DASTARDLY WORK.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2809, 25 March 1882, Page 2

DASTARDLY WORK.

The Hamilton (Victoria) “ Spectator,” referring .to the too crime of fire-raising says Some fencers were at work a short time back on Messrs Hutton Bros, Cheviot-hills Estate,when they came across a bottle, apparently empty. On lifting it, however, they found it.contained a number of matches and a quantity of dry; grass, a train of which protruded out of the neck of the bottle, .and - the contents' were thus brought into contact with the surrounding pasture. The 1 object of the man who had thus improvised this, machine wds apparent. He' trusted to the matches, inside the bottle being ignited by the rays of the son‘and setting fire to the grass. This, the weather being extremely hot, would quickly have been tho resnlt, and a disastrous bush fire must inevitably have followed. The miscreant, it may be added bad selected the most favorable place on the estate for a blaze, the grass being long, dry, and plentiful, of course the chances are against this new inventor being discovered and brought to justice, but if he were, no punishment would be too severe for him. Landowners stand no chance against such doings, and but for its being tolerably certain that there was only one in the. secret, wo would recommend the offering of a large reward for such information as may lead to the perpetrator being brought before the court.”