A MAN BAKED IN AN OVEN. (From the "Launceston Examiner.")

North Otago Times, 19 October 1865, Page 3

A MAN BAKED IN AN OVEN. (From the " Launceston Examiner.")

An inquest was held yesterday, before the coroner and a jury, to inquire into the circumstances of the death of a baker named John M'Pherson, who was found dead in an oven on the premises of Mr F. J. Houghton, Wellington road, early yesterday morning. After the jury had viewed the body, the following evidence was given : — Frederick James Houghton said : I keep a shop, and also a bakehouse. I believe the name of the deceased was John M'Pherson. Off and on, he has been in my service for the last twelve months. He was addicted to drinking. The first time I saw him yesterday was at twelve o'clock ; he was under the influence of liquor — in fact, I should call him drunk. I saw him again at nearly two o'clock. He had then done what work was required of him, and had had his dinner. I saw him afterwards for the last time at seven o'clock in the evening. He then seemed quite sober. He carried 2 cwt. flour out of my shop, without staggering in the slightest degree. I saw nothing more of him after seven o'clock until this morning. He was in the habit of sleeping in the bakehouse by himself, except upon Saturday nights; he always put, the wood in the oven himself—pin fact, he did the greater part of the ( work. The description of wood was small billet vrood — wattle, split to handy size — it was part green and part dry. Deceased's dut3 r commenced at seven o'clock of a night, when he had to set his sponge ; that would not take him more than a quarter of an hour. Nothing more was .required of him till three o'clock in the morning. Last night I know that the oven was wooded ready for lighting. When he got up, at three a m., he would be able to complete all that was necessary in about three-quarters of an hour. I don't exactly know, from my own knowledge, what time, he got up of a morning. At about five o'clock this morning, I knocked at the bakehouse window, opposite the oven door, to see if he was up. I am accustomed J to do this when I do not see any light in the bakehouse. There was no light there this J morning. The oven door was open. I knocked still louder and louder, and received no answer. I then got an" axe and broke the door j

open. ■ My idea in breaking the door opt^| was to see in what state the work was, so th^| I could go on with it myself. I tried (^H door first, and looked through the keyh o j^H and saw no key in it. When I broke t^H door open I went and looked in the <n e^H The first thought I had was, that I savr^| large log of wood. It was not quite light, I could not see distinctly. I heard som (^| thing " frizzing," so I stooped down and loolj^B closer, and saw one of his legs. RushedjjM once to the police station for assistance. returned with Sergeant Peters. When 1 t*^| turned the body was iu precisely the sat&i^l position as when I left it. The oven, whcnjM first saw the body, was completely bumH down, and there was nothing but embers ifl| it. The wood must have been burnt do\»H before deceased got into the oven. He htjfl been subject to fits. This day week he liatjfl a fit. I had occasion to enter the bakehouse! and found that he had raked the ashes outH and had fallen down, and if I had not beejH there I think he would have been burnt then I When I found him in this state I made hiqH drink some water, and he came to. I donw know whether he had any drink with html last night. When I first saw the body ttifl clothes were alight. Deceased was lying oqI his face. The only way that I can accoumH for his being there is that he was sufforiiwH from delirium tremens, though his work was! properly done. We are in the habit of onlyl lighting one side of the oven — the right sidel — and it is to that side that his head and thtl chief part of his body were lyiug. The fire I was riot raked out, for the rake was outsidtH in the yard. He had no boots on his feetB but only stockings. One of his slippers wajB taken from the oyen. I know of no quarrel ■ that he has had : ith any one. Two or threeH times last week I noticed something strange B in his manner — he looked somewhat wild,! and was careless in his dress, not keeping! himself so clean as usual. I feel certain thatl he could not have been in the oven very long, I because if any one went into the oven when! first it was lighted, and remained there until I it was burnt out, there would not be a vestige I remaining. I By the Foreman: I don't know what is I the description of the fits he had, but he used I to get white in the face and fall down stupe- 1 fled. I never saw him suffering from delirium I tremens. I merely draw my conclusions from the facts that have occurred. By a juryman : On entering the bakehouse, the first thing that struck me as singular was a candle on the trough, but it was not burning. I consider he had blown the candle out, to go to bed. There was no light in the oven. It was usual for him, when he left the bakehouse, to put the key outside for me, so that I might get in. I found the key hanging on the nail in the shop where it usually stands. The body seemed to lie across the oven, and the legs must have been very wide apart. Jonathan Peters, sergeant of the municipal police, Launceston, said : This morning, at about half past five, Mr Houghton came to the police-station, and reported the circumstances of the disaster, and I then accompanied him and constable Murrie up to the bakehouse, where the body now lies. I went into the bakehouse, and Mr Houghton pointed out to as the door of the oven open. I looked in, and saw a man lying on his face, with his hands doubled up under him. His head was inclining to the right of the oven, and his feet to the left — the left foot very much so, insomuch that we had very great trouble in bending it to get it out of the oven. I got a board, which I placed under the body and drew it out. Upon drawing it out of the oven I discovered that one arm was very much consumed. In his risjht hand he had a slipper. We then got the rake and raked out the portion of another slipper. There was the remains of a woollen cap on deceased's head. I (bund also portions of a vest and trousers. There were socks on his feet, partly burnt. We left the body in the same position as we found it, that is, on the face. His bed was in the bakehouse. The bed had been slept in. I know nothing of the conduct or character of the deceased. Mr Houghton, recalled : I am perfectly certain that the man found in the oven was John M'Pherson, my baker. I know it by the general appearance, of the body, and also from the remains of his clothes. At the conclusion of the evidence the coroner very fully summed, up the facts adduced, and added that no direct and positive evidence had been given as to the habits of the deceased, but fortunately he could supply the deficiency. He had known the deceased, and seen him very drunk ; indeed, when he was intoxicated he was almost mad, so much so that on one occasion he had to be restrained. The jury, after consulting for a few minutes, delivered a verdict to the following effect : — " That the deceased, John M'Pherson, on the morning of the 25th September, was found dead in an oven on the premises of Mr J. F. Houghton, Wellington Road; but whether the said John M'Pherson got into the oven in a state of delirium, or with a view to destroying his life, or entered to do something connected with his business, and in so doing was accidentally suffocated and burned, the jury is unable to determine."

Tvttelton and this place, I suppose ifc is probable tbat nme other steamer will probably take up the place Ktberto filled by the Geelong, and the steam shipping f cihties of your port will be increased with this wholeIlme element of competition to boot. Our musical friends of the Dunedin Philharmonic Society g» ve a Concert on "Wednesday evening, when ., . cve r-favorite " Creation" was really capitally performed. The members of this Society are not losing their time. Their flinging in chorus has been steadily 'roving, eS pecially since Mr West became the conductor of these rehearsals. This is simply because both il, e conductor and a number of the members have been nainstaking and anxious to improve, and the result is a cheering lesson to similar societies. ' you will have noticed that the meeting of the Prorincial Council has been postponed to the 9th. of November, no doubt in consequence of the protracted session of tho Assembly. Until we know how large a ilice of our revenue Mr Weld and his colleagues will succeed in apportioning for Colonial purposes, it is not of much use preparing estimates for the consideration of the Council.