CHARGE OF ARSON

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3631, 28 April 1927, Page 2

CHARGE OF ARSON

Dannevirke, Last Night

Before Justices, Douglas Fraser, a labourer, was charged at Ormondvillc to-day with wilfully setting lire to a stables, the property of the Napier Brewery Co., and leased to James Mackie Smith: wilfully setting fire to a motor garage, the property of Henry Perry; attempting to set fire to a stables, the property of William Henry Edkins; and wilfully setting lire to a fourroomed cottage, the property of Henry Perry. The fires all occurred at Ormondville on Saturday nighty last. Perry’s garage and the Napier Brewery Company’s stables, and also Perry’s cottage were all destroyed, the loss running into some hundreds of pounds. Accused pleaded guilty and was committed for sentence. In a statement to the police accused said that on Friday last, after having spent a considerable sum at the hotel since April 14th, he was refused a bottle of whisky by the hotel keeper. He was very annoyed at the refusal and the idea struck him to burn down the hotel. Before he went back to work on Saturday evening he went to Edkin’s stables close to the Ormondville Hotel, lighted some paper with the intention of burning the stables with a view to igniting the hotel. He was discovered and went away returning later to the hotel stables, wine he set on lire and ran away to his home. He was mad from the effects of drink, or otherwise would not have done such a thing.