THE BARRYTOWN SENSATION.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 July 1921, Page 4

THE BARRYTOWN SENSATION.

GPLYMOUTH, July

Alter several remands, the ease in which Florin John Thomas Puzar, it Dalmatian, is charged with attempted arson iit Barrytown oil July 3, was proceeded with iit the .Magistrate's Court vesterda v.

Mr W. Joyce appeared lor accused. Evidence was called for the prosecution., Robert John Johnson, farmer, stated that he lived about three, and a-lutll miles past Barrytown on what is known iis the Barrytown Road. He knew accused who u its employed by Ryall Bros iit Barrytown prior to his arrest. PuKiir was living in a cottage owned by Mr Thomas Posehieh. The cottage was also occupied by Mr Lewis.

On Sunday. July 3, witness was in I’nrrytown till four in the afternoon with his wife. He drove into the township and returned, entering his farm by the cart entrance. He. put up the two sliprails which served as a gate upon entering. The weather was rough when lie came home, and lie did not go out through the gateway again that

evening. At nine p.m. he ami his wife to bed in the front room, which they list'd a.s a. bedroom. They both woke up at u quarter to two almost; overcome by smoke. Witness immediately got up to search for the origin of thb fire, but could not locate it in the house. Going outside, however, he found a fire underneath the back room. The house is between two and three foot, off the ground at the hack. Getting to work with water he managed to get the fire out. Witness then pulled the wood and charred sacl? (produced) from under the house, and found that the sack contained two large plugs of gelignite There was a. strong smell of kerosene and he discovered a bottle which had contained kerosene close alongside the fire. Some more wood had been stacked agains the back door and set aligbt, but it bad gone out. Thp cork of the bottle was found near the bark door. ITe had never kept gelignite prior to this, nor had he seen the sack before. When the telephone office opened, he communicated with the police. At daylight he found the bottom rail in the gateway down and footprints going in and out of the gateway. The footprints were those of a pidgeon-toed man. wearing footwear that was worn on the outside of the heels. 'Witness traced the prints from his own place 2DO or 1100 yards along the road in the direction of the cottage where Ibizar lived. The footprints finally . went off the road into the paddock wliore the cottage stood. New tracks would have been easily discernible after

the rain, but none were to be found. The house was built on piles and was not insured.

Cross-examined by Air Joyce, witness sttited that the property belonged to his wife. There were several houses between his farm and Posehieh’s house. The Barrytown Road was a fairly good metal road, and all the residents along the road used it. He owned ti cattle dog which was tied about two chains away from the house. It seldom harked.

Then* was another person in tho house on the night of the fire, a Mrs Coe whom he met at his gate She occupied the hack room, immediately over the fire, but the wind blew the smoke towards the front room. There was a considerable volume of flame when ho went out. The wood used, seemed to he part of a kerosene case. He did not know that the gelignite he had found was the same as thn used at the Ten Mile. Witness did not understand the use of gelignite and did not know that there was little or no danger of an exploson unless detonators were used. r l he bottlo had remained under the house until lie had handed it to Constable M ib son at lour p.m. on the Monday. .Mr Joyce: Now, about those footprints. You seem to boa, very observant kind of man. Did you sec the shoes (produced) tried on the footprints!' Witness: No, but the footprints remained for several days. lie had known Pttzar for nine or JO yea rs. Mt Joyce: “What time didi Boh Stewart come down the road!'” Witness: “I don’t know.” To the Police: Witness stated that smite of his own dry wood had been used i»» the fire.

Richard Lewis, farm labourer, stated that he worked for Mr Thomas Poschich. The farm was off the main road about a mile from the township. Accused had lived in the cottage on Posciiicli’s farm for about four or five weeks prim to the lire. Pttzar worked for Ryall Bros On the day of the lire, accused Intel gone out for a walk at 2.30 p.m. returning at 4.30 p.m. Puzar slept in a bedroom off the kitchen. On the Sunday night accused went to bed about (5.30, Lewis going about 8.30. Witness was awakened by hearing accused walking about some time near mid-night. Pttzar always locked his bedroom door. Witness got up about seven on the Monday morning. Accused wits then up and dressed and hud breakfast ready. This was not unusual for him except on very rough mornings. The sack (produced) was of the same texture its one lie kept in the front of the house. When Constable Wilson asked him about the sack on the Tuesday, he noticed it was missing. He kept some gelignite, but he could not say how much. It was kept under the house for safety.

Accused had brought the gelignite into the house one day and witness had asked him the reason. Accused answered: “Someone might drop a match on it.” Accused put the gelignite hack again. Pttzar asked him some questions about gelignite two or three days before the fire.

Witness stated that he had got up about 3.30 a.m. on the Sunday morning and it pair of trousers were then drying before the fire. They were trousers Pttzar wore about the house. Witness kept two dogs, hut they would not hark til Puzar. There were several eases of kerosene in the house to which accused had access.

To Mr Joyce: Witness stated that ho had known Puzar all his life. The latter sometimes had fits of laziness. Accused may have been pretty wet after his walk. He may have been wearing the trousers mentioned in the afternoon. Puzar wanted witness to post, some letters for him, but witness did not go into Barrytown on the Sunday. Puzar often got it]) in the night. Witness went out of the front door when he got up at 3.30. He did not hear anyone else stirring then. Witness did not look to see if Puzar was in. Accused was cutting his lunch when witness got up. Puzar got up at about 0.30 a.m. The sack (produced) was an ordinary one without any distinguishing marks. The house was not locked, and was unoccupied from about 8 a.m. till 5 p.m. Witness was in Barrytown on the Saturday and got home about 8.30

p.m. To Police: Puzar was not a man who got agitated, hut he did not. read and often lay down smoking and think-

Cniistnble Wilson gave evidence, generally corroborative of the previous two witnesses. The footprints were about lit inches long by four and a-half wide. When he asked accused on the ’Tuesday to give an account of liis movements on the Sunday night, accused stated that he went to bed at seem p.m., and did not get up till be went to work the next day. When charge! with the offence, accused said he was not afraid of any Court ( .a®e. To Mr Joyce: Witness had taken the bottle away. A piece of galvanis’d iron was used to cover the hole at ne bade of Johnson’s house.

This concluded the pnse for the prose ctition.

Puzar pleaded not gniltv, md w .-t ('ommitted for trial at the September sessions of the Supreme Court. BUI was allowed on the same terms as formerly. Accused must report to the p,'liee once a week.

Tlie Bench, replying to Mr Joyce’s query as to whether there was anything in the evidence, to justify going on v Mt the ease, said that although the evidence adduced was merely eircumdnn fiat ther<> certainly was a ease to answer