INQUIRY INTO THE C.F.C.A. FIRE, WAIMATE.

Evening Star, Issue 14634, 2 August 1911, Page 5

INQUIRY INTO THE C.F.C.A. FIRE, WAIMATE.

VERDICT INCENDIARISM. At: inquiry into the cause of the recent fire at the C.F.C'.A.'s premises in Queen street was heard yesterday afternoon before Mr T. Hutchison, S.M.. coroner, and a jury. fbe Coroner explained that the directors of the company had held an inquiry, with the result that they fcund that the tire was evidently not caused by accident, and hj« bad thought it necessary that a public inquiry .should lie held in order to find out the origin of the iire. The jury would bear the evidence and give a verdict accordingly. Thomas Fagan said that he was caretiker and yardman. His duty as caretaker tos to go through the building after the employees have left and see that everything was right and 6ecure the doors. On the night before the fire he went through the building, going from the back to the front and barring the front door. He had a paraffin lamp. The door locked with a spring lock. He then went through tliemanager's office, the other offices, then upstairs, then into the hardware ttepartntfifb and out through the grocery department, and then he was finished. He never left his lantern down. Witnowsed smoked. He was net (smoking, bur the lamp might have been. He lit his lamp at his cottage. Be, struct -no matches in the building. It took him about twenty minutes to g" round. He detected no smell of burning in the building. He had seen oil kept in that particular corner on the floor. It wa« linseed oil. that was kept in bottles. There was no waste at thai, corner. Oue of the back doors was boarded. When he heard the firebcll it was twenty minntos, to 5 a.m. He returned home after going through the building, and retired shortly after 11 p.m. In the morning he saw tire and smoke, issuing from the side window. Witness went to the back to get in. When he unlocked the door ho could not get in for smoke. He kept the door key on his mantel shelf. The body of flame wat coming through the third window. There were a good many people present when he got there. There was no one with him when he made his rounds. There were no matches kept at the. part of the building where the fire was suppowxl to haves-tarted. though matches were kept in the grocery department, but not near where tiio file was. He did not think rats started the fire.

James Turner, laborer, Mary street, said he was born in Waimate. He rang the. fireball. He was coming down the main street when he first saw the fire. That was about half-past 5. He first saw it when opposite the County Council Chambers. He had been out. past Waihanrunga, that night. He heard glass crashing and saw smoke issuing from the side of the building. He then noticed flames when about a conple of yards away, and rang the. boll. He then came and looked at the fire. He gave the bell three rings. The brigade was at the fire live minutes later. He bonght a pocket-knife at the C.F.C.A. a fortnight previously. He also looked at a watch on that occasion. Ou the night of the fire he cycled out to fhe Downs to get work, about 15 miles away. Percy Williams went with him. He ha/1 nothing to eat on the road. They left again some time, in the morning. They had just returned when he noticed the fire. Witness knew Williams at Ashbmton. Witness was in town with Williams. and went with him to his hut. He went with him for company's sake. He must have been there till three in the. miming Williams's house was past the Serpentine Valley. He was a small farmer there. He was out of work then, and wr.s out of work now. "He lived lv'th his brother-in-law, Ernest Itive. After the fire that morning be went to WilliamsV. He. had breakfast at his brother's rJ.tce in Shearman street. That wis about 6.30. Detective Fabey came sneaking ..nd crawling about the fire after he had lold him once. He thought once was enough. He remembered slamming the door in the detective's face. The detective r : p\ir asked witness to come and show him the pktce. Witness accused the detect! .e <-t trying to damage his character. Wr.ness did not purchase any watches. fie only looked at two. They were cheap, openfaced watches. He* did not remember being with a man named Wm. Jackson. He had two drinks in the Empire Hot/1. He declined to say who he ■•■■ is drinking with. Jackson was not one of thru.. They were Wm. Duckett. Wm. Tnlly, John ]>rokenshire. ;.nd W. Colhonrne. He left them at Rhodes street. ' Witness did not know the time he picked up Williams. nca.r Freeman's stables. He went to his brother's place as he had some business with him. He came back to see his brother. Witness had just come back from Temuka, on the .Monday, the day of the fire. He was drinking " light stuff " that nighi. He had not. seen Mr Williams since. He was a young man. He could not say how long he had been settled at Waihao Downs. The Coroner briefly reviewed the evidence. He said he would not, la.l>or the matter. The tire was either accidentally or wilfully caused. The jxilioo suggested the latter, but accidental fires did happen, and the witness Fagan admitted that he. had nikcd out the timber.-, of th<> rires in the offices. The witness Tuin/r had given his evidence in aji impertinent way. and some rjf his statement.-! may be untrue; still, he did not think there tras any suspicion ar.iinst him in regard to the tin--. However, it was for the jury. guiVlnl by the.evidence, to say how, in their opinion, the lire occurred. Having- retired for about a quart-cr of an hour. the. jury returned info (our;. and the Foreman announced that they found that the (ire was wilfully caused by rt person or persons unknown. The verdict was unanimous. The cartel)t of the loss i? not yet ascertained, hut. a roryh estimate given W»fl £1.400 U) repair the building alone. The stock? were insured for £16,05.". A yreat portion of the stock consisted of drapery, clothing, house furnishings, lirioleums. carpets. calico, blankets, shooting. dre» stuff-, silks. The managers of departments interested concluded that th<s resources of the district were unequal to the absorption of surh a large amount -of salvage drapery. It was therefore offered to Messrs W. Penrose and Co.. drapers, C/'orge street. Dunedin. who became the purchsjsors. As a condition in the sale insisted en the stock being .-old outside the Canterbury Province, the goods wore removed by rail to Dunedin. and .itc tio-v on Kile at Penrose's. lieorgc street. — [Advt.j