MYSTERY UNDERLYING FIRE IN STABLE

NZ Truth, Issue 1181, 19 July 1928, Page 5

MYSTERY UNDERLYING FIRE IN STABLE

Reporter's Version

Agonized Cries of Valuable Dogs Held Captive While Consumed By Raging Flames

MIDDLE-AGED DROVER IS ARRESTED ON CHARGE OF ARSON

ioi mmmi minium iiniimiutiuimuiiiiiniiiii imiinimim MiiiiiiiiiMittiiiiiriiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiutitiMMiiMiiiiiiiiiliiitiiiMitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiliitiiiutltltiiiliiiiiiiiiltilitituiiii iituiiiiiiiiiitii iiiititiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiitiiiiiiiiii iimiiitimimimmmiiitiiiimiui nil miiiiiiiumiiinunnmii m m utii urn minimi i muiiimimumiiinnunm lining | 11 (From "N.Z. Truth's" Gisborne Representative.) II |1 IF THE ALLEGATIONS made against a middle-aged man, George Campbell, are we'll founded, he will If || have been guilty — unintentionally, perhaps — of one of the most fiendish pieces of cruelty imaginable. ff If Following an inquest, Campbell, a drover, was arrested on a charge of deliberately setting fire to the || If stables adjoining the Roseland Hotel, a few miles from Gisborne. if miiunmimm iiiiiiiiimim i i iiiiiiiiinmimmiuiiiiiiMiiiiiuiimiiiimi iiMiiimiimimm i ii'im i iiiiiiiiiiimiumimniiimii mimimiiimiiiMiiiiiumimiiimimimimim miiiiiiimiiimiiimiiiiiiimimu mimiimiiiiimmim iiinii iiiiiim iinmii imiiiißg i iiimmiimimm iiiuuiiiiuuiimuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiuiiinitiu luiiiiiiiiuiiiiiuMiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiliiiiiiticiirMiiiiiciiiiijiiiriiiHHrijjiiJiiiiiiiiiJiiJii'Niiiiijiiiiiiii/fMijiijijijiMiitiHiiiiiiiJiJijiiiiiiiiinMiiiiiin jniiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiuiiiiMiiiiiuiiuiNiuiMli-

IT is not the destruction of the stables, however, which is the serious aspect of the charge, but the fact that four valuable sheep dogs perished m the flames. The dogs had been tied m the stables for the night, and those who watched the flames were compelled to listen to the agonizing cries of the terrorstricken and helpless animals as they awaited the onrush of devouring flames. A jury of his fellow men will . decide whether the death-dealing flames were deliberately started by Campbell. The whole story was one of the most amazing heard m the Gisborne court for a long time, and coming some time after the fire, aroused keen interest. The evidence of John Carmody, licensee of the hotel, was to the effect that Campbell had been evicted from the premises at about 6 o'clock, after considerable trouble. ' At 11.30 p.m., the stables were found to be on fire, the flames apparently starting at the corner where Campbell's horse had been tied, breaking- out simultaneously inside and out; witness saw Campbell on the scene within a few minutes. After the fire he and several other men went back to the hotel. Campbell tried to get m also, but was turned out. A few minutes later a bottle was hurled through the window, and, had he not altered his position, he might have been struck on the head. Some of the men ran out, and came back with Campbell, who was accused

Mysterious Bottle

!of throwing the bottle and setting fire to the stabies, both of which charges he denied. j Edward Malone, a horse-trainer who ! had been one of the party at the hotel, gave corroborative evidence, adding that when Campbell . was caught a short distance down the road, he denied throwing the, bottle, but said his brother Dick had done it. Campbell was forcibly taken back to the hotel, and when his brother was rung up it was learned that he was m bed. ' . Evidence of having seen and spoken to Campbell outside the sitting-room window was given by Cedric Malone. ; A storekeeper, George Ahsell, deposed that shortly after the fire was discovered *he saw Campbell sitting on his horse watching the flames, but not offering to give any , "assistance. .. Frederick Forshaw, a butcher, who had been going through his books with his brother at abput 11.30 p.m., said that he was aroused by a sound outside and going out saw Campbell get on his horse at the corner of the stables. Fifteen minutes later he heard the call of "Fire," and going 'out found flames licking up the corner of the stables at the exact corner where he had seen Campbell a few minutes earlier. Richard Campbell's evidence was a denial of having thrown a bottle through the hotel window, and said he was m bed when Malone had rung up about it. *

The coroner: What is the trouble between you and your brother? Witness: It's a family trouble about four years old. And it is still rankling? — Yes. Detective McLeod: Some time ago, did you have a stack burnt down under suspicious circumstances ?-— Yes. And you are now afraid to go out at night?— Yes. The coroner: Why? — Because I am afraid of my brother. Is the trouble only between you and your brother ?— The whole of the family is against me. I'm not afraid of George personally, but of what he might do at night under the influence rvF rlfinlr

Is he a married man? — In a sprt of way. George Campbell, the • accused, said

that on arriving at the hotel he tied his horse to a rail some distance from the stables. Two men m the hotel had a fight, and when he wanted to have a "go" at one of them, Carmody pushed him outside and knocked* his head on the concrete. When he recovered he found his horse had gone, and he set out to look for it. This was' at 7 o'clock. George's evidence was interrupted at this stage toy the coroner pertinently inquiring: "Have you been drinking this afternoon?" to which Campbell replied m the negative.

Anybody's Fight?

The coroner: If you have I'll put you where you won't get drink for a long time. Under cross-examination Campbell said he did not return to the hotel until about midnight, the long time which had elapsed being accounted for by the number of side -roads he had searched for his horse. The stables were burning when he got back, but he had not found>his horse. After the fire, he said, he went into the hdtel with others and had a drink, the licensee supplying him. Detective McLeod: When you were taken back to the hotel some time later did anyone say anything to you about

trouble for someone all right. How long were • you m the hotel? — About half an hour. Were you sitting 'beneath the sit-ting-room window after you recovered your horse? — No, I was not. Did Cedric Malone speak to you outside the window? — He did not. He has sworn that you did? — I say he is wrong. Another man says he saw you throw a bottle through the window? — He's wrong, too. Were you on your horse near the stables at 11.30 that night?— No. The coroner: Did you have your horse at that time? — No.

stables? — No. If anyone had said that there would have been trouble. Yes, there'll be

Detective McLeod: What if Mr. Forshaw says he saw you mount your horse at the stables at that time, ride out, and ride toacK again? — He's wrong. And Mr. Ancell saw you sitting on your horse watching the fire? — He's x wrong, too. At the time of the fire I was on foot.. Did you tell a man you were lucky to get your horse away as it -was tied up at the stable? — No. Why should I when there was no horse there? Were you drunk or saber that night? — Very sober. As sober as you are now? — I'm always sober. The gave his version of the incident on the road when he had been apprehended and accused of throwing j the bottle. He had not said that his brother Dick did it, but remarked that there were plenty of Campbells m the country. Detective McLeod: Didn't you say Dick Campbell did it? — No. I said he might have. He is your brother? — Yes. I understand you are not good friends?— We are the best of friends. You say* you were sober — * The Coroner: No, he said he was as sober as he is now. I have my own opinions as to his sobriety at the present time. I'm very tempted to give him seven days for contempt of court. Detective McLeod: It would be a good thing.

The Coroner: What drink have you had since lunch? — None. Where did you go for lunch? — I'm not sure. Ask my .brother. After further fruitless questions, the coroner remarked that the witness was not worth bothering about. Roy Murdock, a reporter, who was at the fire while it was still blazing, said he spoke to 'Campbell, who boasted of his luck m not losing his horse. ;' James Forshaw, a brother of an earlier witness, also deposed to having seen Campbell at the stable on his horse just before the fire was discovered. The last witness, Joseph Smeeton, an electrician, said he was talking to Campbell while the fire was burning. Campbell told him there would be a bigger and .better blaze when the hotel went. . Later he saw Campbell pass the window of the hotel and hit the window with what appeared to foe a whip, afterwards turning his horse and "going for his life." The coroner found that the evidence pointed to the fire being de- . liberately started. by George Campbell. He added the following rider: "I would draw the attention of the police to the gross perjury which, m. my opinion, has been committed by the witness, George Campbell." Campbell was immediately charged | with arson, and remanded, bail being refused m the meantime.