INCENDIARY ACT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 880, 25 January 1930, Page 13

INCENDIARY ACT

FIRE AT WAIHI EVIDENCE AT INQUIRY From Our Own Correspondent WAIHI, Friday. The inquiry into the cause ancl origin of the fire which, on December 7, partially destroyed a house in Adams Street, Waihi, owned by Thomas James Leo Meagher, and the furniture therein, the property of his wife, Lucy Christina Meagher, was concluded before the district coroner, Mr. W. M. Wallnutt, late this afternoon. Sergeant D. L. Calwell appeared for the police, Mr. C. J. Garland, of Thames, for Mrs. Meagher, and Mr. W. Wallace, of Auckland, for the Yorkshire Insurance Company and the State Fire Insurance Department. Lengthy evidence was heard, and it was stated by three witnesses — Mr. W. E. Roberts, superintendent, of the Waihi Fire Brigade, Mr. S. L. Shergold, deputy-superintendent, and Constable A. R. Rimmer —that they had examined the premises and nad found three distinct seats of fire, two of which were in the kitchen and the other in a bedroom, ail three being from 11 to 18 feet apart. Traces of certain chattels mentioned in the statement of loss caused by the fire were not. to be found on the premises after the outbreak, according to fire brigade and police witnesses, and Mrs. Meagher was submitted to considerable cross-examina-tion on this question. In evidence, however,' site swore that the articles which slys had enumerated were in the house, which was untenanted at the time of the fire, and which she inspected some clays before. She could not in any way account for the outbreak, as she was in Thames at. the time, being employed at an hotel there, while her husband had been away from Waihi for a considerable period. In giving liis verdict the coroner said the evidence of the fire brigade superintendent, the deputy-superinten-dent, and Constable Rimmer, that there had been three distinct outbreaks of fire, none of which appeared connected with either of the others, decidedly pointed to an unlawful act on the part of some person or persons unknown. The evidence had shown that Mrs. Meagher was not in Waihi at the time, and the dwelling was untenanted, while there was nothing to show that Mr. Meagher had been in the town. There was an inference that certain articles had been removed before the fire took place, and that others had been taken afterward, but Mrs. Meagher’s answer was that everything was in order when last'she visited the house. It could not, however, be suggested that three distinct outbreaks were accidental, and his verdict would he that the fire was caused by an act of incendiarism by some person or persons unknown.