ATTEMPTED ARSON AT THE CHRONICLE OFFICE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XII, Issue 827, 6 February 1868, Page 2

ATTEMPTED ARSON AT THE CHRONICLE OFFICE.

This attempt at fire-raising has naturally caused a considerable amount of excitement, and an inquest into the circumstances was held by H. J. Perham, Esq., Coroner, at the Court House on Tuesday afternoon. The following gentlemen were sworn as a ! Moooi'a Tliomuo Wators, (foreman) H. I. Jones, A. Cass, R. S. Low, James Campbell, S. Coleman, H. Wilkins, H. Holloway, J. W. Liddell, J. W. Robinson, D. Bell, G. Howe. After the jury had inspected the pre_ mises, evidence w r as taken on the subject The report in the evening paper is not very correct, but as the inquiry took a turn so new and to us so utterly unexpected,—a turn, we must say, indicative of an enmity so bitter, —w’e prefer quoting from it to giving an independent report of our own. Mr Roberts attended on behalf of the Insurance offices and tlie first witness called was —

H. N. Firth, sworn, said —I am a compositor in the Chronicle office ; on the evening of the 30th ult., I left the office at halfpast four o’clock ; the hooks are always kept in the desk ; the key of the inner door is hung upon a nail, so that any one can get it ; when I left, Mr Hutchison, junr., was there ; I went to the office the same night to show it my wife; 1 went to the office about 7 o’clock ; the first thing I noticed was the window being darkened ; there was a sheet of iron put up against it ; I next saw a candle burning under a table ; the candle was fixed between two pieces of laths ; there was some unravelled cord close to the bottom of the candle ; there was paper round it, saturated with kerosene ; the paper appeared to be laid on the floor, and the wood and candle on the top of it ; about two inches of the candle had been burned ; 1 found near to the materials a match-box, and a walking-stick ; I have seen the cane lying in the office, but 1 do not know who claims it ; 1 next saw the pressmen ; Mr Hutchison, junr., overtook us as we were going down to Mr Hutchison’s, and he said he heard all about it. He said he did not know exactly what to do, whether to communicate with the police or wait till Mr Hutchison came home ; w-e went up to the Court House together ; lie said he left a few minutes after me ; the form had been lifted oft' the press, and carried outside the building to the back premises ; the form was lifted off the press after I left the office. By the Jurors —There is a sky light; Mr Hutchison, junior, said the stick was his ; the form had not been washed. By Mr Roberts —I cannot think of any motive for carrying out the form ; there appeared as if water had been thrown over the form. By the Coroner —The books were found close under the window ; if the window were broken the books could be handed out of it. By a J uror—A good deal of paper was saturated with kerosene. By the Coroner—The paper had been taken out of the waste paper basket ; the candle had been put there on purpose, and would have set fire to the office when it burned down. Thomas Ferry —T am engaged in the Chronicle office; on the 30th ultimo I left

at a quarter past four o’clock ; the fastenings of the windows were all secure ; I saw the candle under the table ; 1 was shown where the books were; I met Mr Hutchison walking on the beach ; when I met Mr Hutchison he had not seen Northover and Firth ; when I told him about it he asked me if I had put it out ; I can see no object why the form was removed ; one person can carry the form out ; a printer could come through the skv-light, without injuring the form, who knew all about it, but no one else could ; I was informed that there had been no kerosene in the place for two days previous; the intending incendiary must have come in by Mr Hutchison’s door ; the walking-stick was lying on the paper close to the candle ; I fancy the stick was Mr Hutchison’s.

A. Willis —I have been engaged in the Chronicle office ; all the windows at the back of the office were fixtures ; I can see nothing that could have been gained by removing the form ; the books were generally kept on Mr Hutchison, senior’s desk ; Mr Hutchison, junior’s desk is under the window ; the books might have been reached from the former’s desk, but it would have been difficult.

George Hutchison—On the afternoon of the 30th, I left the office at twenty minutes past 4 o’clock ; I hang my key upon a nail in a porch inside the door ; the last thing I did was closing the doors ; 1 was making out accounts that day, and had the hooks upon the desk under the window ; I was not where the candle was after the printers had left ; I don’t know whether we had any kerosene on the premises ; I don’t generally carry a walking-stick ; I did not claim a walking stick ; I said I had had the stick ; I did not remove it from the premises ; 1 do not know where that stick is ; I took up the stick, but 1 don’t know where I left it ; I learnt there was something of a suspicious character about 8 or 9 o’clock ; the form in my opinion was removed out to be taken away after dark, and turned into money ; immediately after I was informed, I communicated with the police ; it is my opinion the party went in by the front door ; 1 have been at a loss to account for it; I was not aware at the time the plant was insured ; the stick was there when I left; I was there the first in the morning ; it is not usual for me to be out so late as 1 was that night ; I came into town to meet a gentleman ; it would take a strong man to lift the form ; I was aware the plant was insured at the time of the former fire.

Sergeant Kinsella—Upon receiving information I went to the premises of the Chronicle office; I found a candle in the midst of paper all wet with kerosene; I saw a kerosene drum hut there was no kerosene in it ; the back window was covered with a board ; Mr Hutchison opened the back door and we find outside, against a verandah r saw the form of type; any person by having the keys could have gone where the candle was burning ; I saw where the keys were; I found a small cane, which Mr Hutchison claimed as his ; he told me it was bis cane ; the cane was about three feet from the candle ; I found another piece of candle ; to the best of my knowledge it was about half-past 8 o’clock ; Mr Hutchison took up the stick and said “ this is mine.” 1 did not take possession of the stick because Mr Hutchison claimed it ; there were about three inches burnt off the candle ; it would take about half-an-hour to burn it ; X believe Mr Hutchison told me he left at halfpast 5 o’clock. Joseph Northover deposed,—l am a printer at the Chronicle office. I left the office about half-past 5 o’clock, Mr Firth and I went out together ; the form was on the press when I left it ; when 1 got to the office I found Mr Firth and Mr Ferry; I saw the stick lying across the paper near the candle ; there were no indications of any person having made a forcible entrance ; I could not say whether Mr Hutchison had a cane when he left with the Sergeant ; the kerosene can was in the proper place ; there did not seem to be anything upset ; the paper was not in the room when I left at half-past four, and it was there when 3 went at 8 o’clock ; the candles are kept in the editor’s room ; there might have been enough kerosene in the can to be made use of : the twine was as thick as my little linger ; 1 had not seen it before ; the boy left at 3 o’clock.

Sergeant Kinsella, recalled—l did not take charge of any of the combustibles with the exception of the candle. Mr Roberts applied for an adjournment. Adjourned for a week.