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THE RECENT FIRES AT WAITEKAURI.

VERDICT OF THE JURY.

[BY TELEGBA3?n. CORRESPONDENT.] Paeroa, Wednesday. The inquiry into the two recent fires at Waitckauri was not concluded URtil three o'clock this morning. Evidence was given by C. Johnston, H. Bunting, and J. Minis. The latter deposed that ho was storekeeper at Waitekauri and left for a holiday about five weeks ago, a young man named T. Murphy having been placed in charge during his absence. Murphy was instructed to enter up his takings and disbursements in a cashbook and to enter all sales either for cash or credit in a slip book. The cashbook could not be found. After making an investigation into his affairs without the cashbook, lie found there was a deficiency of £8 18s Bd. -Murphy admitted the serious aspect of affairs, but said he could not account for tho disappearance of the cashbook. His stock was insured in the Guardian Offico for £200, and ho valued his stock after the fire at £319 17s 9d at invoice prices. If his stock had been destroyed he would have lost the difference between these two amounts. The" cashbook missing was an ordinary penny notebook. Murphy had told him that 'he had entered up everything in it up to the Friday night previous to the fire. When he awakened Murphy and told him the place was on fire the latter rushed to the till and brought witness £8 18s 6d from it. He left £11 lis cash in the care of Murphy, and the latter had subsequently banked to his (witness') credit the sum of £82 3s sd. Murphy also drew two small amounts amounting to £1 19s lOd as wages for himself. . This would reduce tho deficiency to £6 18s 10d. He had alvvavs found Murphy to be honest and straightforward, and could not speak too highly of him. He had authorised Murphy to draw as he wanted it.

Constable Plavell described what took place at both fires. After the second fire had been got under he searched the debris about 3ft from the back door of the shop. He discovered lying under a piece of board the portion of a sack and detected the smell of kerosene. _ Upon a close examination he found that it was pretty well saturated with kerosene. He also found the hasp of the back door, and it had the appearance that it had been forced open. Thomas Henry Murphy, genera] assistant storekeeper, deposed that on Sunday night 15th inst., he retired to rest about half-past ten or eleven p.m. Everything seemed all right then. When he was awakened by Minis he saved the money from the till and gave it to Minis. He also assisted to take out the safe. Before going away Minis left him a cashbook, and with the exception of Saturday, 14th inst. (night takings) all receipts and expenditure had been entered up. He could make up the cash takings by the slip book. He could not account for the disappearance of the cash book. He would not admit that he was short in his cash until he had gone through the slip book. After Mr. Mueller had addressed the jury ; on behalf of Murphy, tho coroner reviewed the evidence and the jury brought in the following verdict: —■" Though wo find that there is insufficient evidence to enable us to decide whether the fire which occurred on March 10, 1903, at the bakehouse, Waitekauri, owned by Geo. Armstrong, was the wilful act of any persan or persons, we are convinced that the fire which took place on March 16 at the shop attached to the bakehouse was wilfully caused by some person or persons, but the evidence adduced was not sufficiently strong to connect any person with the crime."

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19030326.2.66

Bibliographic details

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12229, 26 March 1903, Page 6

Word Count
629

THE RECENT FIRES AT WAITEKAURI. New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12229, 26 March 1903, Page 6

THE RECENT FIRES AT WAITEKAURI. New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12229, 26 March 1903, Page 6

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