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Y.W.C.A. FIRE

YOUNG WOMAN'S DEATH

INQUEST CONCLUDED.

The final evidence of the inquest concerning the tragic death of Miss Ina j Gourley, who was suffocated in the recent fire at the Y.W.C.A. Hostel, was heard by the Coroner, Mr, F. K. Hunt, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court yester-j day. I Senior-Sergeant O'Hara appeared for the police, and the Y.W.C.A. authorities were represented by Mr. Cornish. _ A brother-in-law of the deceased, Willian Allen Hooper, deposed to the identity of the body, and Violet Macdonald, a domestic, Majory Spraggon, matron of th*r Y.W.C.A. Hostel at Pabnerston North, and Mabel Oldsfield, an artist, who had been in the building about the time when the mishap occurred, described the ringing of the alarm, and the first signs of. the outbreak. The lastmentioned witness said that she had been given special permission to retain a candle in her room, as she often assisted the matron, Mrs. Stewart, when the latter was tired. She added that people often rang the fire alarm at the top of the stairs, thinking that the switch was the one which turned on the lights. Only a few nights previous to the fire this mistake had been made. Gordon Sloau Troupe, a master at Wellington College, said that when walking up Dixon street about 7.45 p.m. he noticed the fire and immediately ran to the scene. On entering the ! building 'he heard the alarm ringing, t and after having assisted, in the removal of several articles of furniture he went I up towards the top floor. Four men, who were choking because of the dense smoke, were encountered on the stairs, and they explained that they had heard a woman scream, but had been unsuccessful in finding her. Witness then described how tie had endeavoured to search all the rooms, but, owing to the density of the smoke, had been greatly impeded. He called several times along the passage-wa^, but received no response. "It was said," concluded witness. " that all the unfortunate young lady had to do was to open the window and go down the fire escape, but I think' ths flat roof ends before it comes tc her room, and she would have to walk for- some distance along a parapet, which I don't think has even a rail ou it. although it is fairly wide. Awo man would need considerable nerve to climb out of the window and t walk along the parapet to the flat roof." The Coroner: " I understood from the superintendent that all she had to do was to walk out of the window. The fire escaD66 were all right!" According to Mr. Cornish, there were two hypotheses. The young woman either was suffocated or she became terrified and collapsed. The,latter %vas the more feasible solution, as the deceased, who had a weak heart, had had a previous experience of fires, and had a great horror of them. One of the girl's relatives who was present in Court maintained that Mr. "Jornish was confusing her with her j aster, who had had experience in a )ig. fire. The deceased, as far as he mew, did not have a weak heart, 'and," he - concluded, "she certainly: was not the kind of girl who . would■ wait to gather her belongings together before she sought safety, as was suggested on Saturday." The matron, Mrs. Stewart,. was not called., as she was stated 'to be too ill to appear. The Coroner found that the deceased rlied from burns and suffocation, caused by a fire, which took place. at the Y.W.C.A. Hostel. _ Mr. Cornish' maintained ■ that there really was no actual evidence as to the caußO of death, but the Coroner said that if a person was found dead in a building which had been on fire, under circumstances such as the present, it was hardly necessary to hold a postmortem examination to see if she died of poisoning or any other cause. Mr. Cornish • " But I submit, with the greatest respect, sir, that there is not a tittle of evidence " i The Coroner: " You can submit whatever you like. lam quite satisfied. However, there is no b'atue attachable to the Y.W.C.A. authorities."

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19230508.2.17

Bibliographic details

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 108, 8 May 1923, Page 4

Word Count
693

Y.W.C.A. FIRE Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 108, 8 May 1923, Page 4

Y.W.C.A. FIRE Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 108, 8 May 1923, Page 4