THE SHOCKING OCCURRENCE NEAR CAMBRIDGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7170, 8 November 1884, Page 6

THE SHOCKING OCCURRENCE NEAR CAMBRIDGE.

,[fs*-*SrifflUra.--d'W« , OOBBESPONDBNT.I , -'-■ Oambbidgb, , Friday. An inquest on the Osborne children, who wore burned to death on Thursday af ternooD, waa hgld'at Gillett'B Hotel this morning, Jfcfore Mr W. N. Searanoke, Coroner. From the evidence of the mother, who had (mly been absent three-quarters of an hoar, and was letnming home when ahe met her husband, who told her that her home and three, little children were gone, it appears that'before leaving ehe locked the bafcy In;the bed-room, and the other two children in the kitchen, and left the door on the latch. The eldest hoy was not able to open it She pat the box of matches on a ledge above- the mantel shelf, about seven fee* high. The eldest, noticing -what.ahe did, it is surmised that he took the broom and capsized them down. She on one occasion found him with the box and his father's pipe and a match, pretending to smoke.. The reason she shut the onildren in was that ahe was afraid of them going to the river, which is only fifty yards away. Great sympathy is expressed tot the efflioted parents, .who have lost β-rerything they possessed. A Bub,oriptioa list has been opened to relieve them. A verdict of "Accidental death" was returned. _1 From farther particulars of the sad occur,M&oe, it appears that the cottage was in an isolated position, near the bank of the Waikatb Jjiver, and nearly opposite Halley's ionimiU, but a little further down the etresm, and there are no occupied buildings nearer than half-a-mile. Oaborne, who ie b> ttaady,,hardworking man, is in the employ ol MrJ John Arnold, butcher, and was engaged in company with Mr. Arnold on some work on the farm some few paddocks away, when he saw emoke arising • frop- his home. The two men instantly rushed to the spot, the frantio father arriving first, to find the doortlooked and the house in flames. Snatching an axe he burst off some weatherboards, bat was foiled by the lining. A door Was then broken down, when-the whole of the interior was seen to be one mass of flame. Nothing could ba seen of the poor children, and it was not until the building had. burnt itself out that the charred .remains were discovered. Maddened by his dreadful loss the unhappy parent would have no doubt done himself some serious injnry had he not been forcibly restrained by a few who by this time had arrived on the scene of the calamity. It appears that Mrs. Osborne had occasion to go mto the township for some necessaries, and after carefully extinguishing the fire, locked the children in, being afraid to let them run 'about outside on account of the. close proximity_of the river. She is certain that there was no trace of fire when ahe left, and the only acceptable theory is that the children must have found some matches, and in playing with them accidentally set tire to the place, .Osborne lost every he poseetsed, except the clothes he stood in; Dut the "pecuniary loss is as nothing compared with the loss of his children.