GELIGNITE ON LINE

Northern Advocate, 14 March 1929, Page 4

GELIGNITE ON LINE

THREE HOUSE'S FIRED

OKILDR-EX>S DANGEROUS ACTS,

(Per Press Association. —Copyright.) ‘ MASTER-TON, This Hay. Remanded on a- charge of unlawfully and wilfully placing three plugs of gelignite, on the -railway line at Newman, near Eketahuna, a Mastonton boy, I.V. years old, appeared ju the children is court before Air Miller, S.M., this morning. Ho was further charged, jointly with a younger brother, with wilfully sotting tiro to three buildings over a period of four months, one being an unoccupied residence. The elder boy pleaded guilty to the four charges against him, and the younger to three charges of arson. Sergeant Dwyer, in. relating the circumstances of the outbreaks of the fires, stated that the first which the boys wore charged with occurred on. November 20th, 1928, when a building, the property of H. H.' Daniel, Masterton, was completely destroyed. The police were unable to ascertain the pause of the outbreak. Oh the following night another outbreak of fire occurred in an unoccupied house situated in Chapel Street, the property of Robert William Drain, and again inquiries were made by the police, but without success. During the course of inquiries following the second suspicious out? break, one of the boys was interviewed, and., stated that half an hour before the outbreak he saw tv/o swaggers go into the house and shortly* affce* they left a fire broke out. The third fire occurred on Febliary 8 last, when a shed belonging to the Masterton Borough Council.was damaged. One of the boys only was concerned in the last charge.. The bdys at first denied all knowledge of the cause of the outbreaks, but later made a complete confession. On being questioned why they sot fire to the buildings they said that they liked to see the fire brigade turn out. The police stated that the elder boy was of weak, inellect. The magistrate, when addressing the elder boy, said he was charged with £hree serious offences. Fortunately, the placing of the gelignite on the railway line did not do serious damage, but it was a senseless and diabolical act. He took into consideration that the boy did realise that without caps gelignite was not dangerous. It was apparently put on the line with, the idea of hearing a noise. The boy was evidently sub-normal.' He would place him under the. supervision of a Child Welfare officer and commit him to Weraroa Training Farm. The younger boy was evidently under the influence of his brother, said his Worship, and he was placed under the care of the Child Welfare officer.