ALLEGED ARSON.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 15 April 1907, Page 2

ALLEGED ARSON.

A young man named Leonard Thomas Fiaston, alias William Wilson, was charged wf.h having on April 16th, 1906, unlawfully and wilfully set fire to a storeroom at Oklwi Bay," Croixelles. the property of T. A. and H. Field. Accused had formorly been a Stoke Industrial School boy, and had been taken to Oklwi by tho Messrs Field out of charity. Detctive Hii, who had charge of the case, said the chief evidence wa* the accused's admission to himself in gaol on the 15th November last. Henry M. Field, ironmonger, deposed that he and his brother owned a run at Okiwi Bay. The accused was in their employ about Easter last. A fire occurred on EaSter Monday in a storeroom on the property. The storeroom and contents were valued at about £120, and there was an insurance of about £60 in the Royal office. When the (ire was observed, the accused, who was going towards the fire, sang out to witnes and others to beware of tho powder and dynamite (which were amongst the contents of the storeroom). .There had been no quarrel between witness or witness's brother ai|d accused. The accused had sent an order to the store in Nelson for a Savage rifle, but as there were none in stock the rifle could not be sent. Witness knew that accused had been an inmate of the Mental Hospital, but took an interest in him and gave him employment. Accused remained on the run for a month or two after the fire, and then left' of his own accord, To the accused : There had been fires round and about the shed on the day of the fire, logs being burnt, the nearest log being about 30 or 40 yards or more away from the storeroom. The doors of the storeroom were open on the day of the fire, but there was no wind. There was a portable forge in the storeroom, and it had been used in the afternoon inside the barn he believed. It was possible, though not probable, that a spark from the forge could get amongst the hay in the barn, j