FIRE AT KAIAPOI.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 276, 9 December 1887, Page 2

FIRE AT KAIAPOI.

Kaiapoi, December 0. Shortly after twelve last night, McDonald's boarding house and the Borough Council offices, Kaiapoi, were burned down. The fire began in McDonald's, from the bursting of a kerosene lamp. Most of the Municipal.archives were saved. The offices were insured for £BSO in tho Liverpool, London and Globe. The City' Surveyor had an insurance of i! 100 in the South British on instruments. The tote) damage is estimated at J&JQOOt.

ALLEGED CRIMINAL LIBEL. William Charles Nation ■ ;;\vaß,' charged otv remand, at'the Wei*' lington B. M. Court ou Wednesdav last, before Mr H, S. Wardell, K.M., with having published in the. Wairarapa Standard a defamatory libel concerning Henry Anderson. Mr' Skerrit appeared to prosecute, Mr Gray defending.

Henry Anderson, the complainant, stated that lie had been e.igaged as an editor in New Zealand for 26 years. Six years ago.he became editor of the Wairarapa Standard, and continued his connection with that paper up to September 1886. Since that time he had been variously employed. Through the Hon. Mr Buckley, he had been employed as a temporary clerk in the Census Department, where ho remained until the work on which he had been engaged, was completed. Mr Ballance then employed him for some timet in connection with making temporary arrangements for the production of a new weekly paper, which never eventuated. He also wrote a number ot leading articles for a paper called the Advertiser. He was employed by the Manawatu Railway Company to report on certain blocks of land to ho offered for sale, and more latterly bad been engaged as a temporary clerk in the Native Office fur four and a half months, Ho had bought a copy of the standard for September 12, and he whs the person referred to as "Jock. Anderson" in an article headed " Red Herrings" contained therein He had been editor of the " Independent," had been on the Southern Cross with Sir Julius Vogel, had owned and edited the Wanganui Chronicle, and had been editor of many others, being editor of the Wairarapa Observer at the present time, which office he had tilled since the latter part of June last. In September, 1886, defendant hud written to him, saying that he was in tightened monetary circumstances, and could not retain him any longer as editor.

Adolphus David Bolt gave evidence as to selling plaintiff ut copy of the Standard of September 12.

William J. Lankshear deposed as to exposing copies of the Standard on a boarding at the side of his premises. He could not say if the Standard of September i2th was so posted, -but he supposed it was, Mr Gray said he had not crossexamined informant to show justification, as he was barred by law, as lie has previously pointed out. Mr Nation however, was not of course going to sit down under this charge, and he (Mr Gray) might mention that the defendant proposed to take counter proceedings of a similar character against Mr Anderson, It was a case of" diamond cut diamond."

His Worship said he hardly agreed with Mr Gray's stand that he was barred by law from setting up a-defence in the R.M. Court, but offered no objection to it. The defendant was committed for trial. No bail was fixed, defendant being allowed to depart, upon undertaking to appear when called upon, Mr bkerrett (for tho prosecution) waiving the matter of sureties,—Press.