INQUEST.

THE FIRE IN JIASONIC STREET. Yesterday afternoon at 2 jj.m. an ■ enquiry into tlio circumstances connected with the lire of Inst Saturday, which destroyed somo old stables in Masonic-street, Masfcrton, was commenced, before Mr District Coroner Hasehlen and the following jury Messrs A Vile (foreman), J. Walker, O'Connor, Geo. Gray, C. Graham uul J. 11, La Roche, The Coroner briefly detailed particulars in connection with the lire, mil iilliuleil to the fact that an enjiiiry had been considered necessary. Peter Hitler, the first witness :alleil, stated lis was a chimney sweep residing at Jlasterton, and ivetl opposite the destroyed premises, aboiilbalffichainaway. He went )nt to sweep chimneys in the niornng about 7 o'clock and went towards 1 Dpaki, but only got as far as the \ Drill Shed, lie then intended to go ' :o a place at Kuripuni but did not ' *etpust the " Top House," where he nut a couple of drinks, and then ' ivcnfc borne about 10.15 or 10, SO. s lie had his working clothes on. v Witness had bis brushes with liitn it O'Jleara's hotel. When be reurned witness went into bis own '' louse and stayed there until he 11 heard the lire-bell. He was not in lie stable that morning, lie had s nit been in the stable for about Jiree weeks, Witness saw no one " ibout, excepting some men working sl it the gas-pipes at the time be went liunie. Witness .shut the door when 11 lie went home, and did not think it 11 ivas open at (lie lime of (lie lire. The house witness lived in contained two rooms, and it was not likely the :loor could be opened without wit- '' ness knowing. The door was shut 111 when witness went to (lie lire. There were (wo rooms in the front r( wilh a window looking out to the " slicd. Witness was cleaning the '' house and did not notice the lire. Witness did not change his clothes " till after the lire was over. 01 To His Worship: AVitness did not meet anyone when he left his house ['l when (lie bell rang, but there were 111 some persons at the fire, Witness !' e heard no one knocking at the door. He was bound to hear anyone open al llie door. The house has a hack door, but was not open until witness ~ look some bedding nut. Witness had not looked into the shed that morning. Witness went to look in ibout three weeks ago, but bad no business there, Witness went H straight from O'Meara's to his own bouse. Witness had no eggs in the J,'!,', lioiiso since lie lived there. Mafchain ivas partner in the whare, and was in -he house when witness left, but not ivhen witness returned. To the Jury: Had seen boys about n ;he stable prior to the lire, but could 1 not mime them. He did not reniem- Th ber bis mate being in the stable. Had seen fowls about the stable. __ Charles I'rophit, contractor, knew the stable that was burnt. Witness left his private house about ten o'clock, for Masonic-street, and en- T preil after an empty house next to the stable that was burnt down. On ,vl the opposite side of the road was a house wilh a door open, and it has since been pointed out to him as Hitler's house, The front door was open and witness knocked several times, and then went up (be steps Ji ifiid called out 11 Is anyone at home,'' his object being to iind out who "F jwned the empty house. He went v across to the stable. The door of f„' S the stable was divided; the upper- mjhalf was open, and the lower shut, o'cl: He again asked if anybody was t here. Jlas I'his was about ten o'clock'. He ;hcn left ami again returned when he licard the bell. He went to town by ut Bannister-street, Witness left lii's ivatch with Uroadbcnt for repairs on A 'lis way down, and could not tell the ;.vact lime lie looked into the shed. t ' iu ' l ' l To the Jury; Witness smoked but » 0 "! lid not remember doing so when at he shed. No one replied when lie C '°"" inquired at Hitler's house.

f W. Falls, labourer, of Jlasterlon, ■, knew tlio building in question. Jit' , in company will! two otlieis,' Avero , working at the corner of IlesseyI and Bannislei-slreets in full v i ew > of the stable, Bayers, 0110 of the i party, noticed tlicsmoko and ran off : toringthelirebcll. JlrCnrhamand ! himself went to the building, Curham leading. The lire was buniimr at the far end of the stable, at hot" torn of the stall. It was he thought the bedding. They pulled out some hay and feed and thonghtthey could have extinguished the Haines if water had been obtainable. They saw no one when the lire occurred about the stable. itness knew Peter llidor, but did not see liini that morning! It was just after the Eketahuna train came in, about 10.30 a.m. C. Ciirham, gas manager for the Borough said he was with last witness working in Hessoy-street until the lire-bull rang. Sayers drew his attention to the smoke issuing from the hack of the stable, and witness entered, the doors being open, and Savors rang the bell. At (he back of the stable there was a (|iiimtity of I straw on lire. A partition was near the lire and was jnstcatehing. There was another door to the stable, Wit-

, ness went to the room after they - took the feed out but found nothing t in it,. He saw no eggs in the shed. . L. Uichardson, daughter of Mrs< ) Uichardson dressmaker of Hannister- ) street, said she knew the stables, t She was at the back of her mother's I premises with Miss Waito from o'3o

. till 10'30 a.m., and tho stables were in full view, being just moss, the road. Knew Peter Hider and saw him enter tho stables that morning in his sweeping dollies. She mentioned to Miss Wailo that Peter Hidcr was going into the stablf looking for esjgs. She also men ' lioned the fact to Miss Cashion befor tho liro happened but did not se 6 him come out again. As soon i :0 Witness saw liini, she told Mi IS Cashion who was in the house, ni came out again almost immediate' She stayed ontsido till tho lire, a again saw Hidcr carrying a bum If from his house while the tiro v burning, but in different clotl Vl ' B She saw Mr Prophit about tbi !°' quarters of an hour aftersbe: , Ce ' Hitler. Sho did not know iv] Hidcr eamo from when ho wer ' ! e ! tho stable. Mrs Cashion had f ' i° and they laid eggs in the st 71 s Witness saw Hider's side wlie i' entered the stable and had no d , ( fiboul him. Ho had his swe • ' clothes on, Sho saw him go I J ( u shed before this, \ io tllß Rosa Waite. staying witl jr Richardson in Bannister-slree ' t •.] she remembored tho incident '' 'morning of the fire, Sho i bered Miss Richardson sayine , , that Eider was after eggs, I™ did not look round. Witm him during the fire, Sho !8S T Prophit on that morning ab< \} an-hour after Missßicharc , :IU her about Hider. Sho si ~ boys about the stable while T tbl ' eo out there. They were on ' leading to the loft between oS ,. epß

Hider mid Prophit wore there. I'lio children were very small. Alico Cushion, in tlio employ of Airs Richardson, stated that lior i mother was tlio only person about , theie who kept fowls. Witness liud gono frequently to the shed for oggs. Sho wns there iast Wednesday evening, but being dark sho did not enter. It was very dark in tho shed but she knew where the nests were, ; and sho never used matches. Tlio nests would bo difficult for a stranger to find. Sho was not in there on Saturday morning. She saw Mr Prophit about 10.20 a,lll. going towards Eider's house. Sho noticed three small boys playing near the biiildii>giibouf.fl,3o, Tlicy had been collecting eggs from the stable regularly until tho last week. At halt- • past nine both the door at Hider's houso and the door of the stablo were shut. l l '. lieiiall, fon of A. W. Rennll, stated that his father owned the ' stables destroyed, and they were not | insured. The buildings were about I twenty years old, | •

Hugh McKay, contractor, of Upper Plain, suit! ho routed the stuhles about a fortnight, or three weeks ago. _ It was a week last Wednesday since ho used tho stuliles. 110 closed the doors that were on hinges, but some of the doors liad no hinges. The stables wero old but good with a little repair. The stables contained a load of sfrmwbedding in three stalls. Ho board the lire caught where tho straw was I stored. Tho horse feed was saved,, but witness lost sundry articles of harness, The stables wee free nb any time to anyone, but the loft was looked.

This whs all tho evidence. Hi s Worship pointed out llie d'movr I ut the town of such lires if i;ai'o we' :e not taken.

After a short rclircniOr,l. the jc ry ,t returned a verdict lu tho effect t' .ml c 'here was no evidence tc, show 1 ,ow ut the fire originated, ~ A rider was also addud as folic )\'S: ; s "In the opinion of iho jn ry the evidence of Peler Huler is ut iis itisI factory. the jury are n |:;rj of e opinion that owners of empty l )H i|,|.| e i'lgs should exercise grca ter cute in \ s j'W'd to the security (! ' L sue h build-j , ings; and that there, ('*; new- ssitv lor , an improved apply in" the ; lioroueh." tor coiilinuiilm <if ran [iiij-mr/ieTfCC 1 fmii'lli jtHi/f