SUPREME COURT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 737, 9 February 1910, Page 6

SUPREME COURT.

FIRE CASE AT WADESTOWN. " . ARSON ALLEGED. •' Tho criminal sessions were ■ continued yesterday, before Mr. Justice Chapman. Eberhardt Ferdinand Renner, a. young man, was charged .with that, oh December 28 last, he set fire to an unoccupied house at Wades town, owned by him, thereby committing arson. . Mr. C. P. Skerrett, K.C., .with him Mr. W. J. Craeroft Wilson, appeared for the accused. . ' Mrs., Sarah Watt, a. next ; door neighbour of Kenher, stated ! .that ' up. ; till' December 27 & Mrs. Fraser had occupied the house which was burned. On the following day,'she .noticed that an old up-holstered-chair ; and a sack of 'rubbish had been left in the yard. That evening she saw. accused dragging tho chair towards the house, and the chair was in flames., 'She' called across the, fence:' "What are you doing, Mr. Ronnerp" but receved no reply 1 Shortly afterwards,, accused came to theVdividing fence, ana said-that his house: was on, fire. She thereupon gave the. alarm. ... " ' '• • 'William Burns, bookbinder, stated that' he : had been negotiating 'witsi' accused" to purchase the' house.,,. On the afternoon of December 2S, they, both' inspected the. house, ,and witness agreed to • buy ,the. ;house ' for ,£540, on terms, provided , that he'.found, it satisfactory after living ithere/for'three months. Rent was fixed ;at 13s. 6d. per week., ,The house was insured for ,£350. Witness 1 went .on . to :describe the occurrences of . the night of the fire. .• . ; , Evidence was ' also . ;given by. . Simon; Eraser, Mrs. Fraser, and Robert James Watt, and further hearing' was adjourned, until to-day. .Accused was again granted bail.

-.•• v>; ::-;jtieydisageee;.,; ; :; ; .John Henry'lreson, a young marf) was' charged with that, on -N cw Year's Day, he broke and entered the house,of Thomas Shaw, at Greytown,.and stole. £i 45.. : Mr. M.. Myers prosecuted, - and Mr. H. F. O'Le'ary appeared for the accused. The evidence for the prosecution .was to the effect that accused had.known the Shaw.family,for seven years,' and had been in their house. On the .afternoon'. ; of January .I,'; Mr. Shaw, who was working among the tomatoes, saw accused :near the house. Mrs. Shaw -had gone out "on her bicycle, leaving.the kitchen window' open a few inches. Whcn'Mrs. (Shaw returned, the' window was thrown,,up, doors were standing open, and,24s. in silver was missing- from'a purse in the front bedroom'.. Other windows in the house had been left open, ; but anyone entering 'by a" front window could .have been seen- by passersby. A good , many people passed that .day,, on their way. to the Tauherenikau. races. The witnesses were Thomas Shaw (far-, mer); Clara Shaw (hiaV wife), Clarence 'Wenden/and Constable Larkin.; \ .- • For the defence, an alibi was set up, the witnesses being Edward Ireson, Fanny Hastings, and Men Stockdole. It was stated that accused,' on that afternoon, hod.beenat his brother's, house," photographing the: children.,■-.•■■•:.- -~-'.' ..•..> , • The 'jury retired, at 1.15 p.m., and re-' turned four hours later, intimating that, they ;had.been unable to.agree as to their ' His Honour instructed that ajnew trial should be held at the next sittings. Bail was allowed.-.._•.■.■■ •,-;.- - ■■::;'■>: , '