FATAL FIRE IN CASTLE STREET.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8756, 19 March 1890, Page 6

FATAL FIRE IN CASTLE STREET.

—t-t^t— o I .; I,i Shortly,,, after,, 3 .a,m,,.an frho. 23rd ulfcl a 11 ;, uttt'lidcd.with fatal coinseqijiiiiices, broke out J' afivo-stalicd-stlible-situAtwl.-iu-OiislJa-street, i' ir St. Andrew street. -The stable belonged. : ? Mr Duncun:?d'MillNn, of R'.slyu, and Was :upied by Alexander Johuslon, n. w^arf c* nper.who used.it as a dwelling place. Afi 12 ?' lock, it.appeurs, Johoston went to. a-house of .'51 fume next .door to the.tt,nble,..'jnd asked fir a" ~ Kb, .Tl.e womau who kaeps the house stijtcs f,l it he.reninined-for iib.mt.hslf an hour and l i sooac.supper. ■„ -H« then-wished to go to4;he ai ,b!e, bur,, as .hfi, ivasr.unctr.-lhe influerctj of p! nor oneof..the.womeu stoo.l at the door of "' 3 house with a Limp so.that he.could snejhis .}'- to lh-3 buildiiii;, : i.he t b>!ing.<ftightensd! to ra ist him..-'with-.a-,lighw t tTaariy three hojnrs '" crw'ai'ds tLo neighbours were awakened: by' ' ,; screams of ::i man, and on (,'oing to tho spot Rl fence "the" fcri:Am.s"' p'rocnifdtd" tho "stable "' ,s <!is,;cvored to be in :<. ram) of (lames, Tho i* n> Brigmlo, who got Iho alarm at ii 15, were1 -'•' ioltly mi--tlso spot, sis also were the Kajvjirni irps" and" four members of thu K,iiliyay igade. The - lire hud, however, got such -a"- ■ • lil of the buildini; that b wis pretty well iW >yed before thu (bmes couW bo extinguished. i'b" brigade niiVßrthdesß wero 'sucpc-ssful ."savin? a" house ":a"t"""the rear "of the ~. ible, which had cnught fire, from being rejicli' rnt. Thi.-i house was occupied by tho wfillown giitut family, c.t pri'Siint on viewatjthe 'libition, who, when-lbe Homes' from Jhe- ' inining building.-spread t'c their place, wjere' iV rown into a greai state of excitement Tpiiy 0 -:h«d out of thu'house in their night clothes, '"' ;1 subsequently became actively engagedi in <Q moving furnit-urefrom their premises. | h j In the meaatimsnothing- harl bssu suon of tha .\ v.i Johnston']'flpdit'was not'knowu'for cerllain iut'o'er ho had'e'sc;iped from the stsbl;! or not. search was 'mafle' for his body aui'ong ]thobris, b-.it it coultl nowhere he found. At h(>lf- :" it 7 o'clock, however, when daylight had $ in' a fu'rlhc-V search',Was":nad<:',' and jthe ~ :ke(t' »n'd~charred remains of' a bd'tly,1 sup- I" pc'dto "be Jonus'ton's, "b'liCi ' uiirecogviijable, G: iii;" found 'by' the n\dc. of 'nn''"oil' dan',: ri iich"lhtf'"' ill-fiitSd iriifn ■h:id"use'd"in biie. :f> rb' 6E " the 'stibld for cooking purpyjies.' 'I /ry little is known about Johhaton, wHd had 1 en living alone in'tho stable for some time.': ■ 2 At'lhe inqiiest' it was shown tli'afc Jjh'tsatou is -'nil Iri.sUnun, of about, 00 years o? .age, ; O u'h'iil been libo'ub yiVvoars iii the colony, md. '}•■ '.s n Haiior in his younger ilajs. He had |no *: latives in the. colony, aud had been qm- 3 oyed as a lumper.- Tbe following Vercb was returnr-il:—"That the body 'on' 1 ..sw" is" "Hint" o? " Al^isiiVt Joliuslon; f at lie was burnt !o denth by a (ire at a sta,b!e f G/ffitte stre' t; tmfthat there is not siillicient I idnncc to show bow the fire originated." : I ! p