AN INNER URGE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21805, 7 November 1940, Page 6

AN INNER URGE

“Must Set Fire To Something ” Woman Responsible For Much Damage NELSON, November 6. As a sequel to the fires In the Hotel Nelson on the night of October 21, when the Governor-General was a guest, also the recent fires in the Royal Hotel (Palmerston North), the Nurses’ Home at the Pukeora Sanatorium (Waipukurau), and a dwelling at Ponsonby (Auckland), 14 charges of arson, attempted arson and one of theft were brought against Monica Edna Cann, aged 28, in the Magistrate’s Court today. The accused pleaded guilty to all the charges and was committed to the Supreme Court at Nelson for sentence. Detective-Sergeant Hayhurst produced statements in which the accused said that for months she had had a considerable amount of trouble, not being able to throw off a queer feeling. When in Nelson she went to the lounge of the Hotel Nelson, then went to the top floor of the building and set alight to the bed clothes. SJie rejoined the guests but later went to two other rooms and set alight to the bed clothes. She lit all the fires with wax matches. No one else had anything to do with her actions. The accused also made a statement about the fires at the Royal Hotel, Palmerston North, in which she said that she was employed at the hotel but had been told that she was drinking too much. She remembered returning to the hotel late one night and going to a room in the hotel. Regarding the fire at the Pukeora Sanatorium Nurses’ Home, the accused made a statement saying that she had a lot of worry and got queer depressed feelings. When she was like that she always felt that she must set fire to something. She admitted some of the fires which occurred at the sanatorium but could not remember the others. Further, she admitted being responsible for several outbreaks at the home of her aunt, Miss Teresa Walsh, Ponsonby, Auckland. The evidence showed that the damage caused at the various buildings was as follows: Hotel Nelson £B2O (14 rooms affected), Pukeora Nurses’ Home £5lOO (main portion of the home). Royal Hotel, Palmerston North £2lB, Ponsonby house £B3. The charge of theft concerned £lO taken from the purse of a friend accompanying the accused on the ship from Wellington to Nelson. The accused was employed at the Hotel Nelson as a waitress several years ago.