FALSE FIRE ALARMS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 115, 12 June 1909, Page 2

FALSE FIRE ALARMS.

A YOUNG WOMAN'S STRUGGLE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Xiglit. As a result of a series of false alarms of lire on the sth. hist., to which the brigade responded on each occasion, a vouiijjt man named' .lolrn Evans was charged in the Magistrate's Court today with wantonly setting in motion 'the line atom, in Hoppe'ii street. Doris Harris, residing in Hopper street, said she saw accused and a.iotlieT man on the night of the sth inst. Witness had been informed previously that n, false alarm had already been given ill Wallace street, and consequently she suspected two' men. One of them she renneniliered as accused. She saw him deliberately break the glass of tJie alarm with his pocket knife. Witness spoke to him, and he replied that there was a lire. Witness did not believe liini, and accordingly she tried | to hold him. Tihey struggled, but sub- j scquently the man was successful in. freeing himself by means of throwing her down. He, made oil' and witness followed him to a house in South Avenue. The second man had preceded accused. When witness' arrived at the. house she overheard someone say, "Come in, Jack, you'll cop out for this." Witness took stock of the surroundings and returned to Hopper street and informed Superintendent O'Brien and a constable (if the occurrence. Superintendent the Fire Brigade, and Constable Belcher gavo corroborative evidence. The. defence was a denial of tho charged, accus'ed saying he was in bed about an hour and 'a, half prior to the occurrence. Mr. Riddelt, S.M.. convicted accused and fined him £3 and costs 255, in default seven days' imprisonment.