SUPREME COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 42, 8 February 1908, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.

A SPITEFUL SON-IN-LAW. Per Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. At the Supreme Court to-day, Nichot las Albert Maddren, aged 32, was placed : upon his trial charged with arson and ■ theft at Kiripaka. In outlining the case /or the Crown, the Hon. J. A. Tolc, K.C., ; said that the prisoner was charged firstly with setting fire to a dwcllinghouse ; on January 1, and secondly with break- , ing into a dwellinghouse and steal&ig | therefrom a sum of £IBO. The prisonr er was a son-in-law of Mrs. Olsen, whose money was tak«n, and brother-in-law to Mr. Wetherall, whose house was burnt. On the night of the fire, Mrs. Olsen was. in her house, which prisoner knew well, having lived there. Prisoner had had some unpleasantness with his brother-in-law, so much so. that he threatened his brother-in-law, and that he would "settle with him another time." On the, Ist January, prisoner was living at his mother's house. He apparently resorted to the expedient of setting fire' to Wethcrall's house, and then went over a distance of about half a mile to his mother-in-law's house. He threw stones at the I windows, and getting no response, went round to the house and knocked at the I door. He aroused Mrs. Olsen, and' told ' that WetheralPs house was on fire. By . that expedient he got his mother-in-law and her son out of the house. Whilst they were away, prisoner broke into the house, and with a poker broke open .1 drawer in a chest of drawers contains ing the money. Prisoner took the drawer away with him. Evidence was , given, and prisoner found guilty and I remanded for sentence.