ARSON.—THE FIRE AT VIEW ROAD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6936, 9 February 1884, Page 6

ARSON.—THE FIRE AT VIEW ROAD.

At the Police Court yesterday, before Messrs. Prime and Hull, J.P.'e, Henry Wood was charged with '•unlawfully and maliciouely setting fire to a certain house in the occupation of JohnMcDell, on the 25th of January, with intent to in j are. j John MoDell, a warder in Mount Eden Gaol, deposed that on the 25th January a fire occurred in View-road, off Mount Eden-road, and several houses were destroyed, two of which belonged to witness. He occupied one of them, and the other was unoccupied for from'six to eight weeks. The house'was about six or seven years old. . The last time witness was in the house was about a week previous to the, fire. - The outer doors were securely • fasteneiv'-ona beings bolted on the inside, and the otter locked, and he kept the key iuhia own house, bat the windows were unfastened, and open at tho top for ventilation.' The inside of the house was scrimmed, and the kitohen and passage dadoed to a height of four feet. ■ The house had four rooms arid a lean-to at the back, and was about fifteen or twenty feet off the road. [At thie etage Detective Walker put in a plan of Mr; McDell's premises betore they were burnt, prepared by himself.) Mr. MoDell then proceeded with his evidence t Thepaperthroughthe house was in good order, bat was slightly out of order in the kitchen, i where soma water had come down in one corner and loosened it. The witness described the position of the houses on the plan: . His own-house was about eight feet from the unoccupied one. His own->iouse had irix rooms and a bathroom; it had an iron roof, and iron verandahs bask and front. The unoccupied one had a shingle roof. Witness and his family slept upstair 3. On the morning of the 25th January, between one and two o'clook, -he -was aroused by a neighbour, and Mr. Peace was in the kitchen when witness and his family got downstairs; and on coming out ho saw the empty house on fire> the flames breaking through the roof over the kitchen. Mr. Peace advised him I to get his ohildren out at onoe, an there was i. no hope of saving the house. There was a J cistern, but they could not get at it, and he directed attention to saving his family, whom he got out. He also got some furniture ouS, but it was greatly injured. What [he saved was valued for about £20. The empty house was insured for £200 in the Union office, and his own house in the South British ior £?.00, and the furniture for £50 also in tho South British. He estimated his loss in furniture alone at £40. He did not know the origin of the fire, and had never ''noticed the prisoner about the place; but he had little chance cf doing so, for he was always away during the day. He knew the prisoner. This was the third time he had been in gaol under witness's oharge. There were four houses burned down, and one damaged.

Andrew G. Peace, receiving and forwarding agent, deposed that he renided on Mount Eden-road, and remembered the fire on View-road on the morning of the 25th of January. ■ Witness's housci was about 60 yards from the empty house. There was a garden and two stone fences between his property and Mr. MoDell'e. Having occasion to go outside at twenty minutes past two o'clockj he noticed a light in the empty house, which increased while he was looking, and ho went closer to it and saw fire under MoDell'e house. He gave the alarm of fire, aud then returned to his own - house. Ho did not remain quite a minute, but went back again over the walls to McDell's bouse. The fire wau underneath the house. It had not then got through the floor : apparently. He burst open the doors of the empty house, and found it full of very dense-smoke. He shouted fire, and finding there was ho one in the house;'* he' ' went; to Mr.. MoDell's, next door, .and gave; the alarm to the inmates. -He burst open the back door, and got in. The family were all upstairs, 1 and MoDell came down first. Witness went back to the fire, and threw some Water on it, but at this time the fire bad a 'good hold of the bnilding, so he assisted .MoDell to remove ; his furniture. When witrieaa first went to the fire he noticed no one about.' ' ' : - ; •

• Alfred Hastings Stephenaon deposed to 'seeing the accused loitering about the place for several days prior to the firei On one occasion he waSdossed dovra on'a blanket, and witness informed the police.- ■'''■' "■. Deteotive Walker deposed to seeing the prisoner in the watch-house on the 25ih January. 'He was then on remand on a charge of vagrancy. 'In consequence of something he heard from the watch-bouse keeper, be went, to the priaoner and asked him'what he had been eaying about the fire. Constable Mitchell was present. He laughed, and said, "1 made it. I went into an empty house to sleep, and after I slept a long time I got up and lit my pipe, and then put the match to the -wall paper. It was ragged, and it blazed up quick. It> crackled, and got too hot for me, and then I ran away. I had no place :tcv stay, and I wanted to get into gaol again." That was all the prisoner 'said. ■ :. ••'??,! ;. -. ■:. ■'■ ■-■■,■ .;,;:.';■ -~i ■■:■

' -Oonstable Luke McDonnell deposed to arresting the prisoner on'.he 25th of January on a charge of vagrancy; :He was lying on two blankets on the footpath in Wakefieldatreet, at about half-past eight in the morn-* ing, and his person was exposed. He waa in amost miserable condition, a frightful state; Iα reply to witness's question as to what he was doing thefe,the said he was resting himself. Witness asked' him where he slept last night, and. he said in an empty hou3O at Mount Eden,; But who it belonged to he did not know, Hpjeaid he'g6>.in by the back vray. ■He filled his pipe to.have a smoke when he got in. He stnicka match, bnt it burnt hie fingers, snd Ho threw it down, but' he struok another, lit his pipe,, and had a good smoked He said ho left the house some time in the' morning, and'/iW left because'it got. too hot fer him. He said he ; was hungry,' and wanted his rfcreakfast. Witness arrested him and. brougftt-.him to the.watch.house. closed the -case. The., evidence was then read over to ,the" prisoner, >who was committed fortrial. ; .-. •., ~•: