CHARGE OF ARSON IS SEQUEL TO FAIRLIE BLAZE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18887, 11 October 1929, Page 16

CHARGE OF ARSON IS SEQUEL TO FAIRLIE BLAZE.

KEROSENE TIN FOUND IN MAN’S BEDROOM.

Before Messrs A. L. Gee, J.P., and R. Orwin, J.P., in the Timaru Police Court yesterday, Ernest Slow (Mr J. P. Steven) was charged that on September 28 at Fairlie he did commit arson by wilfully setting fire to a dwelling house, valued at £470, situate at Gorge Road, Fairlie, the property of the Public Trustee. Edward Peter James, slaughterman, of Fairlie, a boarder in a house opposite to that occupied by the accused, said that on September 28 he arrived home for luncheon about 12.30 p.m., when his attention was attracted by a cracking noise. He looked across the road and saw through the broken window that the house was in flames. He informed the Fire Brigade captain, Mr Close, who rang up for the brigade. They 7 both returned to the scene of the fire. They went round the house and saw accused and a Mr Hay standing at the back of the house. Close went to the water race and witness entered the house through the back door which was open. The door of- the room where the fire was was locked, and he told Close of this, who then burst the door in. There was a strong smell of kerosene. He removed a chair which was saturated with kerosene, and a mattress in the room also smelt strong13'- of kerosene. The fire was suppressed. Constable M’lntosh then arrived and took an empty kerosene tin from a bed in the room. Accused made no attempt to put the fire out. Accused’s mother had lived in the house previous to her death about August. Walter Close, manager of the Fairlie branch of the National Mortgage and Agency Co., Ltd., and captain of the Fairlie Volunteer Fire Brigade, said he lived about eight chains from accused’s house. James had come to his house on the day in question, and as the result of what he was told, witness got in touch with the Fire Brigade. He then accompanied James to the fire, where he saw Slow at the back of the house. lie burst open the door of the room where the fire was blazing. The blaze had its seat on a chair near the window. A strong smell of kerosene fumes issued from the room. Constable MTntosh and he looked over the house and found some rugs on the floor and a mattress on the bed in the room, partially saturated with kerosene. A tin containing kerosene was also found. A kerosene pump was then discoved in a shed at the back and fresh stains of kerosene, indicating that the pump had recently been removed from a tin, were seen on the floor. On the ground, a few 3'ards from the window of a bedroom at the rear of the house which had been used by accused, were found blankets, rugs, hats and other articles of men’s clothing. He had not seen accused during the operations at the fire. Prior to the fire accused had been quite sober, in a respectable condition, and volunteered an}' information required as to source of water, etc. Seven minutes elapsed between the alarm of the fire and its suppression. Andrew Macintosh, police constable at Fairlie. corroborated the evidence of the previous witness relative to the fire. He interviewed accused after the fire, when he was in a sober condition. Slow made a statement to the effect that on September 6 a prohibition order was issued against him on the application of his brother. lie made application for a re-hearing which was declined. He said to his brother that rather than be beaten, he would set lire to the house in which he ivas living. In the statement accused admitted doing this. In reply to counsel witness said that the accused had, when approached by witness, offered to tell him all about the fire. Accused then went .to the station and made the statement, which was a voluntary 7 one. Slow was perfectly- sober, not onl>- at that time but for day's before. Mr Steven entered a plea of guilty on accused’s behalf, and he was com- | mi t ted for sentence at the next sitting of the Supreme Court at Timaru. Counsel applied for bail and permission for accused to go up country to continue his work. Senior-Sergeant T. Gibson objected to bail as it was laid down by the Supreme Court that persons pleading guilty should not be granted bail. Bail was refused.