Seven Months’ Search For Witness Fails

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 6837, 19 April 1932, Page 6

Seven Months’ Search For Witness Fails

SUSPICIOUS FIRE- IN GISBORNE Per Press Association. GISBORNE, Last Night. Long deferred while a police search was proceeding for a material witness, the adjourno dinquest on tho Garrison Hall fire was concluded before the District Coroner (Mr. T. 11. Harper, SAL) to-day. The fire occurred early on the morning of January 21, 1931, the hall then being mainly in use to house a miniature golf course. The inquest opened on September 17 arid extended over two and a half days, following which an adjournment was granted in order that the police could subpoena a certain witness named and bring any other material evidence.

When the inquiry resumed to-day, Detective McLeod stated that every effort to trace the witness had been made, but without success. Therefore he could only ask the Coroner to close the in quest. The Coroner reviewed the evidence in detail and concluded: “The fact that two witnesses, Rees McKenzie and a man named Higgs, apparently unknown to one another, both got hold of tho same story —that the fire was caused by two sideshowmen—throws considerable suspicion on these sideshowmen and on the proprietor of a billiard saloon in Gisborne. There is one other man who could throw considerable light on the position, but he has managed to keep completely out of reach of the police. “Although there is grave suspicion on the parties named in tho evidence before the Court, it is not sufficiently strong to establish whether the fire was intentional or accidental. My finding will therefore be that the Garrison Hall w~ burned on the morning of January 21, and that in my opinion tho evidence docs not establish whether the lire originated accidentally or through an incendiary.”