TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 149, 25 June 1889, Page 5

TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS.

Henry Collins deposed to having discovered the fire afc an early stage. He heard a doer slam. It could only have been the front door of Bradbury's premises, and about bhree minutes afterwards saw the premises on fire. Mohn Telfer, stoker, deposed that on the evening cf the tire he saw smoke coming Irom under the front door of Bradbury's shop aboub 7 o'clock. He gob inbo Bradbury's yard and saw a flame in the show room. The window was open, and he gob a lad to close ib bo stop the draught. By Mr Hesketh : There was a little flame, but if he had gob in he could have extinguished ib. John Fenton, foreman of ■ the Karangahape Contingent of the Fire Brigade, on the 3rd February last, deposed thab bhe station was aboub 120 or 130 yards from Bradbury's, shop. There was an alarm of fire on bhe evening of February 3rd, just on seven o'clock.' Witness got to the house'in aboub two minutes, and found the showroom on fire. He could not get in by the back door, and pub a lead through the window. He saw tlio fare travelling along

the ceiling, and it got into the front shop in no time, so he abbacked bhe fire in bhe fronb as v/ell as ab bhe rear. His attenbion was drawn by one of bhe ciby firemen (Waybe) bo a fire upsbairs. They gob inbo bhe kibchen by climbing over bhe verandah, and found fire in a little cupboard alongside of the window. Tho fire was inside the shelving, and some rags were burning there. Witness bhrew bhe rags oub of bhe kibchen window. He could nob see how bhe fire upstairs could have originated from the fire below, and there was nob suflicienb damage done in bhe cupboard bo show bhab bhe fire commenced bhere.

By Mr Campbell: There were some marks of fire on bhe floor aiound bhe cupboard door, and the front of bhe cupboard door was charred. He saw no firo upsbairs unbil he had been aboub bwenty minutes ab the fire.

By bhe Jury : The cupboard door was open when witness wenb in and bhe kitchen door was '-Vsed.

James tRT iyfce, fireman attached to bhe Auckland Fire Brigade, deposed bhab he heard an alarm of fire aboub five minubes pasfa seven on bhe evening of February 3rd, and proceeded to the scene sf the tire at Bradbury's shop. He entered the kibchen by climbing ovor bhe verandah.. The kitchen door was closed. He found some shelving ab bhe bobtom of bhe window was on fire. Ab bhis bime bhere was no fii-e coming up the staircase. Witness informad Air Fiiubori and bhey wenb bo the kitchen together. Witness madeanex'amination ©f the premises, and could not find anything to show where the fire in the kibchen came from. There was no fire in the fireplace, and some water in a, kebble was cold.

William Field, Fire inspecbor and Captain of the Salvage Corps, deposed thab he received bhe alarm of fire at Bradbury's shop between 7 and 7.15 p.m. on February 3rd. He took charge of the goods after the fire was extinguished. The whole ol bhe walls of bhe show-room were charred, excepb where a couch sbood, bhe conbents of bhe cupboard under bbc staircase were considerably charred on bhe oufaside. Had bhe fire originabed in bhe cupboard he would have expecbed bhe coubeiits bo have been consumed. He bhought bho fire started in the showroom. Witness also examined some shelving upstairs thafc had been on fire, and found no trace connecting ib wibh the fire below or the fireplace. By Mr Campbell: The door of bbc cupboard was charred and also the under-side of the sbairs, bub nob so much as bhe lining of the show room. The shop appeared to be fairly well stocked. William Dowding, tobacconist, residing next door bub one bo bhe scene of the fire, deposed that aboub 7 p.m., on February 3rd he was standing ab his fronb door, when he saw Mr Herbert, Bradbury pass and go bowards bhe Greab Norbh Road. Not more than ten minutes later witness saw smoke issuing from the fanlight of Bradbury's door.

Jane Bradbury deposed thab she was the mother of Herberb Bradbury, and on the 3rd February lasb lived in bhe same house with him. In the evening of that day she went to church with her daughter Edibh, and was called oub of : church by an alarm of fire. She had nob seen her son Herberb since bbc Monday before bhe inquesb, and did nob know where he was at present. He left a note for witness, and she burned ib prior bo the inquest. She did nob think ib would be of any use. Herberb lefb bwo cheques, one for £80 and another for £18. She pub bhe former in the bank in her own name and gave bhe labter bo her son Earnesb, belling him whab bo do wibh it. The note lefb by Herbert sbabed bhab he had been worried aboub the fire and would be at bhe inquesb. He stated bhab he was going to Port Albert, that she was not to be alarmed, and to use fcheohequohehad left for her,also thafc he had taken a little money wifchhim. Beforehelefb her son sold fche salvage, and got forit about £,70 she believed. The £18 cheque was to be paid to Messrs Sargood and Ewen for a bill due on the lsb March. Witness knew nothing abonb her son's business. Her son did not owe her £80, and the cheque was left as a gift. She believed Le pub about £3SO into the business.

By Mr Campbell: Her son was in business in Auckland for about four or five months, and ab Porb Alberb for aboub eight or nine years. During bhab bime he stood in bhe place of a father bo the family. He was regular and careful in his habits. Herbert enjoyed a life interest in large landed properties left by her husband. When Herbert left for port Albert there were about £200 outstanding debts bo be collected there. She saw his cash-box afber bhe fire. Some of the notes were saturated with water, and some of the silver was blackened by fire. Herbert usually locked his bedroom door, and generally left the window open when leaving the room. In bhe kibchen there were long curtains on the window and on the shelving. There was no sign of fire when witness left the house. By Mr Hesketh : Her son did not ask her fco sign bhe proof of loss. By His Honor: The harmonium, bed clothes, and crockery, injured by bhe fire belonged bo witness. Emeline Bradbury deposed thab she remembered her mobher and her sisber Edith going to church on the evening of February 3rd, leaving witness, two brothers, and a sisber in bhe house. Her bwo brothers left after ber mother and Edith. She heard chem go downstairs, bub did nob hear them go out. Ten minutes after bhey left, witness and her sisber, who were in the front room, saw smoke. They ran downstairs and out of the back door. They saw smoke coming through the stairs, and saw fire throngh tbe show-room window. The fire was coming out of the cupboard in fche corner of fche room, and seemed to have a pretby good hold.

By Mr Campbell : Her brothers remained in the sitting-room from the time bhey left bbc kitchen after tea, until they went out.

Counsel were addressing bhe Conrb up bo a late hour bhis afternoon.