MOUNT EDEN FIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20851, 18 April 1931, Page 14

MOUNT EDEN FIRE.

ALLEGED ARSON.

MOTOR DRIVER CHARGED. COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. Further lengthy evidence was heard in the Police Court yesterday in the case in which a motor-driver, John Lewis Gunrling, aged 42 (Mr. Sullivan), is charged with wilfully setting fire to a number of shirts, pairs of trousers and other articles so situated that he knew a building in Dominion Road, occupied by William Scott Miller, was likely to catch fire. W. S. Miller said that at tho time of the fire he was absent from Auckland. On returning to the city witness made an examination of his drapery shop and found that about £SO worth of stock had been stolen, and that fire had caused about £SO damage to other stock. The building was not damaged by fire. Some ties, which the police said had been found at accused's home, were identified by witness as being similar in type to two which he had handed to Detective Power from his shop. The stock, which •witness- valued at £llOO, wasi nsured for £ISOO, and the insurance on the fittings was £3OO. Witness said he could not cuggest how an intruder had gained entrance to the shop. There wero only two sets of keys, one being in witness* possession and, the other being in tho possession of Jy - . Allen, his assistant. No Sign ol a Forced Entry.

Replying to Mr. Sullivan, witness admitted that the ties found by the police might have been sold from his shop and not stolen. It was also possible that they might have been obtained from some other shop. Reginald Hick, nij;ht operator, employed by a taxi-cab company, stated that at an early hour on March 15, the day of the fire, he received a telephone message froln a man who asked for a certain cab to be sent to Marlborough Street, Mount Eden. Shortly afterwards this cab broke down and the order was not fulfilled. The person who had ordered the cab later telephoned again, and he was told by witness that the cab specified had broken down. No request was made for another cab. Detective Power said there was no

doubt that the fire was deliberately caused by someone. A number of articles of I clothing and a roll of muslin at the scene of the fire smelt strongly of methylated spirits. Witness said he had made a thorough examination of the shop, but had not ascertained how {he intruder entered. The three doors showed no eigne of a forced entry and the windows, ,which had strong wire frames on the inside, were also intact. / Accused's Remark Alter Arrest.

Witness said that on the day after the fire, in company with Acting-Detective he executed a search warrant at accused's house in Marlborough Street. In a cupboard in a bedroom witness found two ties, which accused said he- had never eeen before. On being asked for an account of his movements on the previous night accused said he arrived home from the city about 11 p.m. Ho did not leave the house again tha.fc night. He also denied all knowledge of the fire and of % Ordering a taxi-cab.

On March J.Q witness arreste'd accused, ■who' subsequently remarked, "Well, I euppose 1 will not be tho only one to be picked up over this." Gunning pleaded not guilty, reserved his defence, and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. The presiding justices, Messrs. L. S. Rickerby and H. iT. King, allowed bail of £l5O, with a surety of an equal amount. Accused was ordered to report to the Mount Eden police twice daily.