THE WELLINGTON OPERA MOUSE FIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9022, 7 April 1888, Page 5

THE WELLINGTON OPERA MOUSE FIRE.

[BV TELEGBAPH.—PRESS ASBOCIATIOK.] Wellington, Friday. An enquiry was held into the Opera House fire to-day. The evidence went to show that the fire occurred in the staircase leading to the upper circles. Mrs. Smith, the wife of the custodian, who lived in the theatre in the flies, said that during her husband's absence from the theatre on the night before the theatre was burned, she heard the stage door creak, and some person walk across the stage. It appeared as if someone was stealing across, and she knew the footsteps were'not those of her husband. On the latter's return she informed him of what she had heard, but although Smith made a search no one was found in the building. Smith deposed that half-a-dozen persons might have been hiding in the building, and he would be unable to discover them. He mentioned that on the day before about £26, the company's money, had been left on a desk, in notes said gold, ready for banking. He did nob enter the office after the fire, as he did not care to go there alone. He was in the office yesterday with the directors, and found that the desk had been on fire and was charred, but there was no sign of either the paper or silver money. The desk was nob burned suflß- , ciently to have accounted for the disappearance of the silver. The other evidence waa unimportant, and an open verdict) was returned. ' ' .