ALLEGED ARSON.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1550, 5 September 1905, Page 4

ALLEGED ARSON.

FIRES AT NAPIER,

lii tho hearing of the two charges against J?raok Williamson for alleged arson at Napier, Josoph W. A. Stone stated in Ilia ovidonoo that ho and Mrs Stone wont to bed about 9 o’clock. Olson came in about 10 o'clock. Williamson was out all tho ovoning, and witness did not soo him till aftor tho firo. Witness was awakenod by Olson’s crying “ biro! Tho houso wns full of smoko. Witness wont out into tho back yard through t |j “ kitohon, and found tho shod, sltuiito< about Cft from tho lioubo, in Homos. 1 10 nccußod oamo lUHhing along tho rig" ■<> ' way, with nothing on hut a light shirt »n< a pair of trousers, back to front. He oamo up to witness and Olaon, and slot) looking at a burning sack botwoon tho shod and tho houso, but made no attempt to pull it down. Tho suck was urtangoit liko an owning botween tho two building a short distance from tho ground. Ulsoi pulled tho sack down, whoroupon the

accused picked it up and swung » r ° u "" his hotul. Oloon afterwarda mild, ».y God, Stono, thin liiih not boon done by fair menus; thoro has boon foul ploy somewhere." Williamson tlion rushed forwurd, nnd mild, " Do you nioiui to uny I oot this Jon firs ?" Olson ropht*!!, ,«r biases. L " i"u>' dun, jou jVi.. .» In,nr,” Horn.,body tbo.i took Olson away. Witnons hud loot considerably by tho tiro. Had tho lift) not boon dlsoovorod till two nilnutOH later, Hioho who woro upstairs would havo boon In danger, Considerable liflloulty hail boon oxporioncod in provontup tho lirn from uploading to tbo bouso. Ob m ins Olson, oarponter, doposod that lio wont to bod on Baturday night between 10.H5 and 10.110 p.u). Tho houßO was dark whon ho retired and bo did not know whc wan within, 11 o oooupiod tho room overlooking the yard. After ho had been ir

bud nbout llvti minutes somebody came id th« front caltt mill tiled the kitchen door, but wllutinn bad looked it. Ho got up, opinion tbo winnow, and Bkouted out three tlirtm or four tbuos aakiDg who was there, llnoulvlng no anawor, he went baok to bed, mid n short tiuio after heard the same slops going baok again, and heard them go to the front door and into accused's bedroom. Throo or four minutes after he heard a shot go oil In tho direction of the shed, and he jnmpod up and threw the blind back. He tlion eaw tho glare of a fire in the waahbouao and ran and opened the kitchen door whon ho snw a firo in the washbouae. Ban back, oallod out to Stono, and then went back to got water to put on the fire. Mr Stono was eoon in tho yard and they had thrown on a couple of dishes of water whon accusod arrived and pushed witness

t\woy from the tap. He had a shirt and a | pnir of trousers on, but no boots. Acouaed got » short piece of hose, but it was of no use and he threw it down and stood in the poroh. Witness pulled a screen down whioh was burning botween the house and the shed and it fell on accused. The brigade then arrived and put out tho fire. Witness then gave similar evidenoe to Stone as to what afterwards ooour>"-Jj. Was quite positive that the steps heard going into tho yard and tiy e n o ut and into the acoueed's rcbm were those of the same person. Was present when Mrs Stono told acousod to leave tho plaoe. Detective Livingstone stated that he had attended the fire at Stone’s house and saw the accused in the kitohen. Oallod him into a room, told him that he was a detective making inquiries regarding the fire, and acousod gavo his name and said bis occupation was that of a bricklayer. He had left the Provincial Hotel at dosing time and ontored Stone’s houso by tho front door and went to bed. Ho did not know what time the fire started. Before turning in he went to the wo. aod was smoking a cigarette, which he threw down and put his foot on. There was no sign of fire when he was there, but it broke out soon after he got into bed. Witness said, “ You set the shed on fire,” and accused replied, 11 1 did not.” He was thon arrested and taken to tho polios station. There was no Bign of any cigarette butt having having been thrown down on the w.o. floor, whioh was not burned. The upper portion had slightly damaged. Superintendent Gilberd der/bsed that when bo arrived the fire was burning pretty fioroely. The wash-bouße was about five feet from the dwelling, whioh would have been endangered had the brigade not arrived promptly. Should say the fire started in the wash-house. Accused was committed for tcial.