INQUEST ON THE LATE FIRE AT LYTTELTON:

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 367, 16 August 1875, Page 3

INQUEST ON THE LATE FIRE AT LYTTELTON:

An enquiry into the origin of the late fire at the Mitre Hotel, was held on Friday at the Lyttelton Hotel, Lyttelton, before Dr Coward, the coroner. Mr Fyfe was chosen foreman of the jury. Thomas O’Grady sworn, said—On the evening of the 3rd. about 8.20 p.m., I proceeded from the police station to the Mitre Hotel, which was then on fire. I observed the fire had sufficient hold of the building. I tried to find Mr . Saunders, the landlord of the house, and after a quarter of an hour’s search I succeeded. I asked if he could inform me how the fire originated, he said he could, and that it took place in the barmaid’s room upstairs. I asked which barmaid; he replied, the girl Grey. I said, are you quite sure it did take place there. Ho answered, Yes; she went upstairs after dinner to do her hair. I asked, what time do you mean by after dinner, do you mean 12 or 1 o’clock, and he said no, after 6; we dine between 6 and 7, and it was after that she went up to do her hair, and she must have left the candle lighted in the room. He told me the room spoken of was situated off his private room, and was over the billiard rooms. I asked if he was in the house at the time, and he replied in the affirmative, and stated he had been lying down all day, but in the evening two gentlemen came upstairs to play the piano, and he went out into the sitting-room. I asked if they left before the fire, and he said “Yes.” They did not stop long, and he remained in the room till shortly before the fire, and then lay down again. I asked if he had any money in his room or had lost much from his room through the fire. He said, Yes, he had had a box in his room with £250 in it, including some cheques, one from Mr Cunningham, and one from Mr Boddington. I said, are you quite sure you have lost the box ? and he replied, Yes, I have, a man told me my wife had it, but I have seen her since, and I find she has not. He stated he would be a heavy loser by the fire, as he had saved nothing from his room, I asked if he could positively state at what time the girl Gray went up to her room, and he said it must have been shortly before 8 o’clock. He told me he would let me know if anything further transpired. He has since given me no further information. By Chairman — The landlord was sober at the time. J . B. K. Saunders sworn, said—l was the landlord of the Mitre Hotel. I remember the fire taking place at the Mitre on the 3rd of August. I was in bed at the time, and was called between eight and nine o’clock. I judge this from what 1 have been told since, as I had no watch with me. I believe my wife, Captain Darling, and Mr Allwright were the people who called me. I was undressed, and had been in bed since about 7.30 p.m. When I got up. I asked where the fire was, and said, “ For God’s sake save the piano.” I returned to the bedroom from the lading and dresssed. There is a sitting-room off my bedroom, and it was off my sitting-room where three of the girls slept. There was a lobby between ray room and the girls’ bedrooms. The door between my room and the lobby has been nailed up for seven months ; there is no communication whatever. The two barmaids and the housemaid occupied the three rooms, I had been ill for two months previously, Two days before the fire I was downstairs. I made out some bills in the sitting-room on the two days immediately preceding the fire. In the afternoon of the day the fire occurred the housemaid lighted a fire in the sitting room. I was not present when she lighted it, I swear that neither this girl or any other person has gone through the door into the lobby leading to the girls’ rooms for the last six or seven months. I had four gold watches and two silver watches in my room at the time of the fire. 1 have not seen an} of them since. There was a cash-box in the bedroom, containing cash and cheques to the amount of about £235. I have not got the box since. I know Captain Darling, of the Thomas S. Stowe. I did not give him a box on the night of the fire. I saved a few things from my bedroom. 1 have not received the small box that was in my room since the fire, but I believe it is now at Burnip's. I did not know at the time where the fire occurred, but have since heard. The waiter did not, to my knowledge, tell me where the fire occurred. It would not have been possible to get from my sitting-room to the girls’ rooms without breaking the door down. The premises were insured, and the stock and furniture were jointly insured by Ward and Co. and myself for £670. Ward insured the place first. I do not know if the house was insured by the landlord. I have not spoken regarding the fire to Agnes Gray, the barmaid, since it occurred. I asked her how she was to-day. The day after the fire I did not speak to her, to the best of my knowledge, but am not certain, as I was in a very excited state. I will swear I was undressed when the fire occurred. I calculate that my losses by the fire are fully £3OOO. The girl Gray had been about a week in my employment when the fire occurred. I do not recollect seeing Gray on the day of the fire. Mrs Saunders has not given me a watch or any other property since the fire. By the foreman—My bedroom was two rooms off the sitting room, and was upstairs.

Robt. Wiggs, sworn, said—l was a waiter at the Mitre Hotel on the night of the fire, August 3rd. I was there when the fire took place; it was about twenty minutes or halfpast eight when it happened. I first saw the llames in Agnes Gray’s room. I was in the kitchen when I first heard of the fire. I heard a crackling noise like fire, and asked the housemaid what the noise was, she opened the door and called out that the yard was full of smoke. I ran upstairs directly, and saw Agnes Gray’s room on fire, I cannot say what part of the room was burning. I came down to the bar and gave the alarm. I saw no one upstairs at the time. I did not see Mr Saunders go into the room where the fire was. I know the silting room above the commercial room. Mr Saunders was downstairs on the morning of the third, there was a door from the sitting room leading to the girls’ bedrooms, I have been through that door but not for the last two months, as it has been nailed up. I have seen none of the girls going through the door lately. I helped to remove some of the furniture, but took none from Mrs Saunders’ room. I saw no one go upstairs just before the fire. I cannot say if the door between the sitting room and the girls’ room was open when the fire occurred.

Catherine Saunders sworn, said —I am the wife of Mr J. IS, K. Saunders, landlord of the Mitre Hotel ; 1 recollect the evening of

the 3rd of August, when the fire occurred ; it was then about 830 p.m. I was in the commercial room at the Hrao ; ray husband was in bed in his own room upstairs. I went and told him about the fire ; I cannot say if he was asleep or not, but he was undressed ; lam quite sure of this. He got out of bed and called out to take away the things downstairs, and to save the piano. I told Captain Darling to go up and take a desk and a few things out of the room ; there was no cash-box in the room ; I took no box from that room, nor did I get anyone to do so that night. Captain Darling took a desk from my bedroom ; the desk was not used for keeping money in : there was no other little box in the room that was used as a cash box. The desk I speak of is now at Burnip’s ; to the best of my belief it was taken to the Canterbury Hotel that night, and it has not been removed since with my knowledge. There were also a few old dresses taken to the same place ; I have since got the dresses, but not the box. I have found no watches in my black silk dress since the fire, I know Mrs Kirby ; she was not with me at the Albion Hotel on the day after the fire ; she was not present when 1 found a watch and a long gold chain in my black silk dress. I opened the desk in the presence of Captain Darling and Mrs Burnip since the fire, but took nothing from it. lam sure there was no money in it. I do not know where Mr Saunders kept his money. I saw Mr Saunders about 7 p.m. on the day of the fire; he was then in bed, and my sister saw him too. About 3.30 p.m. that afternoon I sent the girl Kelly, to light a fire in the sittingroom upstairs. I was in the kitchen all that day. Mr Saunders had been ill during the previous fortnight. I told several people he was ill and could not be seen on the day of the fire. I saw him writing at a table that day. I had the superintendence of the bedrooms in which the two barmaids and housemaid slept. I do not know where the fire occurred. I have lost everything by the fire. Louisa Jackson was not in the Albion Hotel with me when a watch was taken out of my black silk dress that was saved from the tire.

Agnes Gray sworn, said—l was a barmaid at the Mitre Hotel cn the night of the fire, August 3rd. I was in the commercial room bar when the alarm of fire was given. Miss Kelly gave the report. I rushed upstairs and saw the fire was in the room occupied by thehousemaid, myself,and the other barmaid. I saw the waiter, Robert Wiggs, upstairs, but not Mr Saunders, I had not seen him all Tuesday, I rushed downstairs to get some water, and I asked the waiter to try and save one of my boxes, which had some valuable things in it, I saw Mr Saunders on Monday evening; he was sitting at the table with papers before him. He was all right on Sunday ; I did not see him on the day of the fire at all. I next saw Mr Saunders on the day after the fire, in this hotel (Mr Coles’), and he then called me and the other barmaid into a private room ; he said the best thing we could do was to all make a similar statement with regard to the fire, and that he would get up a subscription to repair our losses. I said it would take a great deal to make up mine. The other barmaid, “ Louey,” was present at the same time. On Wednesday I had a conversation with Mrs Saunders about property being saved ; she was speaking of her losses. She said a cash-box had been saved , and some one—she could not tell who—had put it into her hands ; but it was a blessing it had not been burnt. This was at dinner at the Albion. She was excited at the time. I was last in my bedroom on the day of the fire a little after 2 p.m. My room was then all right; Iliad no light, and saw none in the other rooms; I did not go up again till I heard the alarm of fire. The last time I bad a light in ray room was on Monday night. By a juror I always went up the back stairs to my room. Ido not know if there was any communication to my room by the front staircase.

Louisa Jackson, sworn, said—l was a barmaid at the Mitre hotel on the night of the fire. My bedroom was over the billiardroom, 1 was up there last at a quarter to two that day. I had no light with me, and everything was all right when I came down. T observed no light in the other girls’ rooms. I know the door that leads from the private sitting-room to the bedrooms; it has been nailed up for the last six months. I did not notice if the door was nailed that day at 2 p.m. I saw Mr Saunders that day. He was upstairs writing. I did not see him downstairs the day of the fire; he was ill for days previously. I did not see Mr Saunders that night till the fire was nearly over. I did not see Mrs Saunders till after the fire had commenced. Mrs Saunders never said a word to me about some one giving her the cash-box. I was with Miss Gray the day after the fire, and Mr Saunders came in and said he would get up a subscription to pay for our clothes. After the fire I fetched some clothes from the Canterbury for Mrs Saunders. I took them to the Albion Hotel. I gave them to Mrs Saunders, and she put on a black silk dress which I had brought. Mrs Warwick and Mrs Kirby were present. There was a watch and chain hanging out of the pocket. I pointed it out to Mrs Saunders, and she put them back into her pocket. It was a gold watch and chain. I saw no cash-box whatever. I never noticed a cashbox in Mrs Saunders’ room. I was not with Mrs Saunders when she saw the desk at Mrs Burnip’s. Mrs Kirby afterwards said it was strange the watch and chain should be hanging out of the pocket. Alice Kelly, sworn, said—l was housemaid at the Mitre at the time of the fire. It occurred about eight p.m. 1 was in the kitchen at the time. I slept in the fiist room up the servants’ stairs joining the barmaid’s rooms over the billiard room. I was upstairs in my room about 4 p.m. that afternoon. I had no candle. I only went up for a washing basin. I saw no light in any of the girls’ rooms. When I first heard the alarm of fire, I saw smoke coming through thereof. I was in the yard. I ran upstairs, and I then saw the fire was in Miss Gray’s room. The room was one mass of flame. 1 did not see Mr Saunders then, but I had seen him the same day, about one o’clock, when I lighted a fire in the big parlor. He was then writing, and appeared in good health. There was a door between the big parlor and our rooms. It was nailed up; there were three nails—one above, one below, and one in the middle. The nails were driven in from the parlor side. The door was shut when I was up to light the fire. By a juror—The billiard room chimney went through by the room where Louisa Gray slept. There was a good fire in the billiard room that day. John Jones, sworn, said—l was boots at the Mitre at the time of the fire; it occurred between eight and nine. I was in the pantry,

and heard a crackling overhead. I took no notice of it, as I thought my mate was cooking something in the kitchen. The staircase leads from the pantry I was in to the girls’ bedrooms. I was in the pantry from six that evening till the fire occurred, and I saw no one go up the stairs to the rooms during that time. I had not been up stairs before the fire occurred on the 3rd August. I saw Mr Saunders trying to save some quarter-casks and things that were there. This was in the place where I cleaned the knives, between the house and the stables.

John McGorman, sworn, said—l am a detective. T was in the Mitre billiard room on the night of the lire when the fire occurred. I went into the pantry, and found the fire was in the girls’ rooms. I went up stairs, and found the second room from the landing was on fire. I and others got some water in buckets. I stood in the door of the second room, and threw several buckets of water on the fire. I then came down stairs again, and told the people to get out what they could, as the flames could not be stopped. By the jury—The fire was all over the room when I got up slairs. The chimney from the billiard room ran up alongside the girls’ bedroom. This concluded the evidence.

The jury, after retiring for ton minutes, returned a verdict to the effect that there was not sufficient evidence to show how the fire originated.