MING QUONG'S FIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11058, 9 May 1899, Page 6

MING QUONG'S FIRE.

% THE INQUIRY. The inquest on the recent fire fit Ming Duong's storo, Epsom, was resumed yesterday before Mr. John Bollard, M.H.R. Deteotivo Konncdy, continuing his evidence, said that on visiting the scene of the fire lie employed two men to sort the debris. Witness took a list, counting every vestige of a jar or tin that could.bo found. Witness counted six shovels, five hoes, a handsaw, a pitchfork, about 150 largo bottles of ginger, about 160 largo bottles of yellow wine, 25 small jars of ginger, 400 small tins of bean cake, three boxes of soap, four sacks of beans, 20 boxes 'of ginger, two oases of preserved fish, thrco bags of wheat, 60 tins of Chinese- oil, 20 bags of rice, four bags of maize, and about 50 broken bottles, mostly beer bottles. Witness saw no sign of salt, candles, pins, tobacco, biscuit tins, dates, Chinese shoes, leather, ham or bacon, oil coats, vinegar bottles, gin bottles, salt, eggs, or horse-covers, as montionod in tho list. Witness mado the highest possible calculation, so as to make no mistake in going below tho true- value. To Chief-Detective Graco: Since the commencement of the inquest tho original sales book was given to witness by Ming Quong. Witness ticked off the list of losses as Ming Quong read them over. (Witness here produced tho invoices of Ming Quong, translated into English by the throe interpreters.) To Mr. Parr: Ming Quong told witness that the window of the store was some distance from tho ground, about 6ft. There were 47 errors in the first claim admitted by Ming Quong. The debris as soon by tho jury did not appear the same as it was the day after tho fire. It had been turned up, and looked a great deal moro than before. Witness dug about 2ft into the ground, to see if there was a "plant." To Mr. Whitaker: Witness look tho search warrant on March 21. It was quite possible for Ming Quong to have removed his goods between the time of tho fire and the issue of the fcaroh warrant. To a Juror: Ming Quong's last fire occurred 10 months beforo tho presonb fire, when tho salvago amounted to 32 bags of feed. In reply to a question by tho coroner, Detective Grace 6aid that a plan was being prepared. Ming Quong was then recalled, and said that the sales book marked M was tho book which ho gave to Detective Kennedy. Ho kept two sales books in his business. The book produced was written up as tho items wero sold, the other sales book containing the wholesale prices. He could not find the pocket book which he promised to look for. The sales in the first claim were thoso in the retail book. Tho wholesale book corresponded with the sales in the second claim. Tlioro were several sales in the retail book that were not entered in the wholesale book. The wholesale book was writton up after tho fire, and was copied from the original. The goods were the samo, but tho prices wero different. Witness denied getting a remit tanco from his brother in Fiji. He received £6 in March, but only as a loan. Witness owed his brother £25. To Mr. Parr: Witness saw tho pooket book after lie made out tho second claim, so that it was not burned in tho fire. It was tho only book missing sinco the fire, and contained a record of tho Fiji and Napier sales. Tho two sales books began in tho same month, and covered nearly tho samo period. Mr. Pnrr: Why was it nccoseary to havo two sales books? Witness: One was to show tho wholesale prices, to show in tbe amended claim, Mr. Parr: Could ho not havo got tho prices from his invoices. The witness explained that tho invoices were in Chinese, and it would take some timo to reckon up the amount. Tho items in tho retail book wero copied from thoso in tho wholesale book. ' Mr. Parr: Then the items in both books are tho same, with the exception of tho prices? Tho witness, after examining tho books, paid that tho items wero the samo, with the except ion of goods bought in Auckland." At tho afternoon sitting the plan prepared by Mr. R. Ballantine, of the Lands and Survey Department, was put in and certified as correct. Tho evidence of Ming Quong was then resumed. In reply to questions put by jurymen, Ming Quong said that tho letter received from his brother was a privato letter. To the Coroner: His total debts wero £950.

.lames All Kew was then sworn as an interpreter, and translated the- letter referred to. Ho certified to tho correctness of certain accounts, which wore interpreted from Chinese into English. Mr. Ah Tone;, interpreter, examined various invoices, and found that they corresponded to the second statement of claim, nil items agreeing with tho oxcoption of six bags of sugar. 12 bottles of gin, and 5001b of tobacco dust. There wore 24 bottles of gin and 90011) of tobacco dust in the invoices, and tlioro wore only 12 bottles of gin and 500 ib of tobacco dust shown in the claim. Tho Court then adjourned till ten a.m. today. Tho case will probably be finished to-day.