THIS LATE FINE IN BROADWAY.

Inangahua Times, Issue 7, 21 October 1878, Page 2

THIS LATE FINE IN BROADWAY.

GOJIONKn's ISQUKIT. An cfTioml inquiry into tho circumstances attending tho recent oti'bro-tk rf Gro in v per Broadway, wad hold in tho MTngistratft'i Court, on Saturday Ust. Tbo jury baying inspeotcd tho scene of tbo flro, tho following cvideneo was taken i— {^lary Corbott— l am tbo wifo of John Corbott, baker, living in Broadway. Up to tho Rth instant I with my husband oooupiad a homo and shop in Broadway. Wo rented tho promisos from Mr Lir* kins Thero woro tbroo room* in tho house, namely, one bedroom, ono sitting room und a kitoben j thore was a shop in front as well j tho houso wus built of wood with shinglo roof. I recollect tbo night of tho 141 h instant. At about bait-past 11 o'olook on tho night of that day I wits going to bed nnd mv lit 110 girl cried out for a drink. I loft tbo oandlo on a box alongsido tho bend of tho bed j tho box was cf "°rcd with a linen toilet cover. I went iiuo the kitchen for a drink and wan between three and fivo minutos awiy, nn_l on returning to tho bedroom found tho wall on fire near the bod j tho candlo was nofc in a candlestick but a cofloo tin j I put tbo candlo about a foot from tbo wall, nnd whon I returned I fonnd it lying up ' againxt tho wall, nnd I think the child must havo knockod tho candlo over, nnd ' so oausod the lire; tho child by putting its arm out of bed could havo knocked tho oandlo over. I tried to put oui tho firo with tho toilet cloth, and sum.; out (or my husband, and also for Mr Lurk in who came nnd throw a tub of walcr o\*or tho bond of tho bod. When I saw tho room in flimo-t I look tbo children and went outside. I was undressed al the timo ; thu firo afterwords spread vory quickly to tho roof. Wo as red only thrco chairs and some of tho children's clothing j tho scrim was loose on tho wall and I am almost certain that it was the candle that oausod tbo (iro, John Corbelt, baker, said tbat on the night of tho Mtb instant, bo wai at work in his bakehonso nnd board bis wifo sing out fire. He rushod at onco into the bedroom, ond saw iho corner alongside tho head of tbo bed on fire; tho flimos wero near tho toilet, table and h.id run along Uio ceili.ig wh n ho got in. Ho started to pull down tbo scrim and callu'i out firo ; his apron caught firo and burnt bis bands ; noxt to.k tho child out of tbo cot ; Larkin s'ib<cquently camo into the room with half a tub of water and throw it on tho wall • tho firo shortly alter sprond to Larkin's placo. I saved my books tbreo chairs ond somo orookery*. Wyiro and flnir. I was not insured, T think the child in tho bed could have knocked the candle over. Ellen Larkin — I nm tho wif,» of John Larkin, and lived next door to Corbott'.-i. On the night of the Mtb instant, I heard Mrs Corbott givo two terrified screams. My husband went, in tho baok way, and I went and opened Cornell's front door to let iho pooplo got in, I next went to my own placo and took out my child ,* the ftime.i woro then breaking into my own bedroom ; I throw some water at the fire, and then threw two boxen and somo olothing down m tail's and loft tho houso. 0, L. Neville— *l am Sergoint of Polioo stationed at Kooftnn, nnd recollect tho night of tho Mtb instant, I wai on duty at tho corner of Sliiel street nt 1130 p.m., and heard a c y of fire. I wont, in tho diroction and saw tbe glaro of firo coming trom the back part of Corbott 'a promises ; the firo nppcarod to bo in tbo loft-hand mdo, and bal gofc a pretty firm hold of the building ; -saw at onco it was impossible to try and I s-ivo tbo building as thoro wero no buckets available ; wo got out a few bags of flour. The houses destroyed wero Corboit's, Larkin's, Williams', Smith's, ■Richardson's, and Coiinoll's ; tho last tbroo houses wcro not wholly destroyed. By a juror—Had buekots boon available when I arrivod on tho seeno I think tho (iro could huvo boon extinguished. Tbis closed the inquiry. The Coroner in son'ing the jury to consider thoir vordicfc said thut in this country tbo law relating to suoh inquests , differed from that in England. Thore tho duty of ascertaining tho camo or origin of a flro was vested in tho polico oflkoTs, but horo that duty wis cist upon a jury of the inhabitants; tli3ir position was thoro*. foio an important nnd ro«ponsiblo one, as in ooses whero the origin of lire was I tra eiblo to malioioisnoss, tho nooused person could be committed to gaol upon tho verdiot of tbe jury, In the prosont oaso, however, tho facts, so fur ns ho was instructed, wero very siuiplo nnd contained nothing of a suspioious naturo Thero w.in, however, this to bo siid tbat ifc wns proporly within tho provinco of tho jury to attaoh a rider to thoir verdict, expressive of their opinion of tbo desirability of providing wive efficient means of preventing or suppressing tho outbreak and spread ot firo. Though it was no part of tbo du'y of a Coroner to oxprcss nny opinion upon the subject, be oould not help saying that in point of siao and in regard lo tho property at stuko there wus no community in the world worso off than Heefton in regnrd to wotor aupply, either for domestio or Gro preventing purposes, and any recom* mendation of tho jury upm this bead

would no doubt carry considerable w-iglr. Ft was compotent for the jury to bring in a verdict either that the firo was caused through carelessness or that .hen. was insufficient evidence to show how it occurred' Tbo jury after deliberating for a few minutes returned the following verdict. " That io tho opinion of tbo jury the firo was accidentally caused by a lighted candle being placed too hear the. wall." Tbo following rider was attached, "That in (ho opinion of tho jury it is imperatively necessary that immediate steps be taken by tho inhabitants citlior to procure an efficient; water supply far tho town or to provido an engino to prevent tho spread of firo." Tho Coroner said ho would boo tint tho verdict was forwarded to tho proper quarter and tho proceedings ended. '.'JI-1.-J-A..1! .1.11.-.-L. ... .-.