ENGLISH FIRE FIEND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15375, 9 August 1913, Page 2 (Supplement)

ENGLISH FIRE FIEND.

SHOULDERING OFF THE BLAME

FIVE YEARS FOB ARSON.

A KKMAKKABLE story of .'B.'; fiUCCCSsioti of fires in premises controlled by one man, was told at the Old Bailey at the trial of Sidney Vigers, 55 years old, who pleaded guilty to a charge of, setting fire to a warehouse "with, intent to injure."

Mr. A. H. Bodkin, who appeared for the prosecution, said that Vigers traded as the Westminster Patent Flooring Company, at Walham Green. On the night oi! May 21 two policemen who were on duty in the neighbourhood saw-, a wan leave the premises in a suspicious foamier. They chased and caught him. and found tha he was, apparently, an, old man with a beard. He struggled violently, and the beard came off in the policeman's hand. About this time an alarm of fire was raised, and the brigade arrived to find the Westminster Flooring Company's works alight from end to end. Subsequently.an insurance policy for £5500, covering the stock, was found in tho safe, with another policy in Vigers's name covering certain premises in Queen's Road, Bayswaber,' which were the scene of a fire on May 18, 1911. In respect of- this fire the Sun Fire Office paid Vigers £1765.

Vigers, Mr. Bodkin said, seemed to have acted as an agent for thin company, and held a considerable number of policies over various premises in London which were either in his occupation or in some- way connected with. him, Before the present fire there had been outbreaks at no fewer than three of these premisesin 1904 at Lots P.oad. Chelseain February). 1911, at•■'Millwall, and in May, 1911, at Bayswater. . . ,' .'

In addition to disguising himself with a beard, said counsel, Vigera endeavoured to shift the responsibility of the fire by placing a copy of the current number oi the Suffragette in a prominent position on the premises. Mr. George Elliiott, K.C., who appeared for the defence, said he could call evidence to show that in respect of the three earlier fires no blame of any sort could bo alleged against Vigers. fax each of these cases the fires originated in premises adjoining his own. in the day time, and- while he was away from them. * :■■•;,- "' ' It did seem ; extraordinary, said Mt. Elliott, that in tile course of nine years on«» man should have had four fires, but as far as the last one was concerned, . Vigers was at the time very ill, and suffering from extreme mental confusion. Th& person who had suffered most by his act was himself, because when the fire occurred there was stock on the premise*, to a value in excess of the insurance, and there was ;<ft balance in his favour in his general affairs of £7863.

" In regard to those former fires," said the judge, " I shall, of course, assume thai be had nothing to do with them in the absence of any evidence that he had."J^ ; Mr. Elliott also explained that ; since January a copy :of a the';. Suffragette , had been sent to the : Westminster Flooring Company, with'> request for an advertisement. The paper was generally consigned to the dustbin. " '■'■ ' : t .i

"A very dangerous place to put" it," said Mr. Justice Darling. "It is & most Mflammable paper." J Mr. T. W. Vigers .said that hi* brother had been heavily overworked. Everybody would have said he was a successful man of business, and it "was '*'< fact "that out "of, bis profits he had ;bought ; ; house property worth £18,000. # He had three businesses in hand,' including 'an 'arcUtecVd' business which he conducted at night. Mr. Justice Darling said it' was perfectlv : plain that Vigers weald have: injured a number of persons ■if the ' fire had I not been promptly discovered. ? The ;» fire ■was*of a most dangerous ; description, and the building was by inhabited houses. -It was' twelve i o'clock: ; at night.i the people were in bed, and their chance of escape would not have been very = great if they had not been aroused in time., *.y' Vigers was' sentenced"> to;; five if: years* ■■; penal servitude, the judge ■ remarking that' he was liable to penal; servitude for. life.