ARSON AT NAPIER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 251, 29 April 1880, Page 2

ARSON AT NAPIER.

Napier, April 2;'). There was great sen-ation in own this morning waen it was discover-.' 1 by the hoy who opened the Corporation offices, that the floor'of the office was in ablaze. He called for assistance and the tiames were subdued h-fan- any material damage was done. It was found that about a gallon o i k--rosene had been poured ovor the floor, table, and books kept by the clerk, nam-d Shaw. Empty bottles, which had contained kerosene', were stacked in the corner, and it was beyond doubt' the work of an incendiar)', who was determined to burn the building down, for the cocoauut matting in the public room, aswell as in too Mayor’., office, was well soaked with oil. The fire was just discovered in time and had evidently not been burning long. The police set to work to make enquiries, and found that it was the annual audit day, and the fact that a number of note books and counter foils had been pulled down from a shelf, and after the oil had been poured over them, ranged round Shaw’s books in open order so that they would readily burn, directed suspicion to him. Ho rWiis in the office and was most active in srrn'gest'mg theories to account for tne fur. pointing out footmarbr on AiEtlriu-I

below a window which nobody else could see. At last ho seemed to become conscious that suspicion pointed to him, : and at once he went to the Mayor and confessed that he had embezzled money belonging to the Corporation, and that he had ' falsified boobs to Hide his defalcations, but he denies having set the place on fire. The police have since d'seover. d-that Shaw purchased kerosene in the bottles which wore found in the room, from Maney and ( b.’s ,pn Saturday. Shaw-is well connected, and hv 8 hitherto born a good name.- Ho p'aa ... one time a ruriholder in the country, ', but for several gyeats ipast ’ has. been , r in the employ oftiie Corporation. " About six months ago lie was appointed x ate collector, and it is occurred since . thou. He states that ho has no idea . how much he has embezzled, audit will ; take several days for the auditors to find it out, though several specific embezzlements have already been discovered. Sliaw has a wife nu.l largo family, and much sympathy is expressed for thorn. He has never lived in a fast mannerand nothing occurred to rouse suspicion before- the firK : The general belief; is - ■ that he. got gradually into debt and, on being pressed by’’li'atWsihch,' thole this , - money from the rates and then altered, the books to correspond with the amount he paid in. His salary was over L2oo a year, 8

- April 27. Shaw, late Clerk and Rate Collector to the; Corporation, was this morning brought up and remanded on the charge of setting tire to-the Corporation offices yesterday Morning. ’ ' Further particulars relative to the fire are as follows :—One ot the windows of the largo room was seen to bo partly open, and Sergeant Mahan called attention to this, whereupon Shaw, replied^ “ That is curious, as there has been no one there since Saturday.” To-day (Tuesday) was appointed for the annual audit of the Borough accounts. On Saturday it appeared this was referred toby captain Bower in the presence ■ of all the clerks, as__ he had apparently, some suspicion that' everything- was not quite right • He said. “Wo will go jnto the accounts on Monday, and if he keeps us all night wo must go through them before the Auditors come.” The 'office was then closed-and the boy declared that all the doors were locked and windows fastened at that time. The Collector’s books were left on the table as there was no room in the" safe,. but the blocks and license forms ware 6a a shelf behind the collector’s chair. This was all that could be learned of itin the office. Sergt. Mahan was left in charge ■ and Major Scully smt Constable'' O’Mailey and Detective Grace to prosecute enquiries outside.