FIRE IN WAREHOUSE

Evening Star, Issue 21879, 16 November 1934, Page 12

FIRE IN WAREHOUSE

THE CMMIAL INQUIRY EVIDENCE OF MANAGER [Per United Press Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, November IG. Further evidence was given to-day by William Davidson, . manager of Davidson and Co. Ltd., at the coroner’s inquiry into the lire m the company’s warehouse, Lichfield street, on June 8. This is the eleventh day of the hearing.

Witness was questioned by Chief-de-tective Dunlop. Witness said that on the night of the fire he went hurriedly to the warehouse. A married daughter accompanied him. The Chief Detective referred to evidence previously given that witness’s car was seen outside the warehouse at about 12.30 a.m. on the night of the fire.

‘UI think they are mistaken,” said witness, who agreed with the chief detective that the two witnesses concerned should know his car when they saw it. ‘‘l was at Home with my car before midnight,” witness declared. The Chief Detective: Then both these men were wrong when they say they saw the car after midnight?. Witness That is so.

Later witness said one of the other witnesses (Wilson, the storeman) was wrong in his estimate of the stock that had been in the warehouse at the time. Wilson, he declared, had been strongly influenced to give evidence in favour of tho insurance companies’. The Chief Detective: On what do you base your opinion that Wilson was influenced?—l am firmly of opinion that. Wilson was strongly influenced to give evidence in favour of the insurance company. Chief Detective: On what facts do you base, your opinion?—On thg lacts that Wilson has been receiving £1 Is a day and £5 a week, and was closely associated with an adjuster.