SUSPICIOUS FIRE AND ROBBERY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 49, 26 February 1903, Page 3

SUSPICIOUS FIRE AND ROBBERY.

HSAD CLERK ABBESTIO. W PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. Auckland, February 25. Early this morning & constable discovered a fire in the office of John Beid and Company, in Fort-street. The policeman smashed the window and found the door of the cafe wide open. Some of the office books were burning on the floor. The Fire Brigade arrived promptly and extinguished the fire in an incipient etagp. An examination showed that the safe had been opened with a key. Though the door was wide open the locks were Bbot. There was a secret spring in tbe safe, without operating which it would have been impossible to open the safe. The books were spread oa ; ', apparently with the object; of allowing the fire to take eff ct. The cash bcx was cleared of absut £2O, bat a Dumber of cheques were untouched. So far there is no indication of how an entrance wss effected. The atiuir is a complete mystcy. It appears that the incendiary used a large quantify of straw, and an empty bottle in the vicinity indicated that methylated spirits had been us3d to induce the conflagration. Straw had been piled on the top of the books, bat it was only partly burned when the fire I was extinguished. Later David Somerville, head clerk to John Beid and Company, was arrested and charged in the Police Court with wilfully setting fire to the premises and also with the theft of £3O, the property of his employers. Accused was remanded till Wednesday, bail being allowed in a self-recognisance of £IOO and two sureties of £IOO each.