ALLEGED ARSON.

Temuka Leader, Issue 10051, 8 February 1927, Page 3

ALLEGED ARSON.

COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE,

“WILL PLEAD GUILTY.”

Andrew Blair was charged al f tJie Geraldine Magistrate’s Court yesterday’ with wilfully selling lire to ;a house in Pleasant Valley Road;on March 31 last, and. alao with setting lire to premises in Talbot street owned by M f r Ho ward-. Tripp., on February 1, • ”

Detective Walker conducted ,tbe prosecution, and Mr T, (J. Farnie appeared for accused. W. J. .Brown deposed that lie owned a seven-roomed bouse in Pleasant Valley Road, which was unoccupied for some time prior to March 31..1a5t. He found that; someone wilfully set fire to it. . It was valued at £600,-and-the insurance was £l5O .The damage was about £2.

G. Knibb deposed: I remember the morning 6f the 31st March, last. I was a.niember of' a concert party returning ‘ from Pleasant 'Valley about 1 a.ra., Avlien a lady-called my attention to a fire burning on ■ the south of Brown’s cottage'just under a window. I; got out. ..and- extinguislhed the fire, otjiers;,igiving v th;e alarm. I saw no: one about. . Inflammable material had been placed under the house'and set afire,

Edward White,, sworn, said- on the morning of 31st March he was. one of. a party that returned from Pleasant Valley. Pie alighted some 300 yards on the other side of Brown’s house; and just after he got Inside he heard the fire bell. Pie ran.'out and towards Brown’s house. About midway he came against two men and one of them gave the other a push off on a bicycle tfnd said, “Now go for your life!” He saw tbe other •man, who disappeared in the broom. He didn’t know who he was. . ;He did; not sec Hclcm, the■ fireman. Alex. McKenzie deposed; I remember the morning, of .the ~3,1 st, March last. About 1 a.m. I heard the tirebell and ran towards Brown’s'honse, 1 saw someone on’ bicycle ’which’ appeared to’be a, racing machine, 1 did not’speak to' him, Pie' was: making away from the lire; his head was down, , —:....

Jack Brett deposed: GnAhe evening of the '3O th ■ -Ma-rehrd --- the - Fire Brigade meeting. After; the meeting was over, Blair borrowed, my bicycle—a racing machine. After the fire I got the, Wcycle- hack. ’Blair, did not tell me where.lie had .been, Harris J.’ Thompson .deposed.that he was manager for Breliant Bros., cycle” dealers,. .Geraldine, .auJ_oma_ pied one slto-p of a .block o,C..four in. Talbot street’ from . .WilAniAsU'e.et’." On the mpvniing of the Ist fust, .lie discovered '.the remains" of a fire at the back .of his shop, kindled in a porch at the, back of the;' place-apd, the shop lately oeetrpi-ed-Piy—Ga+wier-,'The. damage done . would he ..coverqd. by-£5.. . A' k ' A. Symington deposed thafeHhe-was the proprietor of the' Crown- Hotel. He remembered the' evening' of'janifary 31 last. About , a quarter . to' twelve be saw the accused opposite the" Cr o-wn Hot el, an d C ons tahle-.-Ck 1-.. lanan, was also present, - Accused wished to speak'to 'him (witness!) and they went lu; the constable loft. He asked him where the next tire, was coming off, and he said., the Crown Hotel; they were jo,king. He went out and went to the left. ■ M. Mulhern deposed: I remember last, Monday night,■■ Accused came to my place about, 7 o’clock and we, returned from the Band room.about half-'paet 9: or 10 o’clock, and. six or seven went away together about 11 o’clock,; .

Constable . Callanan deposed that on the 3Oth January, about-10 nUinutes to. 12,, he wtys in front of t lie Crown Hotel'speaking; to Mr’Syffiingr ton, when; acci^e;d i tpfinie i along and, Mr Symingtqn asked him whqve,the next fire was to he —this - wa§ ; a standing joke. They .walked into, the doorway, of the hotel, and. be said good-night and made as if to go home, but when they were.insidehe ran, round back to see it, accused went home. He remained till 25 minutes to 1, but did not see him go home. It would not have been possible , for ,hini to.: go without him .seeing,..him before. th§., lights ,wenl out, and, .after that -he (witness) should have" heard him. It was a dark night. Witness came back and at the corner of Talbot and Wilson streets he smelt fire and found smoke coming out from the back of the shop. He found the fire was burning and had a good hold. He got water and put it out; .another five minuses it would have been beyond control. He then woke Mi Symington and it was ■ then 2 ami. Ho then visited Blair; he was in bed, and apparently asleep. He denied .that he had anything to do with the lire. ■

DelectiVe" Walker deposed that he made enquiries re the. fires : ul Brown’s house and atcTfilbot street. As a result he interviewed the ae-, cased on ; -2ikl :Febiniary: He 'gave a statement, . confessing .that . he started the fire at Brown’s ,housy, and fully described his. actions. His only, motive, lie said, was.-to cau.se excitement. As to .the other.. .fire, he' also made a statement saying he was 27' years -of-age,;and 'explained his' doing's- on the 3 t)th, January. He ■ visited' Mtilhern’s and had a .drink at: his place. He gathered' seme rubbish and set.-fire to it,. He saw that it was -burning, alright, . and .went to, where ho stayed** He told no one, and concluded by- sayingh“] Tl'ow cunfcofi m\ g-uidt- with .the object of clearing the matter- -up."

‘ This concluded the evidence, and

given ■■ the-cualomary - warning

•; Mr Fanile ifaiil (lie accused would pldad ; guilty; )ln(*L fluid.’ -there were circumstances;' which _ should he brought before the Supremo Court. His Worship then formally commit'leci 'the ac,cased to the '.Supreme oon r t fo r se nl e nro, 11 being -a n do r • stood,.that accused wo'jjjfl. _he. ,Kept at Timaru some days to- Mr Farnie to gather. he. desires to place '"hefore' tfe - Hdgher Court. - 'h ' VV