GUILTY OF ARSON

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 162, 28 March 1918, Page 6

GUILTY OF ARSON

A SINGLE WOMAN'S STUPIDITY

COMMITTED TO THE SUPREME COURT FOR SENTENCE

A single woman, named Ellen Dora Hughes, was charged in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr. S. E. M'Cnrthy, S.M., that on March , 14, at Wellington, she did coimnit arson »>y wilfully setting firo to n dwelling-house, situated in Hodrigo Road, Kilbirnie, in i the occupation of Frank B. Cooke. I Chief Detective Boddam prosecuted, and accused was not represented by counsel. Chief Detective Boddam briefly outlined the ense, and then called cvidoncc. Frank B. Cooko, a married man, residing in Kodrigo Eoad, Kilbirnie, eaid t'hnt ho knew the accused, and first met her in May, 1016, at Jtasterton. _ Prior to meeting accused witness had inserted a matrimonial advertisement in a Wellington newspaper. At that time witness was a widower. The accused answered tho advertisement, nnd witness sent her an unfavourable reply. She. came to Mnsterton nnd proposed marriage, which witness declined. He came to Wellington in July, 1916, nnd saw aceueed about half a dozen times. Between July, 1916, and January, 1917, the accused made ) monetary gifts to witness, the total being i about ,£65. Ttieso gifts of money were eent from Hawera. In January this year accused nsked' witness to return tho inonoy he owed her, and she- claimed ■i'l2o. Witness told her that he had Had only about .£BS, and that the money bad ! been given to him as gifts. Sho then I said she would do witness an injury. I Later on, witness saw the accused on his i lawn talking to his landlord, and lie wont i up to her nnd ordered her off the prei mises. On Mnrch 13 witness went to bed i about 10 p.m., and about 1.30 o'clock the I following morning witness awoke and saw l his wife walking in the direction of the kitchen. While sitting up he saw n. big flame shoot up on his verandah. He immediately Rot out of bed, and with the help of -Tiis wife extinguished tho firo. j lie made an examination, and found that ■i the debris consisted of newspapers, satui rated/with kerosene. i Sarah A. Palmer, residing in Kodneo ' Bond, nnd owner of the house occupied ' by the last witness, said she saw accused : in January last in Choice's grounds. Rh* ! enwl she wished to see Mr. Conke. and ! when toM thnt tho Oookes would not : home till late she asked to be allowed ' into the .liouse to wait for them, flus ■•Vins refused she told witness that Cork" was in her debt to the extent of £}W. She saw the accused on another occasion, when she again referred to the money owinjf to her by Cooke. Jessie Cooke, wife of Frank B. Cojfe said she met accused in January lost. ' She was stopped on th« vond liv and asked if she were Mrs. Cooke. witness said she was, and then fte accuse, i told l<cr thnt Mr. frolco owed her a VJof money. Witness relied that she <M ! not ■ 1-now nnythinsr about it. Accused saw witness several times after that, and ! asked her for the money. _ James Sandfo'vd, prorar's nssistent, rav» pvidence as to the accused purchasing two i bi" bottles of kerosene. I Peter James Money, mnnaner of riy? .•Gresbnni HoW, statnd thnt the accused. Kivin* the Mine of Miss TT,, ? I,e S Mm--1 a room fit the hotel on March 12. nnd I pnvl for bed nnd breakfast. : Detective-Serseant l?awle, who arrest»fl the accused, stated that the woman rnnrt* I a statement, in conscience of which 1 witness and Consfnble Burnett went to n spot overlooks? Podnso found nerson.il 'effects (clothing, ' were wrapped in brown mm, and ari- . droned ro Miss 13. T). Hughes. I Central. I>wken Wrips. nnd a portion I of n newspaner dated Mnrch 11. ; The accused pleaded euilty. and was I committed to the Supremo Court for 1 sentence. Bail wns »".;." *J 0 'J ■her own recognisance, condltionallv on ; her staying at.the Salvation Army Home j in the meantime.