OAMARU FIRE INQUIRY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 67, 19 March 1915, Page 2

OAMARU FIRE INQUIRY.

SENSATIONAL STORY .DENIED, (By Telegraph —Press Association.) " OAMARU, Thursday. The magisterial inquiry into the fire j which -partially" destroyed the Stir and j Garter Hotel early on the morning of February 14 was continued this afternoon. The hotel, which was the property-" of the Pexman Estate! was '"ad-" ministered by the Perpetual Trustees Gompany of "Dunedin. It was insured .for ' £4000 in the" Standard Office. The -effects of Mrs. "Harvey," lessee of the hotel," were insured for £ISOO in the some office. The damage is estimated at £982. Superintendent O'Donovan, of Dunedin, conducted tie inquiry. Samuel Clark, commercial traveller, who told a sensational story of a conversation he. had with Miss Telfer, a boarder, swore that in conversation with Miss Telfer after the fire, she offered to make good his losses so long as he did not report what she had said to. the authorities. \Vitnes3 gave as his excuse for -not reporting the alleged conversation that he was so bewrildered- and. worried. When as-ked why he stopped in the house or did not mention the < matter to the.Harveys, he said that they . would have wanted an explanation as i to why he left them aft«r stopping there 1 invariably .on his.visits to Oamaru. The ; witness was subjected to a strict cross- i examination, and was in the box over ; three hours. Miss Telfer, whose examination did ; not conclude till 6.15 p.m., absolutely denied the alleged conversation with < Clark. She said that Clark suggested to her on February 13 that she should visit him in his Toom, but "that she refused. > She detailed at length all the proceedings on the night of the fire and subse- • querit days. When she visited Clark'a sample rooms with a companion to : choose some goods Clark was grejjtly concerned as to his losses, and as to < why George Harvey, son of the lessee, ' had not attempted to rescue him. • ' . O-AMAHL', "this day. \ Inquiry into the Star and Garter ' fire was not completed this morning, and is likely to last well into the afternoon. .