INCENDIARY FIRES IN AUCKLAND.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 614, 31 January 1879, Page 2

INCENDIARY FIRES IN AUCKLAND.

ANOTHER CYRUS HALfiY. .. .. :

Thb Auckland £for gives particulars of acts of incendiarism presumed to have, been committed by a man named Fluff, gett. There were m all fires on three different farms, each within some distance of the other, and the time at •which they occurred proved conclusively, that they were all caused by one and the same person. The first conflagration took place on the farm of Chas Pratt, about half-a-mile from the Raglan Hotel, on the south side of Papatoitoi. That gentleman retired to rest at; twelve o'clock,, last, night, when there ■ was no sign of fire. At six o'clock this morning he was awakened by David Burnside, a neighboring farmer, who informed him that some of his wheat was, on-fire. He ran down and .found two stacks of wheat m flameSf The fire had obtained a good hold, and had: almost burnt through the grain. There »was no 'chance whatever to save anything. The stacks were valued at £500, and were not insured. The second fire took place about half-an-hour later, on the property of Thomas Rodgers (of Papatoitoi), nearly two miles further on, m the direction of Otahuhu. Mr. Gordon^ who was m charge: of Rodgers'a place,' was awakened about 5 o'clock by a number of Maories, who were harvesting on the farm. He ran down and found seven stacks of wheat and three' of oats on fire. The whole <df the property was destroyed, . the loss being estimated at 421,000, and, , the stacks not being insured, Mr. Bod-; gers is a heavy loser. The third tire at Mr Taylor's, about a mile distant from Rodgers's. A neighbour informed Mr Taylor about 5 o'clock that his stack of grass hay was on fire. He immediately proceeded out and found ,it had only recently taken fire. There was no chance of saving any of the stack, and like the others it was not insured. Mr Taylor is a loser to the extent of about £180. Immediately on receiving news of the conflagration, Mr Rodgers rode off to give information at the police station, and Detective Jeffery proceeded to Otahuhu. When near Penrose Junction •he met a man named Fidgett, and from information received he felt justified m arresting him on the Suspicion of having caused the fires enumerated above. This man was m the hatids of the police some time ago on a charge of placing obstructions on the railway line, afld was/ then fortunate enoug to secure an acquittal. He' Wad searched "by* thfc detective, and m his pocket wab fouiid'a' quantity of matches and wheat.: fitCJuirieV were instituted throughout' 'the' district m which the fires occui red]''an\l was identified as a man "who had threats against '■■ farmers jnl thei neigh* bourhood to people m Papatoitoi abou.t a week ago. .He passed through Papai. kura last evening m the direction of Otahuhu, and borrowed a match from a blacksmith there. ■ '■''■ ■'•■■■■ : ■:A ;i VjifAj. }