FIRE AT FEILDING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1358, 8 February 1912, Page 6

FIRE AT FEILDING.

AUCTION MART DESTROYED. (By Telceraph—Pro-s Association.)' Fcilding, February 7. Mr. A. H. Atkinson's auction mart was destroyed by fire last night. The building was a woodeu one, and was largely stocked with furniture, sundries, farm implements,' grass seed', etc., mostly inflammable material. Tho brigade did good work with a. fiiie pressure of water, and. the firo was confined to tho one fjiiildinjj. M'lntyre and Murphy, solicitors, and Hush Roberts, woolbroker, had offices in the sarno building. The. latter saved all papers, but the solicitors had a law horary partly destroyed. The building w;as owned by Mr. Atkinwn, awl insured iu the Phoenix office for .£llOO. Tho stock was also insured in the same office for about iMQO. The origin of the fire is unknown. . A SEQUEL. (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) Feilding, February 7. A sequel to the firo in Messrs. AtkinFon's promises was enacted at the Police Court, this morning, when Ernest Albert Smith, bricklayer, was charged beforo Messrs. Gr. Kirtoii and Fred. Pirani. J.P.'s, with wilfully breaking a window in Messrs. M'Gnier, Thomson, and Co.'s premises during tho progress of tlio fire. Tho accused pleaded guilty to breaking the window, but said that ho did not do so wilfully. Sergeant Bowden gave evidenco to tho eft'ect that he saw tho accused commit the act deliberately, and immediately disappear in the crowd. If tho firo had got into tho roof of the buildinp tlio drau K h* created by tho broken window, would probaWy Jiave caused great damage. Conjitablo IMr afterwards arrested the. accused, and ho was iu Iho leck-up all night. Smith was fined Is., and ordered to pay the cost, of the broken window (£W 10s.) in two equal instalments, on March 7 an 1 April 7, or, in default, to undergo three Months' imprisonment,