FIRE INQUIRY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 96, 23 April 1906, Page 2

FIRE INQUIRY.

An inquiry was opened this morning at the Robert Bums Hotel, •Bay, by the Gty Coroner (Mr. T. Gxesham) respecting a fire that occurred at the residence of Mt. W. Walker in West-street on the 17th inst. Detective Henderson represented the police, and J- stitt was foreman -of the jury. After the jury'had inspected the building evidence was called. Mr. W. B. Tart (representing the Slanehester Fire insurance Company) stated that up to March, 1905, two cottages in West-street (subdivided) were insured in his oflice, in the name of William Walker, for £75 each, the interest in the buildings however being subsequently transferred to Messrs. Myers and Baume. In March of this year, on account of improvements, an additional ;£25 insurance on each building was effected, and also a policy was taken out on the furniture for £105. These policies were effected in the name of Mrs. Margaret Walker, wife of the owner. [Replying to questions from the coroner, Mr. Tait said that the furniture in the house damaged by fire appeared to have been ransacked either before or after the fire, as his estimate as to value today did not come up to the valuation made when he inspected the same. He estimated the stock to-day to be worth |£85 15s.

Hugh Watson Melville, blacksmith, of Cook-street, gave evidence of ; passing along' Cook-street with H_ mate pn the night of April 17th, at a few minutes to eleven o'clock, and seeing smoke issuing from the front part of . a cottage in West-street, about 100 yards away. •He went and broke the alarm disc in! Cook-street.

Eireman Benjamin Walk et stated - that he was one of tne brigade who attended the fire. He thought that the fire started in a room in the basement, swhere he subsequently found a. mattress iof flax, .which apparently had had some oil on itr To the Police: "The flax was Xairfy scattered over the floor of the tophi .in the basement.

To Mr.yW, W m iker: Did not _cc any shelf in tie basement room, but saw a bucket and a gallon "turps" tin. Fireman Albert • Jeffrey, who was working with; Walker cm-_that occasion, corroborated the 1 evidence- given as regards the state of the flax. He stated that he could smell oil on the smouldering flax. In the toy bucket (produced) °i °*- Wi toess handed the bucket to-Constable -Cos At the requegt of the police-the l inquiry at thjs point was _djourn~ed to ?_onday, April 30th, at 10a.m.