THE BAY VIEW BOARDINGHOUSE FIRE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 933, 17 January 1890, Page 31

THE BAY VIEW BOARDINGHOUSE FIRE.

Mr Robinson, District Coroner, held an inquiry on Friday. Jnto the fire by which the Bay View Bcardifighoo.se fire, at Pipitca Point, was destroyed on die 13th of December. Mr H. J. Williams was chosen foreman of the jury. The police were represented by Detective Kirby, and Mr Jellicoe watched the proceedings on behalf of Mrs Egan, the proprietress of tha building. Tom Johnston, chief clerk to the bouth British Insurance Company, deposed that Mrs Egan had insured the back portion of the house for LIOO and the front for L4OO. On the 9th of December he notified Mrs Egan that the Company would not renew the policy, which expired on the 24th of January. He prepared the notice, and left it with one of the clerks to post. F. G. Thomson, local manager for the Phoenix Office, deposed to the furniture and effects at the boardinghouse being insured in his office for EIOO. Donald Me Kinnon, of the firm of Charles St. Barbe and Co., agents for the North German Insurance Company, stated' that Mrs Egan had had her furniture insured for LIOO with the Company since 1886. Both these gentlemen declared their willingness to pay the insurance at once. Mrs Egan gave evidence as to the outbreak of "fire between 2 and 3 o’clock on the morning of the 13th of December. To the best of her belief all the doors and windows were fastened. She retired about 11 o’clock the night before, and believed she was the last person up in the house. She could nob say how the fire originated. The loss on the property was between L3OO and L4OO j and she held a lease of the land at L 9 per annum, which would expire in three years. She understood the landlord claimed that the building would be his when the lease was up. In answer to Mr Jellicoe, Mrs Egan said she had not received the notice from the South British Company, of which Mr Johnston spoke. . Captain Kemsley, of the Fire Brigade, and several witnesses living in the neighbourhood, having been examined, the jury returned a verdict that there was no evidence to show how the fire originated. The foreman of the jury informed his Worship that he and his colleagues considered it a hardship to be taken away from their business to attend an inquiry which, in their opinion, was unnecessary, and of which it was known beforehand that the evidence would not throw any light on the affair. Tho Coroner said he could not agree with the jury. He thought it was frequently desirable that fires should be investigated, not only on suspicion of incendiarism but also to ascertain whether carelessness had been shown. Such inquiries often did a great deal of good, and he could not, therefore, blame the Insurance Company which had asked for this one.