PLEADS GUILTY TO CHARGE OF ARSON

Manawatu Times, Volume LII, Issue 3582, 27 April 1927, Page 7

PLEADS GUILTY TO CHARGE OF ARSON

Labourer Who Fired Ormondville Buildings

ANGRY BECAUSE REFUSED

WHISKY

(Per Press Association),. DANNEVIRKE, Last Night,

Before Justices, Douglas Fraser, a labourer, was charged at Ormondvllle to-day with wilfully sotting fire to a stables, tho property of the Napier Brewery Co., and leased' to Janies Maokie Smith; wilfully setting Are to a motor garage, the property of Henry Perry; attempting to set fire to a stables, the property of William Henry Edkins; and wilfully setting Are to a four-roomed cottage, tho property of Henry Perry. The Ares all occurred at Ormondville on Saturday night last. Perry’s garage and the Napier Brewery Company's stables, and also. Perry’s cottage were all destroyed, tho loss running into some hundreds of pounds. Accused pleaded guilty and was committed for sentence.' In a statement to the police accused said that on Friday last, after having spent a considerable sum at the hotel since April 14th, ho .was refused a bottle of whisky by .the hotel keeper. He was very annoyed at the refusal and the idea-struck him to burn down the hotel. Before he went back to work on Saturday evening he went to Edkins’;. stables close to the Ormondville Hotel, lighted some paper with the intention of burning the stables with a view to igniting tho hotel. He was discovered and went away returning later to the hotel stables, which ho set on fire and ran away to his home. Ho was mad from the effects of drink, or otherwise would not. have done such a thing. 1 '