FALSE FIRE ALARMS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2526, 12 June 1909, Page 4

FALSE FIRE ALARMS.

THE PERPETRATOR PUNISHED. (Per Press Association,) WELLINGTON, June 11. As a result of a series of false alarms of fire on the sth inst., to which the brigade responded on each occasion, a young man' named John Evans w r as charged in tho Magistrate’s Court today with wantonly setting in motion the fire alarm in Hopper Street Doris Harris, residing in Hopper Street, said she saw accused and another man on the night of the oth inst. Witness had been informed previously that' a false alarm' had already been given in Wallace Street, and consequently she suspected two men. One of the men she remembered as accused. She saw him deliberately break the glass of the alarm with his pocket knife. Witness spoke to him, and he replied that there was a fire. Witness did not believe liim, and accordingly s he tried to hold him. They strugg.ed, but subsequently the man was successful in freeing himself by means oi throwing her down. He made oft, and witness followed him to a house m South Avenue. The second man had preceded accused. When witness airived at the house she overheard someone say, “Come ip here, and you R cop out for this.” Witness took stock of the surroundings, and returned to Hopper Street, and informed Superintendent O’Brien and a constable of the Superintendent O’Brien, oi the fire brigade, and Constable Belcher gat e corroborative evidence. The defence was a oemal of the charge, accused saying he was m bed about an hour and a half prior to the, occurrence. . , , ~ ilr. Riddell, S.M.. convicted the accused. and fined him £3 and costs 255, in default seven days’ imprisonment.