Commonwealth v. Mehales

An indictment was presented charging that the defendant on September 20, 1932, at Orange, “did willfully and maliciously attempt to set fire to” a hotel building belonging to third persons. The case was tried before a judge of the Superior Court sitting without a jury upon an agreed statement of facts. Those facts show that the defendant made a bargain through the procurement of an owner of an unoccupied building to burn it for compensation for the purpose of enabling the owners to collect insurance. Pursuant to that arrangement the defendant, when it was somewhat dark and after seven o’clock…