A DRUNKARD’S END.

Evening Star, Issue 6030, 10 July 1882, Page 4

A DRUNKARD’S END.

A public-house known as the Rocky Waterholes Hotel, in the Darling District, was burned down one night, and with it the landlord and his wife. When the fire occurred, two travellers, a male and female servant, O’Brien, his wife, and their four children, were in the house all of whom were saved except O’Brie* and his wife. The body of Mrs O’Brien was completely charred. The fires in the house were all put out before it was shut up for the night, and there is no clue to the origin of the fire, which is supposed to have been accidental, as both O’Brien and his wife went to bed drunk. The fire occurred at one o’clock in the morning, and was first observed by the female servant, who immediately removed her own box and bedding, which were the only articles saved, but gave no sufficient alarm to the other inmates, The children all slept in the room with theiv parents, and got out of the bedroom window. Mrs O’Brien was seen going from her room towards the bar, which was all in flames, and was called on to get out of the window, but paid no heed to the warning. This was the only time she was seen. The house was of wood and thatched with cane reeds, and, the barman says, burned rapidly. There was nearly L4OO in the house at the time of the fire. "O’Brien had not been sober for six months.