“BURNED TO DEATH”

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8654, 12 February 1914, Page 8

“BURNED TO DEATH”

INQUEST ON MARTIN CONCLUDED. The adjourned inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death last Friday night of the young man William James Martin was concluded before Mr W. G. Riddell, S.AI. (Coroner), yesterday. _ Harry Wilton, .living at No. 94, Dixon street, said, that on Friday night he was standing about twenty yards from tho house that was burned, when he noticed flames in the front room. Ho ran up to the house and found a man standing at the door knocking. As the door was locked, witness broke it in with bis foot. On entering, he called out, “Is any one in?” but received no reply. He was then driven out by the smoke. Tho firo occurred at about 7.50 p.m. He did not see the witness Morrison get out of a window. He thought the brigade was very slow in coming, and when it did get there, it was very slow in getting the water on. The fire spread rapidly from the time he noticed it until the brigade’s arrival. Arthur Tidman, jun., residing at 12, Constable street, said he was standing at the corner of Dixon and Herbert streets when he first noticed the fire. Ho rushed up the street to the house. Ho did not see anyone about the building, but two men who were trying to get in. He asked if anyone had given the alarm, and on receiving a reply in the negative ho ran and broke the alarm at the corner of Willis and Ghuznoe streets. The time when he gave the .alarm was exactly 8 o’clock. The Coroner said he was satisfied with the brigade superintendent's statement that there had been no undue delay on tbe firo brigade’s part. In giving his verdict, tho Coroner said that it was an extraordinary thing that Morrison, who was asleep upstairs, could escape from the fire, but that Martin, who, so far as the evidence went to show, was out of bed and downstairs, could not. The verdict would be that deceased was burned to death, but the evidence was insufficient to show how the fire originated.