FATAL FIRE.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXIX, Issue 56, 25 February 1913, Page 5

FATAL FIRE.

OLD MAN BURNED TO DEATH. A fatal fire occurred at Mount Omaru, Puerua, on Saturday night or Sunday morning, whereby an old-age pensioner named George Kirk lost his life. The old man bad been living by himself in a hut on the top of Mount Omaru, and was last seen alive by a granddaughter who went to see him on Thursday night. She again went to visit the old man on Sunday afternoon, and then discovered the smouldering ruins of the hut, with the charred remains. The police and Dr,Brugh were sent for, and St, inquest was held yesterday. There is no suspicion that the fire was the result of anything but accident, although the remains were so badly charred that it was impossible to give any definite opinion. The old man had in the early days lived in Central Otago, and later had resided in a'hut at Puerua, which was burned down some months ago. He then shifted in to the Old Men's Home at Caversham, but left there, as,.he said, '' thiey die too fast in there.'' He then took the occupancy of Dawson's hut, where he died. He was 93 years of age.

THE INQUEST. Au inquest was held at Puerua yesterday afternoon- before Mr G. W. Wood, .T.P. (acting-coroner), and a iury consisting of Messrs .Tas. Lamond (foreman), Robert Logie, A. G. McKenzie and S. Goldsmith. Win. Kirk, sworn, said that deceased was his father. He last saw;, him alive on February 16, when he was in his usual health and cheerful. He did not think he received any other money other than that received from the olda.rp pension. Deceased was not in the liqbit of reading in bed or smoking. Witness considered the chimney and fire- | place safe.

Essie Catherine Kirk, grand-dantrhter of deceased, deposed that on visiting him last Thursday night she found the deceased in his usual health. He burnt 4ft logs in the open fireplace, near which there were some drv cabbage tree leaves. On returning; at 2.45 p.m. on Sjpday she saw that the house had been burnt down by fire, and she went back and told her father. Deceased used candles for light, and he slept in a room adioininsr that in which the fireplace was, the bed being on the floor, and an empty oil-drum beside the bed. The hut could not be seen from the nearest house.

Dr Brugh said he made a careful examination of the skull, and found nothing to suggest violence. From the position of the remains he did not think that deceased had been in bed £tt the time of death, the body being drawn up as if deceased had been struggling. Suffocation would cause the struggling, and he supposed that deceased had been suffocated. Constable Harvey in his evidence said that the body was found lying about 1 four feet from the western wall. The position of the remains showed that deceased's legs had been drawn up at the time of death. Directly uj3<|er the knee j joints on the ground were* a\ number of boot sprigs, showing that at the time of death deceased had his-boots on. An oil-drum was standing beside the Remains. A number of live embers, proved that the ,fire' had not occurred long before, and witness would say that the fire took place on; Saturday evening. There were indications that the fire had originates in the KitUhen, and there was jm> appearance of having originated from anywhere .outside the building. The jury returned a verdict that, deceased met his death through the building he was living in having accidentally caught fire.