FARMER BURNT TO DEATH.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 8932, 26 June 1905, Page 2

FARMER BURNT TO DEATH.

INQUEST ON THE REMAINS. On Sunday evening at tho hospital an inquest was held on the charred remains of John Homer, who lost his life through tho houue which he occupied being burnt down early on Saturday morning at Wliiakamara. Deceased was ' about 57 years of age. From information received Constables Clarke and Potter went to the scene oi iho firo on Saturday, and found the incinerated remains A the occupant among the ashes. Tlie limbs were burnt oil, only 11 tortion of the trunk remaining. The constables gathered some boards and nails and made a box about .3ft long by lfb wide, in which they conveyed the remains int,o town. The 1 fire evidently ocI _!__ __ O_i >J • ...» '.

cura-ecl curly on batUTday morning, and it will be remembered that there was a very strong wind blowing on that day. Mr C. ' E. Major was coroner, and tlio following jury was sworn : — F. A. Colmau (foreman), Alfred Cunimaine, Henry Fryer. T. L. Agar, John Parkin, and William Phillips. Sbre-n Lnrsen, a farmer at- Whakamara, deposed that ho last saw deceased alivo ' on Friday last between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Deceased was then walking along near his garden fence. Witness arose at- about 5 o'dock oil Saturday morning and after lighting his firo and ami king a, few other preparations for breakfast, went- out to tho door to 6cc what tho weather was like, as ho intended going into town early. He saw a glare but was not very concerned about it. till on going out to catch his hqrso he could still see it. He told his wife that ho believed that there- was a r house on fire and after having a cup of lea ho drove down the road and located tho fire. Wtincss did not go off the Toad as he thought that it would bo well if he bad someone with him, and diove away and got- Mt Edwards to go with him. Th-ey found what they took to be the deceased's remains, and witness informed the police. To the foreman: Deceased was practically a. stranger to witness. To Seigeant Bernard : The body was a little distance from a bed, but witness could not describe the location of tho body as ho did not know the construction of the house.

Mathew Barrett, a former partner of the deceased, deposed that he saw deceased at the Hawera railway station on Thursday last, and thought deceased was going to his home. He knew nothing further concerning the deceased. Witness drew a rough plan of the deceased's house, giving details of the bedrooms, fireplaces, etc., and from this plan it was shown that deceased :i light have been trying to get out when ho was overcome by the smoke. Deceased, said the witness, was of peculiar and eccentric habits, but was very particular about fire, and had the floor in the front of the fireplace covered with iron and always put the fire out before going to bed or banked it up well. There was never left more than enough to give the fire a start in the morning. To sergeant Bernard: Heard that deceased was ill, and went out to see if he could do anything for him, bub found him well. This was about six weeks ago. Deceased was usually in good health. To Mr Barton (who was deceased's lawyer): The nearest house (Mr Edwards') was i\lxnit 30 chains away from deceased's house. Witness had not been away from the- hospital for more than two hours at a, time for the last six weeks. A neighbor told witness that deceased had sold 30 cattlo at Palmerston North, and witness assumed tliat unless deceased had' banked the money ho received from the cattle it was in the house at the time of the fire.

To Sergeant Bernard: Deceased was a non-smoker, and did not read in bed.

Miss Dunsford, matron of the Hawera Hospital, was called in reference to the statement of the 'witness Barrett, and deposed t hat he had not left the hospital for any length of time. The matron said that Barrett had not l>een away for more than an hour at a time, and that fib could not have been absent without the knowledge of the nurse -on duty, and was not absent bet.voon 10 o'clock on Friday night and 7 o'clock on Saturday morning. William Edwards, a farmer living close lo deceased, said he accompanied Mr Larson to tho scene of tho fire. Witness did not see the house burning. There- was a row of tall trees between witness' house and the house of the deceased. Deceased was a reserved man.

A. J. Allan deposed that ho went along tho road with deceased on Thursday, and deceased appeared to bo rather quiet. To Mr Barton : There was a light in deceased's house at- about 8.30 on Thursday night. Constable Potter deposed that he, h\ company with Constable Clarke, proceeded to the scone of the fire on Saturday morning, .ami found just a few embers smouldering. They arrived at the scene afc about 11.30. and as deceased's dog attacked them their fears for tho safety of deceased „were increased. They found the body a foot away from the bed in the room described as Barrett's room. Found the lock of the only door to the building, and the key was in it and tho bolt shot. The house was j some distance from the road, and there was a fence around it.

To Sergeant Bernard : Deceased's watch was found away from the body, and in the locality described by the witness Barrett as tlio room in -wliicli deceased usually slept. There was a revolver and the remains of a gun near tho watch. A large quantity of match-boxes were scattered about the room. ' To Mr Barton : Could find no indication that deceased was dressed at the timo of being overcome, and assumed that deceased had been in bed. The building was new and the chimney also. Constable Clarke corroborated tho evidence of Constable Potter, and added that some of the bricks of the chimney had dropped a little at one end, and the chimney appeared to have been an old one. The jury, without retiring, returned the following verdict :— That deceased came to his death by burning by reason of the house lie occupied being burnt down.

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