WAIUTA TRAGEDY

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 January 1925, Page 2

WAIUTA TRAGEDY

EVIDENCE AT INQUEST.,

An inquest was held at the Empire Hotel;'Waiuta/ yesterday into ' the ci^jumstafices, surrounding the death of' William McCullum, who was burnt to . death: in. his hut at Waiuta shortly after midnight on January 14. ' .-

■M. R. A. Stewart, J.P., acted ,as corbner and he had with him a jury of six of whom Mr. J. C. Rodden, was foreman. Inspector W. Eccles watched proceedings on behalf of thV police. Patrick O’Donnell,. manager of the, Empitb' Hotel,' stated that he had known the deceased for about twelve ■' yeats. 1 Deceased was'' in the habit of taking his meals at tho- hotel for about four years past, and lived in a hut belonging to the licensee, about a quarter of a mile distant. McCullum wab not a heayy drinker. Witness had never seen him drunk. He was last seen alive by witness who accom- ■( pstnied '-him to his hut ’ on night of January 13. Witness left deceased and saw'him enter the hyt. Deceased was.then sober. Deceased was a heavy smoker and generally sihoked a pipe. For some time past he had been suffering -from an injured bback. Deceased had about fbur dr five “shandies” between the hours of 12 noofi an<l eight o’clock when he was last seen. 1 Walter Stanley Purton stated., that he-'had known the deceased for some time. He resided in' a hut neai\ witness’s home.'At about 12.40 a;ih? witness was awakenbd by a sound similar to h- shot' from 1 a ghn, coming from* the direction of McCullum’s hut. Witness’ went outside and found thatthe hut’ wagin 'flames. There were numerous small explosions coming from the burning hut, evidently the '.explosion of detonators. Witness went close to the fire but could see no sign of the deceased. He then went to the hotel, and informed O’Donnell of the occurrence.' They immediately reported the ; matter” to Constable Houston; Deceased was ’ addicted .to) driiik and often drank to excess; Witness had several times. seen him Deceased was last seen "alive by witness' at Reef ton on January 6. He was then under the influence of Deceased had been out of work for about six weeks through an injury, to his back. Constable W. Houston gave evidence that he was called by the previous witness at 1.15 a.m, on: January 14. After the fire had burnt down, witness found the body among the debris. It was so charred as to be almost 'unrecognisable. Witness knew deceased to 1 be addicted to drink. He was married, about 50 years of age, and lived apart from' his wife. The 1 jury returned a verdict that deceased was accidentally burned to deayh’on the morning of January 14, 1924, through his hut catching fire. There was mo evidence as to how the fire originated.'