THE FIRE AT FOXTON.

Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 37, 24 February 1877, Page 3

THE FIRE AT FOXTON.

An inquest was held yesterday at the request of Mr Beatty on the late fire at his store before Dr Kockstrow, the coroner. Mr Wallace attended as agent for the .National Insurance Company, and Mr War burton watched the proceedings m the interests of Mr Beatty. The following jury were sworn : — Messrs Flower (foreman), Thompson, M'Cullock, Door, Crowther, Summers, Gray, Nye, Bartlett, Reeve, M'Lean, Liddle. Memberry, and Halfeed. Josiah James Beatty sworn said : On Monday the 19th the store was closed by me personally. There was no fire-place m the store. No lamps burning. I left shortly afterwards. Returned at about 10 o'clock, after a meeting of Athenaeum committee. I entered the house through the hall-door facing the street, and entered the dining-room. Sat reading till about half -past ten. I then remembered that I had not closed the store-room door. I entered it and the housemaid held the light whilst I closed it up. I returned to the diningroom and sat a few moments. Miss Clandge and the servant girl were there. They left the dining-room shortly afterwards. I then went into the shop a little while for some biscuits. Afterwards Mr Wakeford came to the back door. After he had gone I put out the lamp and went to bed ; this was a few minutes after 11. When I went into the shop for the biscuits I took a candle with me and only stopped a minute ; then there was no smell or sign of fire. About 10 or 15 minutes after I had gone to bed I heard the servant girl calling me by name. She said that there was a noise downstairs. When I came into the kitchen at the foot of the stairs I saw a light through the glass door leading from the shop into the kitchen. I called out upstairs that the shop was on fire close to the kitchen, and to get the children out of the bedroom. I could not enter the shop immediately because I had not the key. I went into the dining-room to get it, and there saw a considerable portion of the drapery side of the shop m flames. I only keep drapery on this side of the shop. The counter, the drapery fixtures, the floor, and the old wall were on fire. Up to this time there had been no fire m any of the chimnies (adjoining the store). Lottie, the servant, put a jug of water into my hands. I threw it on the fire, but it was of no use. lam insured m the Standard for £500 for the buildings, and m the National for £200 on the building and £2,400 or £2,500 on the stock. I insured m the Standard about the 15th July, 1876, and m the National about the end of September. By the Foreman : I entered the shop by the glass door leading from the kitchen to get the biscuits, and then went to the right hand side (not that portion of the shop where I sell the drapery). No one had worked m the front room during the latter portion of the day. Did not keep matches near the portion where the fire broke out. By the Coroner : Did not send a large amount of goods away previous to the fire, only m small amounts. I have no knowledge how the fire broke out. By the Foreman : I value the stock on the premises at the time of the fire approximately at £3,625. All my books were destroyed. The alterations to the shop since August last cost about £240. By Mr Wallace : Business books and cash-box were kept by my bed upstairs. I could not save the books and the children too. By the Coroner : When I went upstairs to get the books I found the children still m bed, and lost my presence of mind. I took my eldest child out of the cot to the head of the stairs, when I met Miss Clandge and Lottie coming up-stairs. They were both excited, so I took the child down myself. I went down stairs with the eldest child mmy arms. I did not go back to my bedroom on account of the smoke. By the Foreman : I stood at the foot of the stairs while. Lottie or Miss Clandge brought baby down. By Mr Wallace : There was no smoke m my own bedroom when I went upstairs. I could scarcely get down stairs for the smoke, but when I went down stairs the smoke came up m volumes. By the Coroner : I do not know how long I was up-stairs. By the Coroner (at Mr Warburton's request) : lam insured m the sum of £500 m my own name ; the other insurance m the name of Joseph Nathan & Co. I think the application was signed jointly by me and Joseph Nathan & Co., but am not quite sure. I was obliged to insure by conditions entered into with Joseph Nathan & Co. By the Foreman : Miss Clandge and Lottie came down stairs with the baby. Did not know how the fire originated. The only cause he could think of was that there had been Maories smoking near the front and a match might have got under the shop and smouldered. Peter Gibson, wharfinger, sworn : All the goods shipped from here go through my hands. Mr Beatty had not sent away any large quantities before the fire. On the 15th Feb. Mr Beatty shipped per s.s. Tui fifty-eight packages. I do not know the contents, but the principal part was rope and tow. (By the Foreman : Flax.) The weight amounted to about 13cwts. They were shipped to Wellington consigned to "J. J. Self." F. By the Coroner (at Mr Warburfcon's request) : It might mean a merchant of that name. By the Coroner : I saw flames shewing thaough the back part of the building. By Mr Warburton : Could not swear to accuracy of the name, but it must have been written with a capital S.

By Mr Wallace : Only small pack- ; ages were shipped before this. j Miss Clandge, dressmaker m the em- | ploy of Mr Beatty, sworn : On Monday j the 19th Feb. I returned from a ride at i 9 p.m. There was no one m the dining j room. I went up-stairs and got a book, | and went into the dining-room and sat j there until about 10 o'clock. I told the ' girl to get my supper and she got it. I had it, and then went to bed at half- j past ten. Mr Beatty had then come. I Saturday was the last time I went into the store. About an hour after I went to bed. I heard wood burning. I said to the girl there is fire ; I fancy there is fire down stairs. I told her to tell Mr Beatty. So 1 got out of bed. She said there is fii'e, I can see and smell smoke. Mr Beatty went downstairs immediately afterwards as soon as or as quickly as he could have dressed. I saw the girl trying to bring her box down stairs. I looked for just a few clothes and went downstairs, leaving the baby m bed. I put my things outside the back-door. I went up-stairs and saw the girl with the baby iv her arms. I could see fire through the cracks m the wall ; that is all I know about the fire. Mrs Beatty was not at home ; she had gone to Wellington the Thursday previous. I have nothing to do with the shop. By the Foreman : I occupy the diningroom as my work-shop. It is not directly connected with the shop. By the Coroner: I remember Mr Beatty carrying the oldest child down stairs. The second time I went down stairs I carried my box. The noise seemed to arise from the drapery side of the shop. By the Foreman : The reason why I slept m the same I'oom as the servant was that one girl had run away, and I slept m the same room as Lottie for company. Amander Johnson sworn : Was servant of Mr Beatty for the last five months. On Monday the 19th Feb. Mr Beatty came home about 10 o'clock p.m. We were all m the dining-room. Mr Beatty went into the store after he came home. Do not know how long he stopped m the store-room ; he could not have been long. The fire m the kitchen was not quite out. Did not go into the store during Mr Beatty's absence. The key is kept on the dining-room mantelpiece. The door leading from the kitchen to the store is always locked. I saw Mr Beatty carrying the eldest child down stairs wnilst I carried the baby. There was no possibility of going up-stairs, as the smoke nearly choked me going down. Edmund Osborne sworn : I am shopman at Mr Beatty's and reside at his house. On Monday, the 19th, I was at Motoa swamp. Mr Beatty keeps a branch store there. I slept at Motoa that night ; this was the second time I had sh'pt there, m consequence of my horse not being m good trim. Remember Mr Beatty shipping packages to Wellington, including thirty-nine tether lines and flax and tow, also apples and peaches. I have been employed m an auction mart m England. I would consider the retail price of stores to be between £4,000 and £5,000. I mean those which were actually burnt. This, of course, does not include the furniture. By the Foreman : I left tne store about 3 o'clock p.m. I neither smoke nor drink. By Mr Warburton: The Maoris frequent shops, and when they throw away lighted matches they sometimes put them out with their feet. There was a firm of J. J. Selfe m Wellington. We have sent goods occasionally through the same firm, mostly produce or things made m the district. By the Foreman : I never took notice of any shavings under the house. Francis Loudon sworn : lam a merchant. Have been m trade about 11 years. Have been m Mr Beatty's store, and have a good knowledge of goods. I was m the shop a few days before the fire. I consider the stock worth £3,000 to £3,500 at invoice prices. I consider the building at the time I insured was worth £700 before the additions, and about £900 or £950 at the time of the fire. By Mr Warburton : I am agent for the Standard Insurance Company. Mr Beatty was going to insure for £400. I recommended him to insure for £500. This was before any improvements. At about 2 o'clock the Court was cleared, and after about a quarter of an hour the jury returned a verdict — " That there was no evidence to shew how the fire originated." And a rider — " That not sufficient police protection was afforded to the inhabitants of Foxton at night." The Coroner said that he did not think that the jury were justified m attaching a rider which was not gathered from the evidence, but he would transmit it.