Court Sequel To Fire In Spiritualist Church

Chronicle (Levin), 12 March 1948, Page 3

Court Sequel To Fire In Spiritualist Church

Pres& Asso'cixiUtin)

(Per

WELLINGTON, March 10. . ) Three ybung -men aippeared at the Magistrate ;g 'Coftrt' :f'6day cflarged with sei.tmg -flre to th-fe ,Weliingto:n'^)iritualisb Cflurch: .;^ioo^0ra£pd, d^qnt /Tq^r^oe, , ■on.T'dbi'ba^y | theye|>!7 •.cbmmi^l'ng arson. ,lt\was stated in coiirt that the totak damage:'resnitip.g from. the , flre amounted to £53- 10j^.. ; Aceu3ed, • who pleaued not guilty, Were Terrancb Alichael Daniel Grennell, aged 28, ship's rigger;; Walter Aifred Blackmans ''aged 24, af.labourer. and pqpsionei:; ancl Dennis Patrick Clarence Grennell,' aged 25, a labourer. Th'e. station officer/ Ernekfc Jack Wiffin, said when his machine* arrived at 1.30 a.m. flames were lieking the walls of the chureh. There was a flre in the front porch and the flames ran out across the pavement and into the' gutter. The' f enee also was on flre. , After the flre was extinguished witness, went into the porch and found a fourgallon tin containing a gallon of liquid which, he thought, • was . white spirit; which might be?uked by p'ainters or dry-eleaners. Jt was obvipusly inflam-1 ; , ipable, fmdvhad spille^,.s,cr.oss the pavew, ment. . ... - " " Detective R. B. Simmonds said he , 'patrol-lecl' the streets . in' a patrol. carl 1 and met aqcnsed. He 'stopped them anfl" •nqticed that the- left !leg of the trousers" worn by Terrance Grennell had been : burnt. At the pfplice station Dennis?C rewi^l, said .fh.eyj hafl{ been to thef churqh ;ah.d> '^rebcsari-yibg sa tin which tjiey "found earlier ip. the evening; ' Grennell said that they did not want ' the liquid ko 3 tfieyf lifted --it ' on, to* the church fence and poured it into the yard. He warned the others not to light a match as he did not know wliat was in the tin. Oue of them struck a match "and up she went," Grennell told the detebtive. The- Magistrate (Mr. A. M. Goulding) after further evidence was heard said a prima facie case. had been established and he committed accused to the Supreme Court for trial. Bail waa allowed.