WILFULLY SET ON FIRE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 230, 28 September 1928, Page 8

WILFULLY SET ON FIRE.

HOUSE AT ONEHUNGA.

"BY SOME PERSON UNKNOWN"

CORONER S CONCLUSION

Some interesting evidence was giren to Air. F. H. Levien, S.M., who held an inquest this morning concerning a fire which occurred at a six-roomed house, No. 35, Lower Queen Street, Onehunga, last July. Detective Sergeant Doyle led the evidence. The Onehunga Fire Board, at whose request the inquest was held, was represented by Mr. Alexander. Mr. C. H. Hankins watched the proceedings on behalf of the New Zealand Insurance Company, with whom the building was insured.

The lire occurred about 7.30 p.m., on •Tuly 19 last, and was suppressed by the Onehunga Fire Brigade after doing damage to one of the front rooms.

Mr. Alexander said that an undue number of fires had occurred in Onehunga, especially in Lower Queen Street. It was the Fire Board's intention, wherever the circumstances were suspicious, to ask for a coronial inquiry to ascertain the cause.

James Maxwell Robertson, the owner of the house, said he paid £875 for it. There was a mortgage of £535. On the

night of the fire ill July, he reached his home at Avondale about 5.30 p.m., and after tea went for a walk to the corner of his street, and returned about 8.45, when he was told by his mother that a message had been received from the Onehunga police that his house in Lower Queen Street was on fire. He went over to Onehunga in his motor car, and inspected the premises with Constable Johansen. He found some burnt matches on the lloor, and there was a smell of kerosene in the place. His motor ear was not in Onehunga at 7.30 p.m. on July 19, the night of the fire. It was in his garage at Avondale from the time he reached home until he left for Onehunga just before 9 p.m. He concluded that the building had been set on fire, but he could not say by whom. He did not know who would benefit by the fire, he certainly would not. Man Who Gave Alarm. William Robert Wright, a fisherman, who lives next door to Robertson's house, was told by two boys when lie was on the Mangere Bridge that night that a house was on fire. He did not know the boys, and he had not seen them since, lie telephoned to the brigade. He knew nothing about the origin of the tire. He gave the alarm when the previous fire occurred at Robertson's house. He had gh en the alarm on other occasions in Onehunga, and also in Auckland, including one at Winstone's store. He was afterwards interviewed by Detective Sinclair, but denied having told him that it was up to them to cateh him and bring along their witnesses. He had given alarms of fire during the past five years. In answer to Mr. Alexander, witness said he could see the fire from the road leading to the Mangere Bridge. There had been two fires on each side of his home, making four in all, and he gave the alarm for all of them. He did not know anything about a deliberate attempt to burn Robertson's and Cunningham's liouses. Questioned by the magistrate, witness declared that he had no opinion of the origin of the fires, although he gave the alarms. He used wax matches. Harold Hedges, a married man living at Robertson Road, Mangere, was riding a motor cycle through Onehunga on the night of the fire, when he saw a five-seater motor ear pull away from the fire, and proceed up the street at a slow pace. He did not know the driver, and could not recognise him again. Superintendent's Opinion. Charles Gilbert, superintendent of the Onehunga Fire Brigade, expressed the opinion that the house had been deliberately set on fire. He was satisfied that there was kerosene on the floor where the fire was. It was significant that a person in Wright's house would have a clear view through the window of anyone moving about in Robertson's house. There had been an abnormal number of fires since July 24, and some of the alarms had been given hv the Wright familv.

Detective Allen, who inspected the fire the next morning, and found three burnt wax matches on the floor, also said that it had been wilfullv set on fire.

The verdict was that the damage was caused by fire lit by some person or persons unknown, the magistrate expressing the opinion that the inquiry was quite warranted.