AN OPEN VERDICT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 8 December 1930, Page 5

AN OPEN VERDICT

DESTRUCTION OF A FLOURMILL

(By Telegraph—Press Association)

BLENHEIM, This Day

In connection with the inquiry into the fire which destroyed Redwood Bros, flourmill at Spring (.'reek on the night of 29th September, the coronorer, Mr E. J. Hill, has delivered the following finding: "Although evidence adduced at the inquiry was voluminous and left no avenue of investigation unexplored i' l an endeavour to get to the bottom of the matter, there was nothing in that evidence to guide me in deciding in what manner the outbreak originated. There certainly were suspicious circumstances which fully justified the holding «if an inquest. The owner, Mrs Ada Redwood, frankly admitted that she solely, except for the Public Trustee's interest, would benefit from the insurance policies and that the key of the building was accessible only to herself and the staff at the homestead, but though that would give possible motive and opportunity it would not necessarily prove guilty knowledge, ami there is nothing in the evidence to justify me in bringing in anything other than an open verdict. I find therefore that the building known as Redwood Ib'os. flourmill at Spring Creek, owned by Ada Redwood, was destroyed by fire on the evening of 29th September, there being no evidence to warrant a definite opinion as to the cause of the outbreak-."