INQUEST ON JOHN HOLMES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 5466, 26 January 1885, Page 2

INQUEST ON JOHN HOLMES.

As inquest on the body of John Henry Holmes, who mot with his death at the rocent firo in Elliott-street, was held on Saturday afternoon before Dr. Philson, Coroner, and a jury, of whom Mr William Macandrew was chosen foremen. John Mackinlay, in whose workshop the fire originated, deposed that when he left town on Friday, at 5 p.m , deceased was sitting in his room. Witness did not hour of the firo until his return to town next morning. Deceased, who was occasionally engaged at the theatre as scenic artist, was troubled with insomnia, and used to read in bed. Did net know whether he usod any narcotic to induce sleep, but he usually had a candle burning, and was in the habit of smoking. —Delilah Harris, who lived with her husband and family in the southern division of the same building, deposed that she saw the reflection of flames through the holes in the partition, and therefore knocked on tho wall, calling deceased by name. Sho got no answer, although she heard tho footsteps of a man with his boots on in deceased's room, 110 was wulkirg rapidly, as if trying to get out. Deceased often came home late, and sho had frequently seen him in liquor.— Ralph Lucas deposed that he had a glass of beer with deceased in tho afternoon. Holmes asked him to call at seven o'clock, and if ho was asleep to wake him. He drank too much, and did not got there till ton o'clock, when ho could not iincl any trace of Holmes. % Witness sat down in a chair in the front room, and fell asleep. Was awakened by a noise of quarrelling next door, and the cracking of hie. lie then ran out into the street, and returned to his homo in Freeman1!! Bay — Thomas Purriman, carpenter, deposed that he eaid " good night" to deceased at eleven o'clock on Friday night, outsido tho stago door of tho Opera House. Deceased said he had to work all night on a bannorfor the Eight Hours' Demonstration. Evidence was also given by Emily Graydon and Detective Hughes, and tho jury returned a verdiot to the effect that tho body of deceased, John Henry Holmes, was found suffocated and scorched in a burning houso in Elliott-street on Saturday, tho24th inst., but that thero was no evidenco adduced to show how the lire originated.