MAN SET ON FIRE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17108, 14 November 1929, Page 13

MAN SET ON FIRE

A DIABQLIOAL CRIME SYDNEY POLICE PUZZLED

SYDNEY, October 29. Evidence which came to tho knowledge of tho police to-day regarding the al Wud setting on. fire of Thomas Ivory, IMF in Surrey Hills early on Saturday mbrning, tends to deepen the mystery surrounding the tragic affair. • The theory had been raised that the burning of Ivory had some connection \ with the callous shjooting of Leslie W'hately in the same locality, throe weeks ago. Ivory was a bricklayer, and W hately vras his hod carrier, hut the detectives' are practically satisfied that the two / tragedies are not otherwise connected with each other. Detectives to-day interviewed two young men who were said; to have thrown water over Ivory as he lay in flames in Waterloo street. The interview cleared up one puzzling feature of the case. Ivory had told the detectives that following an assault and robbery by two men in.Foveaux street, Surrey Hills, he had been followed as he staggered towards his home. When in XJther street one man had thrown a quantity of inflammable liquid over his clothes, and then a lighted match had been applied to the clothing. According .to Ivory’s story this had occurred about 10 o’clock on Friday night, lhe two men told the detectives to-day, however, that they found Ivory lying in the street about 2 a-.m. Saturday. His clothes were then blazing, and they quickly secured water and threw it over him. When they had extinguished the i flanies they helped Ivory to lus home. There they left him to the care of his wife. , , _ , The police are satifled that Ivory did not tell tlrem tho full facts as to how ho came to be set on fire, and his ’attitude suggested that ho was keep ing - something back. What this information was and why he should want to keep it from the detectives is a mysterv. Ivory was a . hard-working man, earning frohi £7 to £lO a week as a bricklayer, and was not likely to have become involved in an underworld vendetta. There is' little doubt that w tho unfortunate man was robbed late Friday night or during the early hKurs Of Saturday morning, but whether tfl® robbers set alight to Ivory s clothing is the main point occupying the attention of the detectives.