THE BURNING MYSTERY.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2018, 22 November 1886, Page 2

THE BURNING MYSTERY.

A SENSATION EXPLODED, (Per Press Association). Wellington, Nov. 20. Since the inquest on Henry Aodrcffi certain facts have been ascettained whioh point to the conclusion tint true parties* lars,as to how and where tho man received his fatal injuries, have not yet been dir. closed, The only evidence adduced con. sists of tho docias-d’s own stitements, made to witnesses, as to how the accident occurred. There is no reison to believe that these were cntirily incorrect, and that fi'c did not occur in his lodgings at all but in a house in a suburban district. The vallanco of the bed in his lodgings, whioh was found with a small hole bur* ned in it, was apparently simply concealed to lend color to the story. Hid Andrews sustained such fearful burns, ns thoso ho died from, while in bed, the be 1 clothes must have been destroyed and cvidenca of the fire must have been very apparent in tho room. It is now supposed that ho was not alone when he got burned. A woman well-known in Wellington was received into the Hospital the day after Andrews, suffering from almost the same injuries from fire. She admits she knew Andrews, and Andrews, before his death, admitted he knew her. Her story about how she got bur led is very similar to that told by Andrews about the vallanceof the bed catching fire, but she fixes tin locality at a village a few miles from town and,as her injuries were evidently sustained about the same time as those of Andrew* it is believe! that tin two; persona were injured at the same time and that, although the facts are known to several parties, a gicat ellort has be ;n made to prevent their obtaining publicity, Nov 21. The rumor that was current in town yesterday that a woman was mixed up in the Andrews burning case is incorrect. It appears that the patient now in the Hospital is a domestic servant named Margaret Grimstone, aged 30, who was employed at Smith’s Porirua Hotel, Porirua. She stites tint one evening last week a gust of wind blew the window curtain on to the candle in her bedroom and, while extinguishing the blaze, tha sleeve of her dross caught fire and bet right arm was burnt from the elbow to the top of the shoulder, but the injuries are not serious. Her statement is corroborated by others who were at hotel, and any connection with Andrews affair is now disbelieved.