FIRES ON FARMS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18898, 26 June 1923, Page 7

FIRES ON FARMS.

THREE OUTBREAKS IN ORARI DISTRICT. INCENDIARISM SUSPECTED. (Peb United Press Association.) TIMAITU, June 25. An inquiry into the cause of three fires which recently occurred in the Orari district was opened on Thursday, and was resumed in Timam to-day before Mr Mosley, S.M. Mr Campbell appeared for the South British and National Insurance Companies, and .nr Sim for Mr William R. Clarke, farmer, Orari. The fires were' on the farms of Mr Clarke (wheat in bags), Mr Alfred Muff (oats in bags), and fMr G. Prattley (six stacks of wheat). After hearing the evidence in the first two cases the coroner said to-day that it was unfortunate for Dir Clarke that he should come before the court with a record of three fires in his crops. Mr Clarke in the witness box had given his evidence very badly. Mrs Clarke, on the contrary, had given the evidence excellently—almost too well to impress the court favourably. Still, jt had impressed the court. The court had been impressed by the evidence of Mr Muff. The evidence of Miss Anderson and Mr Muff showed that the fires were not the result of spontaneous combustion, but that they wer© caused by some outside influence. It was to be regretted that Miss Anderson was not able to give a full description of the man seen at Mr Muff’s bags when they wore burning. So far as Mr Clarke’s wheat was concerned, the evidence did not show that he set fir© to it, and the court was not justified in saying that the slightest suspicion attached to him. He (the coroner) was quite _ satisfied that someone set fire to the grain. A verdict was returned that the fire in the bags of oats on Muff Bros.’ farm was the result of incendiarism on the Part of some person unknown. So far as the fire on Mr Clarke’s farm was concerned, an open verdict was returned, with \ rice r there was a strong suspicion that the wheat bags were set on fire by some person unknown, no suspicion being directed against Mr Clarke. . The inquiry into the third fire will be held m Timaru to-morrow.