THE FITZROY EXPLOSION.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12749, 22 March 1910, Page 2

THE FITZROY EXPLOSION.

SHAW'S CONFESSION. DENIAL BY CRABTREE. MIRACULOUS ESCAPES. : I Puesb Association — Copyright.] Melbourne, March 2i. According to the confession of Shaw, i who was Crabtree's assistant, prepara- • tions for the incendiary fire; at Fitz- ■ roy were proceeding for three weeks. ! Shaw says that goods were remo/ed during the night to another of Crabtree's shops at Brunswick. Crahtree, confronted with Sha.v's confession, wliilc modifying his own previous statement, denied Shaw's story. He stated that.' he .found the taps of the gas stove turned <;n, and when he lit a match the explosion followed. The detectives state that they ]a\o evidenco supporting Shaw's s-tory. . In the explosion one of Oraotroe's Tegs was broken, and the man was badly burned. Crabtrco and 3h.iw iemain in the hospital. The Sneddon family had a miraculous escape from tlhe explosion. A little girl who was lying in bed was buried in the debris, and was saved from being crushed to death only by ■x door jamming. A girl named Lewis fell in her bed from a top floor room to the next floor, but was uninjured.