ARSON AT ISLAND BAY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2221, 30 June 1891, Page 4

ARSON AT ISLAND BAY.

The inquest into the circumstances attending the fire at the Island Bay Hotel began last Saturday njorning. Charles Snow, an officer o£ the Salvation Army deposed to assisting to extinguish the fire, which he and others discovered in various rooms of which the doors were locked. Hansen the landlord, appeared quite unconcerned, and was smoking his pipe. Hansen swore at witness and struck him several times. He also threatened to punch witness’s head if he did not clear out. Witness accordingly got out of his way, and called for assistance to extinguish the flames.... The, first, fire, was discovered in a bedroom downstairs, and after that had been put out witness and others proceeded upstairs. Looking through the keyhole of room Ho. 2 witness saw fire and smoke coming from underneath the floor Hansen declared there was no fire there, saying “ its all out now”, and wanted them to go away. Witness insisted that there was fire, and broke open the door with an axe. The room was full of smoke, and a man named Howard rushed in with a bucket of water. They found that the matrass, which was turned up on its edge against the wall, was on fire, and the wall was also burning.* In Ho, 3 room, which was not locked, they found the matress turned against the wall, apparently having been set fire to hut it had not burned. After this they looked about upstairs for further traces of fire, and observed smoke coming from underneath the door of room No. 1, which was also locked. On witness bursting it open the bed-

room were discovered- to be an fire, which was suppressed. The Island Bay fire enquiry eonoladed shortly after 11 o’clock tonight. About a dozen witnesses were examined, the evidence being mainly corroborative of. that given by Know. The jury returned a verdict of arson against Christian Hansen (the landlord), and that there was not sufficent evidence to implicate the wife.