LATE FIRE IN THAMES-STREET.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 980, 10 June 1879, Page 2

LATE FIRE IN THAMES-STREET.

' The following is the conclusion of our report of the inquiry into the cause of the late fire at Mr. Lippert's shop in Thamesstreet':— : Mr. Lippert, in reply to Mr. O'Meagher, said : There were seven bottles in the - basket, three of them,full of kerosene and the others empty. The insurance companies are satisfied with the claim -1 have put in, subject to this inquiry. Re-examined by Inspector Thompson : The boy that works for me slept in an outhouse at my private house on the night in question. I did not see him after I went home. Edward Joseph Walsh, draper, deposed that he knew Mr. Lippert. He remembered the night of the 4th inst. He saw Mr. Lippert at about 11 o'clock that night, and he said he was going to put some money into his safe and then'going home, Witness was between the Post Office and the Courthouse when he heard a cry of "fire." It was about ten or twelve minutes after he parted with Mr. Lippert that he heard the cry. When he heard it lie ran to his own shop, and discovered Lippert's premises to be on fire. There is only a wooden partition between the two shops, and the fire was alongside this partition. After some further questions had been answered, Inspector Thompson said several other witnesses were in attendance, but as they would only give corroborative evidence he did not propose calling them. All parties having concurred in this, the Jury retired, and, after a short consultation, brought in an open verdict.