INCENDIARISM AT WAKANUI

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1784, 8 March 1888, Page 2

INCENDIARISM AT WAKANUI

STAOKS BURNED. AN ARREST MADS. A dastardly act of incendiarism was committed last night, whereby Mr James Coohrane of Wakanul lost lonr staoks of wheat. About nine o'clook, Mr Ooohrane, before going to bed looked oat to see If all was right. He saw that two stacks of wheat were on fire and he ran to the scene. After having been engaged some time In preventing the fire from spreading by means of the stubble to a paddock on the lee aide, where there were other stacks. He noticed that two more stacks twelve chains distant, and nearer the hoa«e, were also on fire. The whole foar ■tacks were totally destroyed. They contatned about 1400 bushels, the produce of 40 acres, and the value is estimated at £150. There is no insurance. Information waa cocveyed to the police, and about fi>e o'clock this morning Phillip Magulra, a small farmer at Wakanui, and well known m the district, was arrested on the charge of having burned the staoks down

At the RM. C n?t this morning bafore Mr John Ollivler, R.M., and Mr I). Thomas, J.P., Phillip M«galre was charged with unlawfully, wilfully, and malicloin'y burning down four Htacks of whea*, the property of Jimea Coahrans, and of about the value of £150 Mr Purnell appeared for the aocused. Sergeant Feltoo oaid that the accused had only been arrested (hat morning at a quarter past five. Tba police were not yet prepared to go on. with the case, and would «Bk for a remand for a week. Mr Parnell «aid that he had no objection to the reraaad, bat he would «Bk that the a;cus9d ba liberated on ball. Sers;eaut Felton said he had strorjg grounds for cbj. ctiog to accused being let out on bail, bb ihera was grave reason to believe it possible he mfght do worse. Mr Parnell did not Bee why ball should not be grouted. Magulre had never been charged with anything bafore. f Fergeaut Felton had a witness to call If neoeßaary to show that he was justified la reels! m g the application. ' The Magistrate oonld not altogether see the jus Ice of refaiieg ball. The Sergeant might baveotroog reasons ia his mind wby It should not be granted, bat on the other hand the Court mait be careful how It Interfered with the liberty of the subject. Sergeant Felton then asked the Banch to hear some evidence he would lead, to show why he objected to ball being allowed.

Jamea Gochrane, farmer at Wakanuf. was called aad deposed aa follows ;— Aboot nine o'clock last evening, before going to bad, I looked outside the honae and notloed two of my stacks on fire. I called my wife aud went dcwn to the etaoki which were about 20 chains from the honse. While I wan employed beating oak the stubble to prevent the fire spread* ing I happened to Bee two other stacks on 6re about" 12 chains nearer the house and »o the nortb-weat (windward) side of those I waß employed at. I had been engaged for some time patting out the first fire before I uotloed the latter. The etaoki contained about 1400 bushels, the pro-, duce of 40 acres. The staoka were not insured. I know the prisoner; his honae is about half a miie from my place. He came to my placa last Monday forenoon wl'h an aocoant for wages amounting to £9 odd, The account had been paid previously j about three yeara ago as far aa I o<m remember. I refused to pay It (as it had been already paid) with the exception of a small balance of 15a, Be uaei . a lot of bad language towards me. He got very excited and said <! youll lose more than that m th© next few days ; I'll burn it for you." I iiave other stacks of wheat, I have seven m a paddook adjoining the one m which the stacks were burned, I have been aoquaiated w.th Magutro for the last twelve yeara He is a single man and he lives by himself He has no crop, I fwar for the pafety of my property whito Maguira is at large. Serge»nt Felton sud that this was all the evidence he was m a position to lead at present. Mr Purnell said that if bail were not granted very greai; obstacles would be thrown m the way of getting up the case for the defence. Besides, there was no proof that areoa had been committed. r lhe Maghtrata said that before he heard the evidence he was inclined to grant My Pumell's application, but m the face of that evidence a very gr^vej responsibility would rest on the Bench should the acouaed be liberated on bail. iS'ergeant Felton said that he would undertake that fifir Pumell should hare ample fapilituq to see the aoousgd. Mr Purnefi admitted that the police were most obliging, but it would probaoly be neoessary for Maguire himself fo go about among his neighbors to get up the case for the defence. The Magiatra^e said that the threat made by Maguire at the interview m regard to the account was a very serioui one, particularly bo as the fire took place s lorfcly afterwards. But for that the Bench would have thought Mr Pumeli'a applica ion very reasonable. In the face of the evidence, howevqr, th,e B,enofa 1 were only doing their duty ia remanding the acouaed as aaked by the police, and not allowing bail. Accused was accordingly remanded for a week.