LORNE STREET FIRE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8422, 6 May 1913, Page 9

LORNE STREET FIRE

INQUEST ON VICTIMS

'•ACCIDENTALLY SUFFOCATED.'

An inquiry was held by Mr W. 0. Riddell, S.M., acting district coroner, yesterday afternoon, concerning the death of Urban George Hall and Phyllis Hall who was sultocated as the result of a tiro occurring in their house in Lorno street on Saturday night. Senior-Sergeant Rutledge conducted the inquiry on behalf of tho police. .William Henry Barnes, proprietor of the Star Cafe, said that ho identified tho bodies as that of Urban Goorgo Frederick Hall ana i hydi* Hall, his wife. They resided at,2«, Lorno street, and ho knew them m London previous to their coming to Now Zealand in 1907. Hall would bo about fifty-six or fifty-seven years or ago and his wife about forty-mno or fifty, and ho was more addicted to drink than she was. They had no relatives in Now Zealand, but had a married daughter at home. Ho was an ex-sergeant major in the Imperial Army, ana had followed tho calling ot an insurance in Wellington. LIQUOR ON THIS PREMISES.

John O’Sullivan, a ship’s steward, said that he went to Hail's place on Saturday about 4.15 p.m. with James Lloyd. Mr and Mrs Hajl and Stevenson were in tho house, and he had tea there. In company with Lloyd and Stevenson, he left there about 7.30, and returned between 8 and p.dU p.m. They brought back with them two bottles of beer and someone brought a bottle of whisky. Tho two deceased, witness, Lloyd and Stevenson drank all the liquor that had been brought in. The. two deceased appeared to bo intoxicated, and witness had had a certain amount of drink, but was not exactly drunk. Uoyd and Stevenson were in the same condition. Lloyd and Stevenson went to bed just before 10 p.m. and left the deceased sitting in the kitchen. They (the boarders) were asleep _ a few minutes lajer. Ho was sleeping with Stevenson, and later witness and Lloyd were awakened by the fire. The flames were running up tho side of the window. He pulled Stevenson out of bed. Just as ho was going out he managed to get a pair of trousers and a coat and ran downstairs. He had his hair and eyebrows singed. He noticed a light in the kitchen as he went downstairs, and he proceeded through the kitchen into the backyard and out on to a lane. The brigade had arrived at that time. The fire appeared to have started in the room they occupied. They had not been smoking in the room. Lloyd and Stevenson had got out before witness, and he stopped to get his trousers. Sergeant Rutledge: How did you go to bed—in the dark? Witness: We had a candle, but Stevenson extinguished it when I turned in, Sergeant Rutledge: You knew Hull and his wife were in tho house and why did you no' give the alarm? Witness: I thought they were out of the house, as we loft them sitting in tho kitchen, and there was no one in tho kitchen when I went through. “NO RESPONSE.” James Lloyd, a clerk, said that he bad been residing in Lorno street lince January. He knew the two deceased, and boarded with them for lix months. , He accompanied the previous witness to Hall’s house on Saturday afternoon. After they had tea ho and O’Sullivan went out. They had had no liquor in the house at 'that time. The coroner: Were the deceased sober? Witness: Practically so. They had had some liquor. Continuing, witness said that when Ihey returned they brought back some Doer, and there was some whisky in the house. All assisted to drink tho liquor, aid Hall and his wife were .drunk. The three boarders left them in the kitchen, witness going to bed first, about 9.30. He was asleep when the other two went to bod. He was awakened by O'Sullivan, who said there was a fire, and witness thought the flames appeared to come up from the kitchen immediately below the room they occupied. Ho tried to light the fire and thou rushed out of tho room. He called to Mrs Hall: “Are you there, map” but got no response, and he ran downstairs. The lower portion of the house was not on lire.

Sergeant Rutledge: Why didn’t yougive the alarm that there was someone in tho house.

Witness: I thought they were out of the house when 1 got no response in reply to my call. Sergeant Rutledge: Were you sober when you woke up? Witness: I was not.

To the coroner: Hall did not drink to excess. Mrs Hall occasionally got tho worse of liquor, but she was a hardworking woman. The coroner; W hen did you first know that Hall and his wife were in the burning building? Witness: At the .Mount Cook Police Station on Saturday night. BODIES FOUND. Superintendent Tait, of the Wellington Fire Brigade, said that the, brigade received a call from the corner of Tory and Vivian streets, aud on arrival found that the house was well alight in the rear portion of the upper storey. There were a number of people hurriedly removing furniture from the front portion of tho house. He saw a man there scantily clothed, and, presuming ho belonged to tho place, witness asked him if tho occupants were all out, and he replied that they wore. The water was coming through the hose at this time, and they proceeded to put the fire out. Witness, when the fire was suppressed, went through the top storey with the idea of opening a window in the front room to let out tho smoke. He there found the body of Mrs Hall on the floor, and later the body of Hall on the floor on tho other side of tho bed. The woman was fully dressed, but tho man only had his underclothing on. a Tho coroner; W T horo did tho fire originate?

Witness: In tho centre room upstairs.

Sergeant Rntledgo: Had that room been occupied ? Witness; It appeared to hh.ro been occupied. The coroner: Was the smoke thick? Witness: Yes. when wo arrived. It was quite sufficient to suffocate anyone in the front, roopi upstairs. SLIGHT r A’ BURNED.

Sergeant Trelioy, stationed at Mount Cook, gave evidence as to finding tho bodies in the room after being informed by Superintendent Tnit that two people had been suffocated in a room nrstairs. He removed tho bodies to the morgue and examined them, but beyond slight burns there were no marks on them. CORONER'S REMARKS.

Tho coroner said that tho evidence in this case pointed to tho fact that

the two deceased, with three other persons, had been drinking in their house on Saturday night, and they were intoxicated before the three boarders went to bed. All slept upstairs, and some time after these three persons retired tho house was discovered to bo on fire. Lloyd, O’Sullivan, and Stevenson all got out of the house, but apparently the two being overcome not only by the effects of liquor, but by tho effects of smoko,' wore suffocated in the lire. It seemed from tho evidence of Superintendent Tait that tho fire commenced upstairs, but how it originated it was impossible to say. Tho three boarders were under tho influence of liquor, and there was very little doubt about tho matter. Certainly they did not make a very great effort to discover whether the two deceased had got safely out of tho house or not. They might have used greater efforts or searched a little more thoroughly before leaving tho house. If they were under the influence of liquor themselves, and in a confused state, then there might be some excuse for them not acting as carefully as they should have done. THE VERDICT. A verdict was returned that tho deceased were accidentally sultocated in a fire which occurred in a house situated at 28, Lome street.