ATTEMPT TO BURN DOWN NAPIER GAOL.

Auckland Star, Volume III, Issue 635, 24 January 1872, Page 2

ATTEMPT TO BURN DOWN NAPIER GAOL.

On the 16th instant, one of the prisoners in the Napier Gaol, of the name of Brown, was detected in the act of placing some combustible materials between the weatherboards and tho lining, with the object, as it proved subsequently, of setting fire to the building. Information had been received on the previous day from another prisoner named Symonds to the effect that an attempt was shortly to be made to burn down the gaol. The latter stated that about a fortnight before, Brown had come into his cell, and said to him, "It wouldn't be hard ; to set this place on fire," and had urged . him to join with him in a scheme for doing | it. This, Symonds says, lie refused to do j Brown, on the other hand, says thatitwas j Symonds who, in the first instance, urged • him to set the place on fire, suggesting to ; him that he might have an opportunity of ■ obtaining his pardon by exerting himself to suppress tho fire. At any rate on the information being received from Symonds, a very close watch was kept upon Brown by the gaolauthorities. About 9o'clock on the morning of the 19th, he was seen both by Mr. Miller and one of the turnkeys to go round the west wing of the gaol to the tank : in the corner, and deposit something under it. Close to the tank some greased paper , had been inserted in one ot the air-holes on j the day previous. This deposit was known of, but had not been disturbed. On seeing the rags deposited under the tank no imme- i diate action was taken, but the prisoner was still closely watched. In about half-an-hour, as was anticipated, he returned to the tank with the view of taking up the rags and placing them beside the paper in the air-hole. Just as he had taken them out from under the tank one, of the turnkeys, Moloney, who had crept up close to him in the interval, seized him. Ho had stuffed his bundle inside his shirt. It was taken out, and found to be saturated with grease and kerosene. The prisoner had been acting as cook, and had got the kerosene out of a small lamp in a room where the potatoes are kept. An enquiry was held before the Justices on Friday, and the prisoner will shortly be brought before the ."Resident Magistrate to be committed for trial. It is said that he had been much in the habit of talking about burning down buildings, and it is highly probable that he has had a hand in raising some of the fires that have occurred recently in Auckland- He had been sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment in November last for robberies committed in Poverty Bay when acting as cook of the steamer Napier.— Hawlees Bay Herald, January 22.