THE SMITH STREET FIRE.

Evening Star, Issue 5914, 23 February 1882, Page 3

THE SMITH STREET FIRE.

I.\\irF.ST (>X THK f.OIiIKS. An inuiiest concerning tlu; late fatal the in Smith street, by which four eliihlren named Ft;iii,.'•, Minnie, arid Martha IMschefski, r.,1.1 M;»>ma-j Kreft lost their live:-, was held :,t the Auid Scotland Hot<4, Stuart '-tivet, ■:T three o'clock thij afternoon before Mr (' ,; .■tier Hocken and a jury of twelve. li.m-s Bischefski, laborer, stated that he lately resided in Smith street, where the tiro occurred. There were in the house at the time his wife and three children—Francis (8 years), Minnie (0), and Martha (4), and his"nephew Thomas Kroft (13). The children all slept upstairs in a bedroom over the kitchen : witness, his wife, and the baby sleeping in a front bedroom upstair.-. He was awakened by the eldest son calling out "Mother, it's ' smoking." He heard something cracking, and looked out of the window on to the street, but could see nothing. Mrs Bischefski opened her bedroom door, which was opposite the children's bedroom, and the Hames bunt out. Himself and his wife tried to get into the other room, but could not owing to the smoke and flame. He then broke open the front window and let the baby out, and carried his wife to the window. She fell on her face, and he jumped out after her. On the night before he retired to bed about eleven o'clock. Everything was then quite safe. He had bce/i sitting in tlu- kitchen, and there was very little lire. He had been living in the house for three years, hut had not insured his goods, Jessie fireenslade, wife of Robert (ireenslade, stated that she lived in Smith street, close to where the fire originated, Last Tuesday morning she was awakened by hearing the noise of glass breaking. Site heard Mr Bischefski call out "Fire," and saw the reflection of flame and smoke. Her husband and family got out safely. The fire seemed to come from Bischefski's back room. Witness owned the three houses, and had them insured in the Norwich Union for LI6O.

Simeon Isaacs, liotelkeeper, Smith street, was awakeneil by his son giving the alarm as soon as the bell rang. It would have been impossible to have saved Bischefski's children when he got to the scene of the fire. The fire apparently came from the back of the house. Frank Millar, fireman, stated that the Brigade arrived at the fire about six minutes after the alarm was given. One of the horses stuck them up in Stuart street. He was present when the bodies were discovered lying on a bedstead on the ground floor in the back room. The bedstead had evidently fallen from above.

.James Lind, fireman, also gave evidence an to the finding of the bodies. Inspector Weldon stated that two men (Brensein and <'ireenslade) who \wre to luive given evidence were uiifmlnnately too drunk to be examined.

This was all the evidence, and the jury found that the children were accidentally burnt.