BRIDGE SET ON FIRE

Hokitika Guardian, 3 October 1930, Page 2

BRIDGE SET ON FIRE

A REMARKABLE OCCURRENCE. AUCKLAND, September 30. In order to prevent a number of people from Te Puke attending a meeting to vote on the site of a proposed hall, two young men attempted to destroy the Ivopouroa Bridge by fire. The bridge is situated on the main Te Puke-Tauranga road and is three miles from Te Puke. A certain amount of damage was done to the structure, but alter the fire was extinguished the Te Puke people were able to pass over and at the. meeting a resolution to erect a hall on the site favoured by them was carried by 50 to 46. As a sequel to the damage to the bridge, Roy Tannahill McLeod, aged 23, a farmer, of Papamoa, and George Ernest. King, jun., aged 21, a farmer, of Papamoa, were charged in the r le Puke Magisrate’s Court to-day will) willfully setting fire to a structure affixed to the soil, to wit, the Kopouroa Bridge. Mr Cooney appeared for the accused, who pleaded guilty. They were committed to the Supreme Court for sentence,

The case arose out of a dispute as to whether the hall, which the Papamoa Hall Society proposed to erect, should be built on Ferguson’s site Upper Papamoa, or on McNaughton’s site, which had the support of people living at and near Te Puke. A meeting had been called to decide the question.

McLeod, in a statement to the police endorsed by King, said he was one of five Papamoa settlers who asked that the meeting should he convened.'There was bad feeling between the Te Puke and Papamoa people as to where the hall should be built. Some time before the meeting there was general talk in the district of blowing up the bridge to stop the Te Puke people from coming to the meeting. McLeod said he was not in favour of blowing up the bridge and lie and King decided to set fire to it.

.Continuing bis statement, McLeod said he filled ' four : sacks with kindling wood and put them on his true* at his own shed. He also had three gallons of kerosene ready. He arranged to pick King up near the; latter’s home so that King’s-absence would not be noticed. King went under the bridge and sprinkled the sacks of wood and the bridge with kerosene. This was ignited and the accused drove away in the truck.

. McLeod expressed regret for having damaged the bridge. King also wrote a statement in which he said McLeod’s .version of the affair was true. Excellent characters, were given the accused by several,, well-known , settlers. Bail was allowed pending sentence.