua oil March 6. Witness and accused had proceeded to within three miles of tiie scene of the fire in a car and had walked the remainder of the way. Immediately they had leit the car accused had pointed to Beetham’s property and had said: “There is the place where I set fire to the house and this is the road 1 came along.” Arriving at the scene of the fire, accused had said: “The house burned down jail right.” He had then admitted i having gained access through the back 1 door, which had not been locked. Ac- , cused had said it was dark when lie arrived and that lie had slept in one lof the single .beds. Accused hail sitb- ; sequelitly made a statement which lie signed. The statements were read. In that referring to the incidents at Mr Hull’s property accused stated: —“I asked the i two working in the woolslied for a cup of tea, and they told me to go to the house, where I stopped for a while, but as they did not come _ I walked towards them. A dog got in illy way and I gave it a kick. There i Were some heated words between the j tnen and me about me kicking the pup, but Ido not remember anythin)' else that I said. I had already set fire to two places at that time and did not worry what else I did. During the argument I threw a batten at one of tiie men and hit him over the ribs. I did not mean to hit him, and I only did through being in a temper. They subsequently gave me a cup of tea. and after staying there for about 15 minutes I left going toward Paliiatua. I think I slept out that night, as I have often done before. The cup of tea and the hit of cake was the only meal I had had that day.”

In his statement as to the burning of the house accused said: “After I got out of bed and dressed I went into the sitting room, where I decided to set fire to the place. I did this because I felt 'fed up’ with things. I got a match out of my pocket and lit a cigarette which I had made. I crumpled lip several pieces of paper, set them on fire, and turned one of the easy chairs upside down and set it on top of the burning paper. I stayed there until I saw the chair well ablaze. This was about two or three feet away from the fender in the sitting room. The fire started to smoke very quickly and 1 left the place as it was too much for me, going out of the house 'the same way as I went in—by the back door. I do not know what made me leave the door open. I was born at Taihape and went to school there. My parents lived there too, but as far as I know they are dead, for I have been away from home a/ number of years.” The Court then committed accused to the Supreme Court for sentence, a plea of guilty being entered.