ALLEGED ARSON.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20069, 8 April 1927, Page 6

ALLEGED ARSON.

SEQUEL TO DRINKING BOUT. A PECULIAR CASE. ' (Speclat. to Daili Times.) AUCKLAND April 7. Stanley Keoblo Clark, aged 32, who was removed from his burning house ip Newmarket on the night of March 29 last and was then arrested on a charge of drunkenness made a further appearance at the Police Court this morning. He was charged with wilfully setting lire to a house at Victoria crescent owned by Harold Denton. Mr Hunt, S.M., was on the bench. Senior Detective Hammond prosecuted and Mr Singer appeared for the accused. Mr Denton was called as first witness. The house ho said was his property. About 10 p.m. on March 29 it was destroyed by lire. He saw Mrs Chirk, when she made 1 a rambling statement that she had _ accidentally sot the curtains on fire with a candle. f Thomas J. Watt (superintendent of the Newmarket Fire Brigade) was then called. On arrival at the blazing Ijouso ho found Mrs Clark screaming. Witness got Clark out of tho building but he went back again. It was only with some difficulty that witness could get him out again. Accused was drunk and was calling out to his wife. Witness would say that Mrs Clark also showed signs of liquor. Mrs Margaret Froggatt, who resides just round tho corner from accused’s •--use, stale 1 that her back yard adjoined i tof Clark’s, permitting her to soo into their place. She was in bod on tho night of tho fire A few minutes before 10 o’clock she heard noises in Clark’s house and got up to investigate. 1 Sho then saw a man whom. she thought was accused. Ho had a lighted candle in his hand. Witness hoard him say “If you don’t como out of tho room I will set fire to tho house.” Witness balled out to Clark but she did not think that he hoard her. The window was open about a foot and sho saw accused put tho candle to tho curtain which flared up. Sho then heard a woman's voice and Clark then put tho fire out. “For God’s sake Stanley Clark, cut it out’” witness cried out to accused. She then went into a room and put some clothes on,_ and went to tho corner of tho street in search of a constable. Sho walked back again, thinking things might have then, quietened clown. On arrival back at tho house she saw that it was ablaze. Clark was standing at the back of tho, house with his wife. Mrs Clark was crying, and said, “You have set tho house on fire.” Witness said to accused, “So you did, you dirty dog. Sho then ran and gave tho alarm. She was afraid of her house, which was about 15 yards away from Clark’s, and ran over to 'it. That was tho last she saw of the Clarks. Sho knew accused well. ; “He is a white man when he's sober, and he works hard,” the witness added. Senior Detective Hammond, who interviewed the accused on tho day after the fire, said that Clark when asked what he knew about the lire seemed bewildered. Ho did not know that there had been a fire. When witness handed him a newspaper to read the account of the fire, Clark said, "Good God Is that so? I’ve lost my house and home. Is my wife all right?” When the case had concluded Mr Singer suggested in view of the fact that Mrs Clark had told Mr Denton that she had set lire to the house accidentally, the charge might be reduced to one of mischief. Mr Denton could confirm what Mrs Clark had stated. “Mrs Clark set fire to the place accidentally while she was standing on a fonder with a lighted candle in her hand," said counsel. “Clark had been soon putting tho burning curtains out, and it might bo a coincidence that Mrs Clark aocidcnfally caused the outbreak after he did it.” Senior Detective Hammond thought that tho charge could hardly bo reduced to one of mischief. Tho matter was a serious one and might have resulted in some of the occupants oi the house losing their lives. > Mr Hunt said that he could not reduce (he charge. Accused then pleaded not guilty, and was sent to the Supreme Court for trial.