THE NEWTOWN FIRE. INQUEST.

Evening Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 100, 16 November 1882, Page 3

THE NEWTOWN FIRE. INQUEST.

Mr. 0. B. Davy, conducted an enqniry at the Newtown Hotel at noon to-day into tho circumstances conneoted with the fltfo in Eiddifoi'd-streat, Newtown, -whereby four or five buildings, consisting of dwellinghousos an. shops were destroyed on the morning of the Bth instant. Mr. Alexander Wilson was chosen foreman of the jury. Mr. Boardman, of the Soufth British Insurance Company, and Mr. Wallaoe, of tho National Insuranco Company, woro present during the enquiry, as also woro Chief Detootivo Bronmo and Detoqtive Twohv. Prior to the examination of witnessos, the jury, aocompaniod by tho Coroner, proooedod to the scone of the late fire. Henry Dobson, npholstoror, was the first witness. He said on tho Bth instant his promises, togothor with others adjacent, were totally destroyed. Mr. Moadoworoft's honse adjoined his promises, and Mr. Smith hod a honso next to the Meadoworofts, who also had a oottago at tho baok. Samuel Meyers, a storekeeper, oooupiod a portion of the promises where witness resided. On the evening immediately preceding the fire, witness thought ho perceived a smell of smoke* Lighting A candle ho oarofnlly examined his own promised, but he could find no trace of fire. He then knocked at Meyers' place sovetal tifnflSj but roooived ho anaWor. He _ lookod for ■moke through the ore>ioes of the door, but could see 'none. Witness afterward went upstairs in his own place and eorofully examined some flax he had stored there. This was all right, and ho then concluded that the smell was not of smoko, but of the flax. About 3 o'clook'.the next morning he was awoke by ones of fire. He rushed out of the honse, taking his ohildron with him. He also managed to save a few of his things. By Chief Detective Brown— Witness had two mortgages on the 1 proporfcy, one to Mr. Gordon Allan for .£2OO. Ho had paid .£4O off the mortgage. Witness Jiad no fire alight on his premises, except* in the kitchen. Meyors used to have a fire burning in his place. Witness was a considerable loser by tho fire. He had no insurance on the buildings, which ho valned at £500, including the mortgages. James Meadoworof t, labourer, deposed that hi used to reside noxt to the last witness. .His two housos were burned by the fire. About 3 o'oloek he was awoke by his wife, who asked him " he aonld smell fire. He wont downstairs, and through the weatherboards saw fire in Meyers' kitohen, from the floor up to the roof. After his wife and children, .had boen, got out of the reach of danger,' no dressou himself and ran out of the house, which by this time was ablaze. His house, furniture, stook, and everything but a few articles of olothing were comumed by the fire. The house was insured for £100. To Chief Detective Browne— Witnoss believed the fire broke oat in Mayers' kitohon. "W nere the hearthstone should have been in the kitohen there wero boards up to within a couple of inohos of the range. Ho heard fireworks about the plaoe on the evening of the 7th, but could not say whether they were let off inside or outside the premises. Sarah MeaOoworoft. wife of previous witness, gavo oorroborativo ovidonoe. She did not knpw whether Meyers' plaoo was oocuSiod on tho night of the fire. Sometimes teyors' boy slept there, and sometimes tho house was loft unoccupied at night. She James Gordon Allan, solioitor, Htated that ho was one of tho mortgagees of Dobson's property for the sum of £100. There was a socond mortgage of £100 to Halley and E* Ing. Tho premises were insured in witness' name in the Sonth British for £200 for tho benefit of both mortgagees. Tho interest had been paid up to the Ist September. None of the principal had boon paid off witness* mortgage John Halley, one of the mortgagees of Dobson's glace, said his mortgage was for £100, but Dobson had paid £40 off this sum. The interest had boon paid up to the end of August. Samuel Meyers, hawkor, said he used to oooupv a portion of Dobson's premises. He wm not there on the evening of the P-e. He batw nothing about the firo. He had about J&K worth of stock in the place, for which he wo» not insured. His nephew, he believed, looked up the shop on the night preceding the fire about half-past 8. In the shop window ho had a few pookets of crackers and fireworks, but there was nothing of this kind in the kitohen. His nephew was 14 years old, and was very careful. Louis Abraham Miohaelis, a boy, said ho was in charge of Myers' shop on the evening of tho 7th, and olosed it np at 8.30 p.m. Aftor shutting up, he went to tho back of the premises with Dobson's bo vs. They asked him if he had any crackers to sell, and he sold thorn two packets. They let tho oraokers off at the baok, and he thon left to go home to Taranali-street, whioh he reached at five minutes past nine. In the evening, about fivo o'clook, ho had a fire burning in the kitohen, where he mode himself a cup of tea. A fter tea, he put tho fire out by throwing water on it. The fire was of coal and wood. To Chief Doteotivo Browne— Ho was quite sure ho did not let off any oraokers in tho shop that night. Margaret Burns, a gnrl, stilted that on the ovoning of the 7th, tho night provions to tho fire, while she was standing opposite Dobson's, tho lad Miohaolis camo to the door of Meyors' place with a oraoker and a I'ghted candle in his hand. Miohaelis who was with ono of Dobson's boys, lit tho oraoker, which was let off in the Lltohen. Miohaolis lit it, but sho did not know who threw it down. Another oraoker was lit and thrown out of tho shop into the gutter. Jessie Wilson caid she also saw oraokers thrown out of Meyers' shop as she was passing on the evening preceding the firo. Sho dm not aeo who threw them. William Dobson, a lad, said he wont to Meyers' kitohen that evening to get a oat and kitten, and while he was talking to tho girl Burns a oraokor was thrown out of the kitohon. There was a large fire burning in Meyora' kitohen that night, and tho ash-bin was quite filled. Joseph Dobson, a brother of the hut witness, said on the evening previous to the firo he was in Meyers' shop with Miohaelin, who let off two crackers, throwing them into the streot. Ho did not let off any inside. Witness did not buy any crackers of Miohaolis To Chief Detective Browne— .There was a fire in the kitohen that night. Witness asked Miahaelis if he was not going to put it out. Miohaelis replied, " No ; it won't hurt." He added that he had loft it burning several times before. The ash-box was filled with ashes and cinders. Witness saw Miohaelis lock up the place. Up to that time ho had not put any water on tho fire ; ho might, howover, have como baok to do so. Louis Abraham Michaelis, recalled, said after looking np tho placo he did not return. He sold the crackers to the previous witnoss and his brother for 5d per pnoket. They gavo him a threepenny piece, r.ixponco, and two coppers. Joseph Pobson — Wo coald not havo dono so, bocanso we had no money. (Laughter.) Tho Coroner thon sumiaod up, and tho iury, without retiring, returned a verdict to the effeot that there was not sufficient evi-

deuce to show the nause of tho fire, but tho jury woro o e opinion that the origin was accidental.