ALLEGD ARSON.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1551, 9 June 1885, Page 2

ALLEGD ARSON.

. Invercargill, Last Night. James Maben, a runholder at Benmore, was charged at the Police Court to-day with attempting to set fire to stacks of a deferred payment settler, whose homestead is about four miles from Bemnore. The prosecutor’s statement was very circumstantial. He said that about three in the morning of the 21st May he and his wife were aroused by backing of dogs, and on looking out of the window saw a glimmer of a match near the stacks Without dressing he ran out, and got within four paces of a man who, he was positive, was accused. The mau ran to a horse which was hitched to a fence, mounted, and rode away. The prosecutor oiied—“ kou may as well stand, Maben; I know you ” Be then went back to the house, loosed the dogs, and set them after the horseman. He rode into a steep gully, where the dogs bailed him up, and O'Donnell went up to within two paces of the man and satisfied himself it was iVlabeu. He told him he would make him suffer for it. The horseman replied —“ All right,” and rode away. On the afternoon of the previous day Maben rode through O’Donnell s farm, dismounting at the stacks, and when O'Donnell challenged him for trespass be threatened him with a stockwhip. On the morning after seeing the man at the stacks found two sheaves pulled out of the middle one, and three parts burnt, and matches at butt of them. O’Donnell said he bad no ill feeding to Maben, but had been witness against him in a trespass case brought by a neighbor. For the defence, Maben’s housekeeper deposed that he came home on the 20th about dusk, took the saddle off fie horse, and turned it out. Did not think he could have got out of the house again that night without her knowledge. The window of his room was nailed down. Her dog would give the alarm if anyone moved in the house at night. A neighboring settler deposed that O’Donnell bore a bad character among the settlers. He would not believe his statements on oath. He had reasons to have ill-feeling to O’Donnell, but had been subpoenaed. At this stage, counsel for the accused applied for an adjournment tojprocure further evidence against O’Donnell’s credibility, and the hearing was adjourned to the 10 “h inst.