Incendiarism.

New Zealand Police Gazette, Volume XIII, Issue 10, 8 May 1889, Page 1

Incendiarism.

Herbert Maxwell Bradbury is charged, on warrant issued by the Auckland Bench, with having, on the 3rd February last, at Karangahape Road, Newton, Auckland, maliciously set his premises on fire, with intent to defraud the South British Insurance Company. Description: A native of the colony, a draper, twenty-six years of age, sfb. 6in. or 7in. high, slight build, small dark peculiar eyes, aquiline nose, dark hair and small dark moustache only, very reserved and silent manner ; dressed in a greyish-tweed sacsuit and hard-felt hat. He lived for several years in the Port Albert District, and is well known there. He was in business as a draper at Karangahape Road, and about the 12th January last insured his stock of drapery in the South British Office for £6OO, and a few days after sent a large portion of the drapery to Tauranga to be sold there. About 7 p.m. on the 3rd February he left the premises, and in about five minutes after his bedroom, which was on the ground-floor, was discovered on fire, and the kitchen, which is upstairs, was also found on fire. He failed to attend at an inquest held on the 25tli February to inquire as to the origin of the fire.

About 8 p.m. on the Ist ultimo, at Arrow Junction, Lake District, a stack containing 256 bags of wheat, the property of Robert Pritchard, was discovered on fire and damaged to the extent of £IOO. About 145 bags of the wheat were saved from the fire. At an inquest held on the 24th ultimo to inquire as to the cause of the origin of the fire the following verdict was returned: “ That some person, to the jury unknown, did wilfully and maliciously set fire to the stack of wheat with intent to injure the said Robert Pritchard.” The wheat was not insured.