The Thames Street Fire

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXX, Issue 8684, 9 January 1905, Page 1

The Thames Street Fire

An inquest on the body of- George Leslie was liukl at the Courthouse on Saturday, before Mr Stratford-lTcnnikcr, acting■CoroncT. Tlie jury comprised Messrs J. Macdonnld (foreman L J. Gibson, N. Hood, T. Kennedy, W. 11. Scoon, and J. H. MiHigan. Arthur George Cleghorn, chemist in 111©employ of Mr Lane, at Oamam, deposed that- he knew the deceased. Was in his company on Friday night, at. 10.40 o'clock, having met him at the- Imperial Hotel. He, remained there for ten minutes. Both left the hotel together and went as far (lathe Queen's Hotel. Each had one "shandy" at the- Queen's (Hotel, and each also had a similar drink at the. Imperial Hotel. At the Queen's Hotel they were joined by Charles Jones. Jones had also a drink with them at tfie Queen's Hotel. The, throe of them left- the Queen's Hotel at eleven o'clock and went to Mr Leslie's house, at the back of the shop. Xhethreo did not so together, Jones and witness going in 'first. ' Witness had the key and went in first. Witness got tilt key from Leslie. Leslie rennincd behind at the hotel for the purpose of obtaining some supper- from the kitchen of the hotel. In. about tlvrec or five minutes Leslie returned with some supper. While at Leslie's place they had another '■shandy," three bottles having been brought from the Queen's HnteL The lemonade for tht "shandy" was at Leslie's house. Only one bottle of beer was drunk. They remained at Leslie's for nearly an hour from the time of leaving the Queen's Hotel. -During that time I hey were having supper and talking. Leslie was the first to leave the kitchen. Before leaving he remarked tlint ho was tired, and asked witness to yut out the light and lock the door. When they went out, Leslie asked witness to show Jones to his room in the Queen's Hotel, as he was a stranger. Witness did this before he turned down the lieht and locked the doors. When Leslie went to bed he- had a light, bub witness was not sure whether it was a- candle or a. match. Witness did not take particular notice with regard to this. That was the last he saw of" deceased alive. Five or ten minutes after Leslie went upstairs witness saw Jones to his hotel. The next time ho saw Leslie was after the fire. Deceased was lying on the floor of his bedroom, between, the wall and the bed. This was between half-past two and three o'clock on Saturday moTning. Deceased was lying on his face, black and scorched. Witness believed Leslie Lid been suffocated, and evidently the fire had burnt him to death. Leslie was the only occupant of the house at the time of the fire. He had not boon in the habit of going regularly to Leslie's, but had been there several times and! had had supper. Leslie was perfectly sober when he went upstairs. To the foreman: Witness was perfectly sober, but Jones was slightly under the influence of drink. It was not likely that Leslie would have left the house after going upstairs. To the Coroner: The bedstead at Leslie's was an iron one, with overhanging curtains, similar to a tent bedstead. TheTo was a chest of drawers alongside the bedstead, about six inches away. As everything had been burnt when they got into the house on Saturday morning, there was nothing to indicate that a lighted candle at the bedside had caused the fire. Richard Light deposed that he was a, miner, residing at Livingstone. He know the deceased, and saw" him on Friday night at_ 10.55 at the Queen's Hotel. Those in company with him were strangers to him. Leslie was perfectly sober when he saw him. The other two with Leslie were also quite sober. Ho did not know what time the three left the hotel. Witness left at about three minutes to eleven,'and Leslie was still there. diaries Jones, electrician, residing at ©unedin, stated that he knew the deceased, and met him on Thursday evening in the. front of his (Leslie's) shop for the first time. He was in his company at about 8 o'clock. Both bad two or three drinks in the Queen's Hotel. Leslie was drinking "pony shandies," and witness was drinking "shandy" too. He went to the Imperial Hotel at nine o'clock with Leslie, and remained there until about 10.30 p.m. Witness subsequently left for a few minutes and returned again and found Leslie still there. On witness' return to tho Imperial Hotel Cleghorn was with hint (witness). The three then had one drink of 'shandy" together. Leslie and Cleghorn left for the Queen's Hotel, and witness remained behind talking, afterwards joining them at the Queen's Hotel, where the three had another "shandy" together. Witness may have been slightly under the influence of drink. The witness gave corroborative evidence as to what happened at Leslie's. The jury returned a verdict that George Leslie died from the effects of suffocation caused through the fire, but as to how the fire occurred, fliere was no evidence to show.