A SCENIC ARTIST BURNED TO DEATH IN AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 674, 30 January 1885, Page 15

A SCENIC ARTIST BURNED TO DEATH IN AUCKLAND.

DISGARCEFUL SCENE AT THE FUNERAL.

(UNITED PBESS ASSOCIATION.) Auckland, January 24.

At midnight a fire broke out in Elliott, street on the upper floor of a two-story block. The buildings are leased by Mackinlay, a sign-writer, from David Kean, residing at Wellington. The ground floor on the northern division was used by Mackinlay as a workshop, and the upper floor was partly used by Davis, a saddler, as a workshop, and also used as a workshop by Mr J. H’. Holmes, the scenic artist of the Opera House, who slept in the front room. The Fire Brigade soon extinguished the flames. As Holmes was known to sleep in the upper story, and had not been seen about, a search was made upstairs, when the nude body of the poor old mau was found lying on its back. The skin had peeled off in sections, though the body was not scorched or burnt. An examination of the premises by Detectives Hughes and Walker went to show that Holmes bad probably been reading in bed and bad fallen asleep, leaving the candle lighted. Some charred magazines were found near his pillow, and when roused by the fire he had evidently made his way to the back room instead of to the staircase, with his trousers in his hand (as they were found in his clenched grasp), when be got overcome with smoke and suffocation, Lateb. • At the inquest a verdict of accidental death was returned. There was no evidence to show how the fire originated. Auckland, January 26. An extraordinary scene occurred yesterday at the funeral of Mr Holmes, scenic artist, who was burnt to death on Friday night. Mr Mackinlay, the deceased’s landlord and a Freethinker, had arranged with Dr York, the Freethought lecturer, to conduct the funeral obsequies, while other friends had forwarded a similar request to the Rev Mr Tebbs, the Anglican minister. Tne funeral was largely attended, and the Freethought section commenced to complain at seeing Mr Tebbs present at the gate of the cemetery. A parley took place during which time the coffin wa3 left in the hearse. Mr Mackinlay told Mr Tebbs his services were not required, but Mr Tebbs insisted on conducting the service, and said that as there was no relative of present, and as there was no preof that he had abjured the faith of the Church of England he would do his duty, A number of churchmen then went to the hearse and removed the coffin. As the procession moved down the path to the open grave the rev gentleman commenced to read the passage, “ I am the Resurrection and the Life,” which was greeted by a portion of the Freethought section by interjections of “ Cut it short, “ Bosb,” “ We’ve bad enough of that rot,” “ Shut up,” &c. At the grave, just before the clergyman pronounced the words .“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust,” Mr Mackinlay jumped on the side of the grave, and cried cut, “ We’ve had enough of that stuff,” or words to that effect, but was greeted with cries of *• Shame ” from the crowd. Mr Tebbs, however, proceeded with the service to the close, and as soon as he had done the sexton and his assistants commenced to shovel in the earth on the coffin. A call was made by the Freethought people for Mr Ellis to proceed with his service, but that gentlemen declined. At the conclusion of the proceedings, persons of every denomination, including Catholics and Jews, shook hands with Mr Tebbs, and thanked him for carrying out his duty in the manner in which he had under’ trying circumstances. As a fitting finale to the above extraordinary funeral, the driver of the hearse, on returning to his home, accidentally fell down a staircase and sustained a broken ankle. Mr Holmes was not a member of the Freethought Association, but had attended several of their lectures. Deceased wa3 a son cf Mr Holmes, court painter to George IV.