ALLEGED ARSON.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 108, 27 June 1885, Page 3

ALLEGED ARSON.

For some weeks past Detective Jones has been investigating the circumstances connected with the destruction by fire of the shops in Victoria-street occupied by Lewis Dare, clothier, and several other tradespeople. It will be remembered that the fire originated in Dare's premises, and nothing could be advanced to account for the cause of the outbreak. The result of Detective Jones's inquiries was of such a nature as to lead to several interviews between Superintendent Thomson and Mr Hudson Williamson, with the result that a warrant was issued to day for Dare's arrest on the change of setting fire to the premises with intent to defraud. It will be remembered that on the night prior to the fire, a man named Whitelaw, who had occupied one of Dare's rooms, quarrelled with his landlord, and leffc. Whitelaw was one of the first persons on the soene when the fire broke out, and he found Dare, and his wifo, and family in one of the passages. Dare said to him, "You must have left a candle burning in your room," but this Whitolaw denied, and to make sure, he asserted that he went with another maH named Ersby to his [room, and found no fire there. 1 These fact lcds t« other inquiries being made, with th« result already stated. These proceeding are not taken at the instance of the insuranco companies interested Dare's stock was insured tr £850, and Mr J. B. Graham gays he has no reason to believe that it was over-insured. Dare, he considers, had stock yrorth more than that amount several days before the fire, and whether or not it was removed remains to be eeen. The valuo placod by Daro on his stock vras £1,800.