DUNEDIN.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3817, 23 March 1881, Page 2

DUNEDIN.

This day. At the Coroner's inquest held at Port Chalmers touching the suspicious fire at Mansford Bay on the sth, the next door neighbours of Pearce swore that on the j evening of the fire they heard noises in i his house as of people jumping off a form or table, and saw a light in the parlour, | where the fire broke out. Other wit- j nesses swore that the boy Martin Mc> j Mahon declared to them that Pearce, the owner of the house, offered him £10 to fire the house. McMahon was somewhat intoxicated at the time. George Moir, in his evidence, said that on Feburary the 21st, while on the beer, he was with McMahon, who was drunk, when he (McMahon) wanted him to go mates, as he had been offered £10 to burn down the house, but intended to try and get £15. Witness gathered that the house was Pearco's, but thought it was only the beer talking. He had told Sergeant White in the hospital that he would burn any house down in these hard times for £10, and so would McMahon. In his evidence McMahon ssid he had made statements when drunk for which he was now very sorry. He knew nothing of the fire, and Pearce never mooted to him to set fire to the house, but he mooted the matter to him. That's honest confession.

The Coroner: You have either wilfully perjured yourself, or, which is very improbable, you were so drunk as to be under an huUucination, and you quite fail to clear Pearce. You are one of the most discreditable witnesses that ever came in Court. Two witnesses swore that McMahon was not under the influence of drink when he made the statements. Pearce denied ever having any conversation with McMahon, and his family was away from home on the night of the fire. The Jury returned a verdict that the house was wilfully fired by some persons unknown, and that the evidence of McMahon and Mbir was exceedingly unsatisfactory;

(fbom ottb own correspondent.)