KILBIRNIE'S TROUBLES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19730, 1 September 1927, Page 10

KILBIRNIE'S TROUBLES.

BOILERMAKER INI COURT. _ BREAKING AND ENTERING. ATTEMPTED ARSON ALLEGED. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Wednesday James Perry, a boilermaker, aged 36, was to-day committed to the Supreme Court for trial on a charge of attempting to set fire to a house at Kilbirnie on the night of August 19. Accused, who admitted breaking and entering five houses in that district within the last month or so, was committed for sentence on the latter charges.

Perry, who has been in custody since August 19, appeared before Mr. E. Page. S.M., in the Magistrate's Court and pleaded guilty to breaking and entering three houses and stealing goods and money to tile total value of £9 4s 6d. He also admitted breaking and entering into two other houses, with intent to steal, but denied a charge of attempted arson, although, in a statement to the police, he said he was in the house a few minutes before the outbreak occurred. Alexander James Pollock said that about 10 p.m. on August 19, while sitting in his dining room at his home in 11, Onepu Road, ho heard a woman, scream. He immediately rushed into the front room just in time to see a man clear the window. "I then went out of the front door and round th& back," said witness, "and saw a man on the fence. I asked him what he was doing and he said he had heard someone scream as he was passing by, so he came in to help." Prompt Action Taken.

Chief-Detective Holmes: And what did you do then, Mr. Pollock ? " Oh, I just cracked him quickly, on the head with a piece of wood." (Laughter.) Norman Clark, of 30, Yule Street, Kilbirnie, said he had put his baby to bed in the front room about 8 p.m. on August 19. " I was sitting with my wife in another part of the house," he continued, "when I heard a noiso like the opening and shutting of a gate. Soon after this the baby began to cry and my wife went into the front room. She said she could smell something burning and a moment later called out to me, 'Come quick, all the bedding is on "fire and the room full of smoke.' " Witness immediately caught his young baby in his arms and rushed it out in the open air. Its face was blue and it was gasping for breath as if it was suffocating. The bedclothes were then thrown on the floor and the flames trampled out. On the bed and under the bed some burned paper could be seen. A few minutes later a fire was discovered in the lumber room at the back of the house. Here some more paper had been set aligllt. Next day he said' he saw some peculiar footmarks on the lawn near the front room window. The heel-marks were of a most unusual shape. He told the police about it. Shoes with Peculiar Heels. Detective McClennan said accused, when arrested, was wearing shoes with peculiar rubber heels. Witness took the shoes and compared t.tfem with the prints. They were exactly similar. "He told me he had walked up to a house in Yule Street that evening and had looked through the window, but not gpne inside. He made another statement saying that he had entered the house in Yule Street, but had not stolen anything or set it on fire. He had got in through the front window and looked about the room. As he ,failed to see anything, however, he left and went round to the back of the house and entered the lumber room by the window. He said he had not set fire to either room, nor had he noticed the baby in bed. In his statement he said that if he did set fire to the front room he could not remember doing it. I think a case of attempted arson is quite clear. His shoemarks were exactly the same."

Air. Leicester, appearing for accused: That is your version and a point for the furv to decide. ■No application was made for bail.