GARRISON HALL FIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20981, 18 September 1931, Page 10

GARRISON HALL FIRE.

EVIDENCE AT INQUIRY. / ALLEGATIONS OF ARSON. STORIES OF OFFERS OF MONEIY. JMORE TO BE HEARD. [BT TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Ji GISBORNE, Thursday. Serious allegations were made at iho Inquiry opened to-day into the circumstances the fire which destroyed the Garrison Hall in the early hours of 'January 20 last, together with its contents, owned by the Defence Department fend Gisiborne Theatres, Limited. Detective McLeod represented tho police. Messrs. L. Burnard and G. Jeune appeared for Gisborne Theatres, Limited; Mr. S. Beaufoy for a' witness named David Hannah; Mr. J. S. Wauchop for two other fitnesses. Arthur Owen and Edward flames O'Donoghue. Evidence was given that the hall belonged to tile Defence Department, and ;was leased to a company. One condition was that the hall and contents were to be insured by the company, which was done to the amount of £6850 in the Yorkshire Office. The hall was sublet to a Mr. Kerridge. Reward ol £IOO Offered.

Robert James Kerridge, manager of Gisborne Theatres, Limited, said tlie company conducted miniature golf links in the hall. On the night of the fire witness was absent from Gisborne and returned a. week later. His company's loss in the fire was substantial, thera being a policy of only £3OO. After the firo witness advertised u reward of £IOO for information which would assist in clearing tip the cause of the fire, and about a ;week later he was approached by a man named Higgs, who stated that ho knew Jivho was responsible for the fire. In the first conversation, said witness, Higgs stated two showmen had committed ithe offence by commission from a third party. To Mr. Burnard witness stated that the total capital expenditure of the company on the course was £IO4O, and of that £265 had been put in a week before the lire. The total insurance was £3OO. The profits throughout were substantial. Miniature Golf Discussed. Urossrexamined by Mr. Wauchop, witness said Arthur Owen was the tl.ird party mentioned throughout by Higgs. There was no feeling whatever between witness and Owen. Before the fire witness had discussed miniature golf links ,with Owen when Owcd intimated his intention of entering into competition with witness' company. Higgs' suggestion to witness was that Owen liad commissioned the two men to burn the place down. He dvd not put it into words, but inferred that the men had told him that. That was subsequent, to the advertising of the reward. - To the magistrate, Mr. P. H. Harper, .vritjless said tho insurance company had offered a £IOOO cover on the chattels, out it was considered that the premium would be too high. The company suggested a policy of £6OO, but witness' company took out a policy for £SOO. Thomas Percival Vosper, caretaker of the garrison hall, said that prior to locking up on the night of the fire he noticed two strange men at the back portion of the hall and they asked if they could get out that. way. After witness spoke to them he saw the back dbor was locked and put out the lights, but later, when he went round, finally to lock up, he saw the idoor was open and the lights were on. Evidence of Superintendent.

Superintendent Kane, of the fire Lri"gade, said he was satisfied the fire started inside the building, but it had too firm s hold to enable him to form an opinion of how /it started. Michael Rowan, gas company appronifcice, gave eviderfje that after the fire he found a tin containing benzine and oil Sri a tree in the same section as the hall. .The tin was new and not tarnished, indicating that it had not been there very long. James Robert William Elsburv, barrister and solicitor, Auckland, stated that on (April 21 he was in the private bar of the Metropolitan Hotel with a man who introduced him to a man named McKenzie. During/the conversation the question of m?dget golf arose and witness remarked that the only one that was paying at the time belonged to Kerridge in Gisborne. McKenzie said the Garrison Hall had been burned down and that the fire was suspicious. Witness remarked that a reward of £IOO had been offered for information leading to the conviction of the person who did it. Witness continued that McKenzie bckl 'T kno>v the men who did it. That £IOO svould be very sweet to me at present. I have a good mind to put their pot en. JThey owe me £30." Witness related statements which he alleged McKenzie made. In reply to Mr. Wauchop witness said that McKenzie was quite sober, but fioid he had'had a bad night the night before. Witness thought McKenzie had recoversd that, morning. At no time did McKen:,ie say he saw Owen. Witness said ;ie ,\M'ote to Kerridge half an hour after itlie conversation with McKenzie. Rees A. McKenzie, salesman, Auckland, stated that in December last, he was travelling for Amalgamated Distributors, Limited. In company with his brother-Sn-law he was in Gisborne and stayed at a boarding house. Witness said he became acquainted with a man named Ralston and they used to frequent Owen's billiard saloon, which was managed by a man named O'Donogliue. On December 23, witness, Writer (his brother-in-law) and Ralston returned to Gisborne from Ruatorei, arriving soon after dark, and pulled up outside the billiard room. Ralston went inside <ind spoke to O'Donoglnie, but Jivitness did not know what was said du ring the conversation.

Reported Offer Rejected. Witness said Ralston came back to the ear and said, "I've been offered 20 qui:l for burning the Garrison Hall down. ' He added lie would not Have anvthin? to do with it for £2OO or £2OOO. Witness Hold him he would certainly be foolisi ito have anything to do with it. There was no further conversation about the hall. Witness and Winter left for Hamilton that night and arrived next day. They had not been back in Oisborne since. On January 17 witness arid iWinter >vent to Wairoa to work, staying there until about January 25. He heard of the hall being burned. Ihe day after Jie heard that Reg Sim and Dave Hannah did the job. They were both well-known Eide-showmen. Witness believed it was Sim who told him, stating they rnada the trip in Hannah's car. Detective McLeod: Did Sim say what lie received for the job '/—Yes, 'he trot £6O. The Detective: What did Hannah have to say' about it?— Very little, except ithat they had some trouble with the car on the way home and had to push it. The Detective: Did either tell you how the building was fired ?—Yes, with a piot or tube filled with benzine. The Detective: Did you hear of.anyone getting a larger sum out of it I heard/O'Donoghue was to get £250. I Ithink my brother-in-law told me. Mr. Wauchop: Did you say. "I've i good mi rid to put their pot on! They owa aiie £SO 7" Witness: Certainly not. The inquiry was adjourned until tomorrow.