Suspicious Fire

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 310, 22 March 1928, Page 1

Suspicious Fire

WALLS CUT, SCRIM TORN, SMELL OF OIL CORONER INQUIRES Press Association. WELLINGTON, To-day. A coroner's inquiry is being held into a fire in Tinakori Road on February 9. Evidence by fire officials and police was that the windows had been covered up in such a way that at first they thought the place was being fumigated. The walls had been cut so as to enable the fire to run through quickly. Scrim on the walls had been torn into strips and was hanging loose. There was a strong smell of kerosene when the fire was extinguished, and one or two bottles with benzine and kerosene were standing about. Arnold Berg, the owner, said he bought the property some time ago for £I,OOO, and had insured it for £1,300. The place had been unoccupied since January 30, and the last tenant left linoleum and a lot of paper about. The windows were pasted over with brown paper, but he had no idea who cut the walls, and he thought someone must have got through the window. On February 7, he sent a carpenter, who asked for work, to fix up the doors and windows, but he did not know his name. He thought the place must have been set on fire, but did not care to say if he had any idea who did it. The hearing was adjourned.