FIRE IN MASTERTON.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1260, 23 April 1896, Page 33

FIRE IN MASTERTON.

Ono of the most important blocks of buildings in Mastcrton was destroyed by fire on .Sunday night. Shortly before 10 o’clock a portion of the Wairarapa Star office was observed to be in flames. The alarm was given, and the lire brigades were quickly on tho scene, but unfortunately the lire had a good hold of the building, which .was of wood, and before the flames were got under tho whole of the block was destroyed. Had the wind boon blowing, there was no knowing whore the damage would liavo ended.

The block destroyed is tho property of Mr Andrew Cockburn, and is insured for M 7( it).

Air Cargill, proprietor of the Star, is a heavy loser, the whole of the job printing

plant and machinery being destroyed. By I the efforts of volunteers, however, the ’ new; type was saved, ami the paper was j-i iuted to-day a ; usual. ! The remaining places destroyed were : | A ii h shop occupied by Harry Cole, the furniture in which was insured for 223 U; | the grocery shop of Ah Lop, the contents of which were insured for X‘2(X); and the l Laker}' shop of C. Winchester, insured for X 1 (lU. The plant of the .Star office was ; insured for .£BOO. i The origin of the fire is a mystery.

Air W. B- James’ house, destroyed by lire last week, was insured for .£l5O in the SouLli British, the furniture of Air W. Henderson, the occupier, lining, as already staid, insured in the North German for 22250. Alr.J. W. Robinson's house was insured for .£IOO in the New Zealand office, the furniture, which was nearly all destroyed or damaged, being uninsured. Air IL. A. McGregor hud his house insured lor 22375, and furniture for 22200 in the New Zealand office, both being slightly damaged. There was a risk of 2.4,u4 on Air J. It. O. .Schwartz’s house in the Commercial Union, and 22500 on the contents in the South British, the building and furniture being damaged. PgA man named John Wilkinson fell into the harbour at Waterloo quay shortly before 0 o’clock on Thursday. Night-watchman Murphy, who was passing at the time, promptly went to the rescue, and, by climbing along the stringers in front o! the breastwork, succeeded in grasping the collar of the man’s coat, and hauling him up on the quay. Constable Murphy took the man to the station afterwards, on a charge of drunkenness. A stack of oats and a chaff-cutter, the property of Air John Gillies, 11auhcld, near Olak:, were destroyed by lire on Wednesday nigh’.. About 12.20 a.m. on .•funday an outbreak of fire was discovered at the Terminus Hotel iu the store-room, by Mrs Crossey. The fire was put out before much damage was done, except that several bottles of liquor were (broken.

The stock was insured for .£3OO in the Alliaileo office, but about 2212 will cover (he loss.

Smoko was noticed issuing from a threeroomed cottage in Tuinui terrace, off Tasman street, on Sunday afternoon. The neighbours forced open the door, and with some buckets of water put out the (ire, which was confined to some bedding in one of the rooms, boforo tho arrival of tho Brigade. The house is occupied by Air Richard Decker, who was absent at tho time, and is owned by Air John Gannaway. The content* were damaged to the extent of about 2210, the injury to tho building, being slight. The furniture was insured for .£SO in {lie South British office. Airs Susan Aloynihan, wife of a station manager at Aliddlomarch, Otago, has died from injuries to the spine, tho result of a buggy accident. A man named Ross was injured at the Three-mile Bush, near Hokitika, last week, and died iu the Hospital. A young man named J . Wakelmm, aged 21, was killed at Makniro, near Woodvillo, last weok. He, with others, was fencing on J.bbotson’s property, when a large log rolled on top of him, crushing him so severely that he died about an hour afterwards.

Fred Fliilpott, night porter, aged 38, a widower, while going up in a lift at tho Waverloy Hotel, Auckland, got his head jammed between Him lift and the rollers of the third floor, and was killed instantly. Alex. Robertson, aged 70, lias been found dead in a house in Wedo d: y street, Auckland. lie li vi d .al-me, and ills autocode .its are unknown. An inquest was held at tho Railway Hotel, Lower Hutt, on Saturday afternoon, concerning the death of Neil Johnson, who committed suicide during tho morning by hanging himself with a strap from a rafter in a shed at bis residence. Tho ’ evidence of Stanley Johnson, aged 13 years,eldest -on ol t he deceased, showed that when his father came home, about half past !l o’clock tho previous evening, he seemed a little the worse for drink. He retired to bed half an hour later, after having something to eat. Ho got up twice during tho night, being sick and having a fit of coughing. The deceased got up about 7 o’clock on Saturday morning and went to the back shed, and after returning from there witness noticed a slight cut on the forehead, which was bleeding. Deceased, on being questioned, said begot the wound in the woodshed, and afterwards lay outlie lied. Witness then left for his work, and did not sec his father alive afterwards. Cissy Johnson, aged nine years, daughter of deceased, said her father went out soon after her brother leaving. Some time after she heard a noise in the woodshed, and on going there, after awhile, she discovered her father hanging from a rafter. Sho immediately informed her brother Noil, and Charles Cudby being called in, the body was taken down. This was about a quarter past 8 o’clock. The remaining evidence adduced shewed that, the deceased must have been dead half an hour when his body was found. A verdict that Johnson committed suicide by hanging himself whilst temporarily insane was returned. The deceased, who was a gardener, was about 4-7 years of age, and leaves a widow and three children. JJis wife was not living with him, having had to leave him about three and a half years ago on account of his drunken habits. A widow, Elizabeth Jones, 33 years of age, hanged herself at Archhill, Aiteklund, with a clothes line while mentally despondent. A sensational affair lias occurred at Windsor, about three miles Horn Ghristchurch. A woman reported to the police that her husband, James A loxander Robertson, threatened to shoot her and burn the house, down. Shortly afterwards word was received that the house was on tire, and when the police arrived it was burned down. A shot was heard in tho neighbourhood, but nothing could be seen of the man. Search was kept up all day yesterday, and Robertson was arrested at Yaldhurst this afternoon.