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Tales of Banks Peninsula

Burning of Hotels

Burning of Hotels.

Coming down to more recent times than this work treats of, there are two or three striking incidents which are worthy of record. Life on Banks Peninsula has been one of serene prosperity in the main, but like every other community Peninsula people have had their periods of storm and stress, insignificant it is true in comparison with those of other less favoured localities, but marked enough to leave an impression on the minds of older residents. One event which is worthy of note is the attempted burning of the Akaroa hotels on August 28, 1882. The incendiary was never discovered, but It was fortunate that he only succeeded in burning down Waeckerle's Hotel, though he evidently wanted to destroy all. We give an extract from the "Akaroa Mail," of August 29, 1882, which gives a general description of the fires in the Borough:—

"On Monday morning some incendiary or incendiaries committed one of the most atrocioua acts ever perpetrated, In cold blood the fiend, or these fiends, in human shape, heaped a mass of gorse, saturated with kerosene, against the walls of three hotels in the borough, and, regardless of the fact that there were women and children sleeping in the upper storeys, set them on fire, "Whoever he or they were, they were thoroughly acquainted with the place and its customs. Sunday night, or rather Monday morning, was selected—the night of all others when the fewest people are about, and the time, 2 a m, was the very hour when the constable, who retires at 1 a.m., would be off the beat, There is a considerable distance between the hotels, though all are in the main street, and yet it appears they were all set on fire within a few minutes of each other. This was, no doubt, to so distract attention that the destruction of one, at least, might be assured. The attempt page 371was but too successful, Mr Bayley, of Wæckerle's Hotel, suffering very heavily, though in the other cases the insurance will cover all damage. It is a queer coincidence thai in all three cases an invalid stopping in the house gave the alarm. We shudder to think what the result might have been, but for the timely discovery in each case. The police have no clue to the discovery of the criminal or criminals. Not a soul was seen in the streets by anybody, and the one who heard anything was Mr Dench, at Wæckerle's Hotel, and he unluckily, thinking Mr Bayley was stirring, took no steps to ascertain the truth. Some people hold the idea that it is the work of a fanatic, who, in his blind fury against the liquor traffic, resolved to destroy the hotels, regardless of the consequences; but no one brings an atom of proof forward An enquiry will be held, and it is to be hoped that then something will be elicited. We append all the information we have been as yet able to gather on the subject.'

The same copy of the "Mail" gives a minute account of the fire at each hotel, but, though want of space prevents these being reproduced in full, there are one or two particulars of interest. The Bruce Hotel was then in the occupation of Mr. Grange, and it was only the determined efforts of him and his son and their neighbours which saved the hotel. The roof had to be knocked off with an axe, and water poured in before the fire was quenched. A boarder noticed the smoke in the first place, and called Mr Grange. At the Criterion Hotel, which was occupied by Mr. Rich, it was the baby which saved the situation, and he e again only the determined efforts of Mr. Rich and a number of boarders quelled the fire. As stated in the a tice quoted, Mr. Dench, of Waeckerle's Hotel, unfortunately thought it was Mr. Bayley moving about, and when he smelt smoke attached no importance to the fact. When be did call Mr. Bayley it was too late, and all that could be done was to get the people out and save what furniture they could. The enquiry was held a fortnight later before the magistrate (Mr. Justin Aylmer), but no light was thrown on the matter, It is a significant fact that the page 372hotels at Little Akaloa, Duvauchelle and another one in the County were all burnt at the same time, Mr. Dench distincily heard the incendiary who lighted Waeckerle's Hotel, and he considered it was an insane person, as he moved about his work clumsily, making a great deal of noi-e and thereby disarming any suspicion. Mad or not the criminal, or criminals, escaped detection altogether, and, in spite of the strenuous efforts made to discover his identity, the name of the perpetrator of this extraordinary hotel incendiarism was never forthcoming.