Incendiarism.

New Zealand Police Gazette, Volume VIII, Issue 12, 11 June 1884, Page 97

Incendiarism.

At 1.40 a.m. on the 10th ultimo a fire was discovered in the photographic gallery of Nicholas and Dougall, situate in the upper part of a two-storey building, in Dee street, Invercargill ; the property of Louis Rodgers and Co. The fire extended to other portions of the building, destroying property to the value of £12,825. At an inquest held on the 17th ultimo to inquire as to the cause of the origin of the fire, the following verdict was returned: “ That the fire originated in Nicholas and Dougall’s photographic gallery, but that the cause was unkown to the jurors.” Nicholas and Dougall’s stock was insured for £6OO, which amount is said to be largely in excess of what it was worth.

About 10 p.m. on the Ist ultimo, at Christchurch, a twostall stable, with loft, the property of Richard Hill, was maliciously set on fire, which was discovered and extinguished before much damage was done. It was on fire in two places on the ground-floor, and in one place on the loft. It was insured in the London and Lancashire Office for £4O, which sum is considerably in excess of its value.

During the night of the 18th ultimo, at Makarewa Bush, near Invercargill, a quantity of sawn timber, the property of William Brown and John Everett, value £4O, was maliciously set on fire in three different places, by which a portion of it was destroyed. It was insured in (the New Zealand Office for £l5O.

On the 27th ultimo, at Waikakahai, North Waitaki, 700 bags of wheat, the property of Gibson and Wallace, value £440, were destroyed by fire, which it is supposed was maliciously caused. The wheat was insured in the South British Office for £440.

On the morning of the sth instant, at Amberley, a gorse fence, the property of Frank Courage, was maliciously set on fire, by which about a mile of it, value £SO, was destroyed. The fence was set on fire in twenty different places.