FIRE INQUIRY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 283, 27 October 1934, Page 9

FIRE INQUIRY

EVIDENCE IN CHRISTCHURCH. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 26. The Coroner’s inquiry into the origin of the fire at the warehouse of Davidson and Co., 168 Litchfield Street, on June 8, was continued to-day. Constable Simmonds said lie interviewed Davidson on June 8. Davidson said he had been back at the office from 9.50 p.m. to II p.m. on July 7. There was no one else there. He went back on an average four times a week. He was a non-smoker. He used only one light, and when he left tlie building it seemed to be in order. About the centre of the store there was a case of boxes of wax matches. As the store was overrun with rats that might have been the cause of the fire. He estimated the damage at £2OOO. He had not been into the store that night, only the office. Much evidence was given as to the correctness or otherwise of the stock sheets and invoices supplied by Davidson supporting his claim for file loss. Francis Guy Kilpatrick, proprietor of the Kash and Karry Store, Kaiapoi, denied having bought 12 large factory cheeses from Davidson and Co. in April. , „ An invoice for £35 5s lOd for tea bought by witness and dated April was produced. Witness said he had paid for the tea in February. Chief-Detective Dunlop: If this is a correct duplicate of the original invoice it should be dated February i

Witness: Yes. ... Witness denied having discussed with Davidson’s since the fire anything about cheeses. , Mr Thomas, counsel for the Guardian Assurance Co.: Do you expect the Court to believe you did not discuss either the fire or the cheese you had ordered when you met Davidson and liis son, who is your business associate.

Witness: Certainly. Jean Davidson, clerk for the firm and daughter of W. Davidson, denied that she had told the insurance assessor that her father had torn some pages out of the stock book. In crossexamination she said she could not tell who removed the invoices from the books she kept. She could not say whether some of the invoices had been altered before or after the fire. Mr Sim, for Davidson, asked whether Mr Thomas asserted Miss Davidson had altered the books. Mr Thomas: I assert now, as I did before, that the books were altered after the fire. Alfred Ernest Smith, insurance adjuster, produced proof of the loss submitted by Davidson of £2113 14s 6d. Visible stock, wholly or partly destroyed by fire, amounted to £385 15s 4d. Davidson claimed that approximately £I6OO of the stock had been totally destroyed. Davidson could not say exactly what stock had been so destroyecl. Later on figures were submitted by Davidson. The value of the stock, including salvage, was £1135. Witness said he did not agree that the list was correct. He w r as convinced the quantities given were incorrect. The inquiry was adjourned till Monday.