YOUTH ADMITS ARSON CHARGE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 115, 28 February 1950, Page 5

YOUTH ADMITS ARSON CHARGE

£BOOO DAMAGE DONE AT LIME WORKS (P.A.) . AUCKLAND, Fob. 27. An admission that after breaking into the office of the Kaipara Lime Works, Wellsford, on Febrtfary 9 he had been unable to find food and had then decided to burn the place down was made by a labourer, Norman Lemon, aged 17, who appeared in the Magistrate’s Court to-day. He appeared on a charge of arson and also on five charges of breaking, entering and theft, three of breaking and entering with intent t° commit a crime, and three of unlawful conversion of vehicles. Justices of the Peace committed Lemon to the Supreme Court for sentence. Lemon said in a statement that he left the Whangarei-Auckland train at Wellsford about 9.30 p.m. on February 9 and went to the lime works office. He decided to burn it down and set fire to a waste paper basket under a bench. He did not know why he did it.

“After I set the fire going I went to the other lime works and got into the office,” said the statement. “I found some biscuits there and ate them. By this time there was a good blaze at the other works.” He left the area after that, heading for Te Hana.

William Hubert Tate, manager of the works, said nothing could be done to save the building. He estimated the damage to the building at £SOOO and to the machinery and plant at £3OOO.