TRIAL OF MEN WHO ARE ALLEGED TO HAVE STARTED EIRE

Wanganui Chronicle, 2 November 1948, Page 6

TRIAL OF MEN WHO ARE ALLEGED TO HAVE STARTED EIRE

WELLINGTON. Last Night (PA).— The hearing o£ charges ot arson in connection with the lire at_the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s shed at the exhibition building, Rongotai, on November 25, 1946, was continued this aiternoon. The three accused on trial are Eric Vincent Shea, Ernest Roy L’nsworth, and Frederick Charles Boniface. Two of the accused, Alexander Lynn Mclntosh, ageu 26, a farm labourer, and Leslie Arthur George Lloyd, aged 23, an aircraftman, reversed their lower court pleas of not guilty io pleas of guilty. Two other men, Fraafts Elston Wallis, aged 20. a tram conductor, and Hugh Norman Montgomery, aged 22, a tally clerk, previously pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s CourtOutlining the Crown case, the Crown Prosecutor, Mr. W. H. Cunningham, said the fire had caused a net loss of over £822,000, the store housing a great quantity of w’ool. Although the police had made searching inquiries, continued MrCunningham, it was not until July of this year that they were able to apprehend the seven men who had formed the lire craw of the establishment <- , _ The cause of the Are, said Mr. Cunningham, was that thj£ men had heard that the station''was to be closed down, in which case it was very probable that the fire crew would be disbanded. "In the service’s language, said Mr. Cunningham, “the fire crew thought they had a pretty cushy job and “id not want to be deprived of it. PETROL POURED ON WOOL The Crown’s case was that the fire was prepared by pouring two lourgalion tins of petrol taken from a crashed tender on to the wool and setting fire to it. Montgomery’, said Mr. Cunningham, poured the petrol, ana Wains, alter lighting it, cycled past the guard and gave the alarm. The other members of the crew, who had ruffled their beds and put on their uniforms over their pyjamas, then turned out to fight the fire, but it had taken hold and their efforts were unsuccessful. Hugh Norman Montgomery, who had pleaded guilty in the lower court, cross-examined by Mr. Kent (for the three accused), said he was about 18 years old at the time of the tire- He received a shock when Mclntosh told them: “We are going to have a fire.’ Mclntosh gave the directions and was overbearing in his manner. Witness did not think it would have been any use arguing with Mclntosh once he had made up his mind to have the fire. -i , o Mr. Justice Cornish, witness said he : ook the direction of Mclntosh to spread petrol on the wool baies as a lawful order. Francis Elston Wallis, tramway conductor, who had also pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court, said ne was 18 years of age at the tune o*. the fire. He was employed on the tire patrol at Rongotai on the night of the fire. Corporal Mclntosh said there might be a chance of keeping the fire crew on if there was “a bit of a fire.” Mc’ntosh suggested having a small fire, but the full fire crew would have to be there. There was a suggestion that benzine should be poured upon some wool bales. Mclntosh suggested that witness should set the petrol alight, but witness was scared of this proposal. Mclntosh told witness and Montgomery to carry tins of petrol to No. 4 shed, light the petrol and then give the alarm. Witness carried out these instructions. AFRAID OF McINTOSH

Cross-examined by Mr. Kent, Wallis said the members of the fire crew were just a little afraid of MclntoshHe was the type of non-commissioned officer who could make it very uncomfortable for those who served under him if he so desired. Alexander Lynn Mclntosh, farmhand, said he was 25 years of age. He had 51 years’ service with the R.N..ZA.F. In September, 1946, the strength of the fire crew at Rongotai was himself, as corporal, and five men. In August, 1946, there were rumours that the Air Force establishment at Rongotai might be broken up. There was talk, jokingly, that it might be a good idea to start a fire, put it out promptly, and consequently get some credit. The joke was carried on and Lloyd suggested they should have a fire. Montgomery and Boniface were brought back to the station and it was agreed to get some petrol and have a fire. He was not sure who had actually lit the tire, but after the fire Montgomery told h*m he had done so. did not think there would be a tire, and the first he knew of it was when the alarm was sounded. No members of the tire crew objected to having a fire. It was definitely untrue that be gave the order to delay the departure of he fire engine for two minutes Cross-examined by Mr. Kent, McIntosh said he had given evidence at Palmerston North that an airman at Ohakea had started the two tires and yet he (Mclntosh) had not reported the matter. All the statements that so many witnesses had made to the effect that he had engineered these tires were untrue. He still maintained he had not engineered the fire at Rongotai. He had just fallen in with tne arrrangements. He denied he had ordered Shea to light the fire. He admitted he could have prevented the fire. STATEMENT BY ACCUSED

Detective-Sergeant J. J. Long, of Palmerston North, said he conducted inquiries into the Rongotai tire, in the course of whicr. he interviewed the three accused now on trial. Shea made a statement in which i*e staled that Mclntosh had opproached him and said that he thought they should have a fire in ordei; that the tire

crew mignt be kept on. He asked Shea to light the tire, but Shea refused, and he then ordered Montgomery to light it. In a subsequent interview Shea was informed that McIntosh, Montgomery and Lloyd had been charged with arson. Shea then made a further statement in which he stated that on tie night of the fire Mclntosh told them ne was going to have a fire in No. 4 shed. Mclntosh said that when the fire was started the fire crew would turn out and quietly extinguish it. Shea was of opinion that Mclntcsh planned the fire. Unsworth, when interviewed at Tasman, Nelson, stated that on the night of the fire Mclntosh told him he was going to ha r e a fire He said petrol was going to be thrown on to Ihe wool bales and set alight. He said that if they had a fire the fire crew would be kept on. When witness interviewed the acBoniface at Wigram, Boniface made a statement in which he said Mcln*tosh had said they should have j fire in order that the fire crew migat be Kept on. The oase for the prosecution will be continued tomorrow.