HOTEL FIRE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 66, 19 March 1915, Page 2

HOTEL FIRE

SENSATIONAL EVIDENCE. (IT TELHOMPII— PRESS ASSOCIATION,) OAMARU, 18th March. The Magisterial enquiry was continued to-day, before Mr. J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., into the fire at the Star and Garter Hotel, which occurred early in the morning of 14th February. The hotel, which was the property of the Pexman Estate, was administered by the Perpetual Trustees Company, of Dunedin, and was insured for £4000 in the Standard Insurance Company, who were represented by Mr. J. B. Nichol, of Dunedin, and the effects of Mrs. Harvey (lessee) _ for £800 (damage estimated at £982), in the same office. Superintendent O'Donovan, of Dunedin, conducted the enquiry. After minor evidence had been taken that of Samuel Clark, commercial traveller, who was boarding at the hotel on the night of the fire, was heard. He alleged that Miss Telfer, a boarder in the hotel, told him on his arrival at Oamarji on Saturday, 13th February, that the hotel was to be fired that night, and advised him to have his luggage ready to remove. Miss Telfer told him the Harveys had been losing, and the only thihg was to burn the place down and collect the insurance. He also | swore that in conversation with Miss Telfer after the fire she offered to make good his losses bo long as he did not. report what she had said to the au- ' thorities. Witness gave as an excuse for not reporting the alleged conversation that he Was so bewildered and worried. Asked why he stopped in the house or did not mention the matter to the Harveys, he said they would have wanted an explanation as to why he left them after stopping there invariably on his visits to Oamaru. He was subjected to a strict cross-examina-tion and was in the box over three hours. Miss Telfer, whose examination did not conclude ti11 '6.15 p.m., absolutely denied the alleged conversations with Clark. Clark caught her up on his way home to tea on 13th February and suggested that she should visit him in his room. She refused. . She detailed at length all the proceedings on. the night of the fire and subsequent days. When visiting Clark's sample rooms with a companion to choose goods Clark was in a great state as ' to ' his losses, and as to why George Harvey (son of the lessee) had not attempted to rescue him. The enquiry is proceeding this evening, but will not conclude until to-mor-row, as there are a number of witnesses yet to be called.