THE CAPE CECIL FIRE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7019, 6 January 1910, Page 8

THE CAPE CECIL FIRE

CORONER'S INQUIRY OPENED , AND ADJOURNED. __ PRESS ASSOCIATION. CHRISTUH UJcOCR, January 5. ' An inquest concerning tile fire _in ■Mho Cafe deoil buildings or Higli Street Chambers, which occurred early yesterday morning, was opened by Mr H. W. Bishop, Coroner, who said that the Chief Detective had repented to him that the police had very strong reason to believe that the fire was th© work of an incendiary and they desired as close and as searching an inquiry into the whole of the circumstances as possible, so as to sheet home the origin of the fire to some person or persons or some special set of circumstances. It would bo manifest to the jury, as business men, the extreme danger and loss of property that might occur through a large fire, and it was almost inconceivable that people should be guilty of an act of that sort. The police reported that they had strong reason to suspect there was a deliberate attempt to set the building on fire. After hearing th© ’ evidence of the detective staff it would be necessajry to adjourn the inquiry in order to allow the police to collect evidence. , Detective Bade said that at 3 aun. yesterday ho was called to make inquiries into a fire in the Cafe Cecil buildings. The premises were used 1 as offices and tea-rooms. On arrival he found the body of the fire, was in the vestibule or waiting-room on the second floor, used by Messrs King and Goyen’s patients. The fire was for the most part in a eaddle-hag couch and sofa which had been placed near the wall- The room had a strong smell of petrol ox benzine, and about two gallons were found. In a backyard there was a man's pair of hoots, about size 7, and in the soles were a number of Backley’s protectors. One hoot was on a bag of coal, and by the side of the boot was an. inch bit, and he later found that the double folding doors in the vestibule had 'been bored near the lock with a similar bit. This bit had also been used on the wall of one of the dentists’ rooms, and a dtrip of plaster and a lath had been pulled off. A box had recently been unpacked, and packing and sawdust (apparently saturated with benzine or petrol) had been placed along the wall by the couches. Furniture in the dentists’ rooms had been brought into the vestibule with a view to giving the fire a good start. At this stage the inquiry was adjourned till Jauuary 18th, ( and the jury went to view the .premises.