THEORY NOT SUPPORTED BY POLICE

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25447, 19 March 1948, Page 8

THEORY NOT SUPPORTED BY POLICE

A theory that a number of victims of Ballantyne’s fire had died on the ground floor—in the mercejy department at the corner of Cashel and Colbmbo streets—was not supported by three police witnesses. Sergeant Eric William Fergus Simpson said about 5.30 p.m. on November 18 his attention was drawn by Deputy-Superintendent Barnes to two bodies op the debris in the ground floor of 'Goodman’s building. The bodies were recovered that night, when 16 bodies were recovered on the ground floor at the corner of Colombo and Cashel streets. Later, nine bcdies were recovered on the. first floor above the entrance and a body was found on a rafter. At 7 a.m. the next day, with four policemen, he found five bodies on tne ground floor of Goodman’s building inside the main door, and later found seven bodies among the debris on the first floor of Pratt’s building above the corner entrance. From his experience, he felt that all the bodies could have fallen from upper floors. He disagreed with Fire Officer Shah’s evidence that the bodies on the ground floor of Pratt’s building were lying in an orderly manner and facing south. Some of the bodies were on top of the debris.

To Mr T. P. Cleary (for Ballantyne’s): He saw no indication that the bodies had not fallen from a higher floor. A hole was in the first floor above where the bodies were found at the corner entrance, said Sergeant Simpson to Mr B. A. Barrer (for three unions). No bodies were found between the entrance to the mercery department and the corner, said witness to Mr R. A. Young (for the Crown) Constable Godfrey Arthur Brewer said the building was still burning when he went into the mercery department at 6.30 p.m. on the day of the fire with a fireman, and saw eight bodies. Sixteen bodies were later recovered. With a sailor, he climbed a ladder and passed through a fairly big hole on to the first floor. On the partially burned floor were three holes big enough through which to pass a tarpaulin. The floor above was completely burned. The bodies in Goodman’s building were well buried by debris. The bodies recovered in Pratt’s building were scattered about. He noticed no order in the position of the bodies. Constable Herbert Austin Sayer gave corroborative evidence.