INCENDIARY BUSY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19721, 22 August 1927, Page 8

INCENDIARY BUSY.

ALARM AT KILBIRNIE. SERIES OF FIRES CAUSED. CHILDREN IN DANGER. SOME NARROW ESCAPES. [f?Y TELEGRAPH. —OWN COHRESrONDENT. ] WELLINGTON, Sunday. Some person, believed to be a dangerous maniac, has been causing alarm among tiie residents of Kilbirnie. Five houses have been set on fire in the district within the last three weeks. The unknown person, for whom a' large body of police is eagerly searching, is supposed to enter houses by night through windows and set curtains and bedclothes alight. Two weeks ago a bed in which two children were sleeping was set on fire, while last Friday an infant narrowly escaped being burned to death. Only with difficulty was the child rescued from the flames. The man has covered his tracks vei'y cleverly in every case. No, clues have been found by which he can be identified. The first outbreak of a suspicious nature occurred a little over two weeks ago, when a house occupied by Major Cutter, of the Salvation Army, at 21, Bay Road, was set on fire. At the time two children were asleep in one of the rooms, and when they awakened they were surrounded by flames and smoke. They were taken from the room, almost suffocated. An hour or so later a fire occurred at the home of Mrs. Evans, 51, Duncan, Street. Here a window had also been opened and burning paper had been placed near the minutes elapsed before the brigade turned out again to the residence of Mrs. Phillipps, at 37, Upper Burke Street. This house had also been set on fire. A day elapsed, and then there was & suspicious outbreak of fire at the house of Mr. Benjamin, 32, Crawford Road. An inspection showed that this fire had been caused in the same way as the others. On Friday, the outbreak in which the infant narrowly escaped death, occurred at the home of* Mrs. Clark, 20, Yule Street. Someone entered the window and set alight either the curtains or the bedclothes. For the past fortnight seven detectives, assisted by the police of the district, have been keeping watch night and day in an endeavour to apprehend the offender. In addition to the dwellings in which fires have occurred 12 places have been broken into within the past three weeks, but nothing has been stolen.