THE CUMBERLAND STREET FIRE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11302, 21 December 1898, Page 4

THE CUMBERLAND STREET FIRE.

MAGISTERIAL INQUIRY,

V. An inquiry into the circumstances attending the .fire-which took place at the residence of ■ Alfred William M'Donald in Cumberland street on the 7th. inst. was held.at the Magistrate's Court yesterday before Mr E. H. Carew, S.M., and..six jurymen, of whom Thomas Johnstone was chosen foreman.

Detective O'Brien conducted the proceedings on behalf of the police, and called the following evidence:— i- ■ ■

Douglas M'Donald, 12 years of age, deposed that; he lived with his father and mothe-,1 in Cumberland street up to Wednesday, December 7, when the fire took place. The servant used t0,.g0 'home to sleep at night. He got up at 6 o^cloek, and that morning ho let her in at the.back door at about a quarter past 6. He and his brother Vernon were.the first up-in the house. He did not see or smell any fire in the house when he got up. He and his brother went-outside into the washhouse, and left the servant inside. The family all slept upstairs. About a quarter of an hour after he. and .his brother, came downstairs his father also came down,,and went into the dining room. His father was not properly dressed then. He remained in tho dining room 15 or 20 minutes. Witness saw his father in tho passage, and he said' he .smelt smoke. He afterwards' heard him call out that the drawing room was on fire.' Witness and his brother carried water into the drawing room, and helped to put out the fire. He1 aid not know how the fire happened. He went to school at a quarter to 9, and came homo to lunch; He then went to school again at a-quarter to 1. Ho did not see any sign of fire about before he left home. He came home from school about 4 o'clock, and at about five minutes past 4 he was in the back yard when he noticed flames coming through the top of the roof of the house.' He was in the kitchen after he came home, but did not go upstairs. There was no one in the house when he came home but the servant. To.the jury: There were no decanters full of water near the window in the drawing room, and there was no phosphorus about the house in any form. Alfred William M'Donald, wool merchant, deposed that he occupied a house in Cumberland street belonging to Mrs Tooiuey.' He had been in the house about'seven weeks prior to the fire. On the morning of the fire he got up about half-past 6 or 20 minutes to 7. He slept upstairs. When he came downstairs he saw the servant, Mary Thomson, coming from' the front part of the hall. She went towards the kitchen. The moment he opened his bedroom door when he got up he smelt an unusually strong smell of smoke. He went downstairs, opened the front door, and took in the Times. He then went into the dining room, and read the paper. Ho afterwards went to go upstairs to have a bath, and when halfway up tho stairs he smelt the suioke ■ pretty strongly. He thought the

smoke was upstairs, but on going higher the smell got loss. He then turned back, and saw

smoke over the fanlight of the front door. He looked into the dining room, but there was no fire thore. He then looked into the drawing room, on tho opposite side of the passage, and the whole room was.full of smoke. The curtains and blind on the front window had been burnt. A cane aTmchair was ablaze, and the top of the afternoon tea table was burnt com-

pletcly off, and the tray was singed. He pulled the burning chair into the hall, and immediately called out for some water. When he threw the water on to the burning table and chair, he looked at the mantelpiece, and saw that it was smoking. He put the fire out, and noticed that the fire screen in front of the fire was untouched. He afterwards thoroughly satisfied himself that there was no fire left in the room. The mantelpiece was about 18ft from the armchair which was on fire. He did not i think that the fire at the window could have caused the fire at tho mantelpiece, as the dis-

tance between tho two places was too great. There had been no fire in the drawing room fire place since they went into the houso. While lie was looking about the room to see that the fire was all out his eldest son, Albert Reginald, came downstairs, and assisted him to sweep up the debris. It was customary for the servant to open the- front door in, tho morning, shake the mat, antl clean up the verandah. She

had no duties to attend to in the drawing room. On the morning-of the fire she had not opened the front door, at-all. He found, the. front door locked.' After tho house was burnt down' ho asked -tiie servant what she was doing in tbe

hall that morning. She renlicd that ishe had opened the front door, and shaken the mat, and had swept out the dining room. She meant that she had done that before he came down-

stairs. He found when be came down that the dining room had not been swept at all, and the door mat had not been shaken. He told her this, and she admitted that she had told him' a falsehood. She did not, however, offer any explanation for .having told him a falsehood. He asked her if she knew anything about any other fire occurring at any, place she was at, and she replied " No." He told her to be sure, as he wanted to know particularly, and she persisted in saying "No." He then asked hc-r the name of tho person in whose

nervine she" last was, and she said Miss Rolfe. Ho asked her if any fire, ever took place there. She at first said " _S To," but when he said "Are you sure? " she replied, "Yes, I believe there was a fire there, and it took place in lhe wardrobe." He inquired if they blamed anyone, and she said tbey blamed a young man who was staying at the house. He asked why they blamed-him, and she said he used to stop up late at -night playing the piano. After the fire in the,.drawing room he and his son went outside, and looked at the breakfast room window. Tho.window had been previously nailed, ond

it .was perfectly secure. Tho drawing room windows a-id the other windows were also snibbed. Ho and his son looked through the house, and could see no sign of fire anywhere. When he left home'in the morning there was no sign of fire anywhere. When ho returned home about a quarter past 12 he heard that

there had been a second fire; and while he was at home, Mr Clark, the manager of the insurance company, came in and satisfied himself that there was no fire left anywhere. Witness told Mr Clark that he was going to put the "matter into the hands of the detective, and instructed his son to call at the police station about the matter. He had his furniture insured in the South British Office.for £250, and his piano in the same office for £50. He had been insured in the same office for about 20 years, except for about two years. He estimated his loss by tho fire at -P45.. without in-

. .eluding lv's cVofties,his wife's jeweller^,' 3r his * ~booka|..,The SSI-vAnt llad:(.e_hili f|i3 .fe'inploy - "'fV.^iit.Mk-weats-.V A tMS,nij, a table, a halt ' . ffifr''' f- h'M,£ * or ..wore saved.;,fi'6m ; thefi-'c. 'The girl was 'not engaged for,, tiny ticular timeV There was satne till: ibbtit-het leaving,-an'd f ;an. ar.angei_if.ttli :_'■__ M.d.^tilH she .should "stay on till- after-lhe liolidavs-bn ,eonditi»n lhat she slept at home. ';..'.--.:-..:.-, : T«. thyjury;, If the girl had been so* inclined,': she had,'ample time alter she dame in that morning before the fire was discovered to set, fire to the: place. -Witness said'to her when he saw her 'in the hallr. "There's a strong smell of smoke,'' Miry."' She' f»pli--d.----"7".i". ! s * UlB liliiiJe.-"-; liUt she afterwakadmiUed 10 Hini that there had been no fire ■ln.tlli Hinge that-morning ap to that "tirri'e. '■*' I_mma Elizabeth .M'Donald, wife of the last witness, deposed 'that she 'got up a little after 7 on the movning-of the fire, and shortly afterwards she. .heard her husband call: out for a bucket of.water. There; had been- no fire or lamp in., the, drawing-room prior -to the fire: occurring in -tliat^ room. She .\\-__ thoroughlysatishea that the fire in the r66ni was put out. After her;hUsbHnd.went. to work there remained in. tho house her- son Reginald,;her.vdauffhte' the servant and herself. Between t-he-first.fiie and about half-past 11 the servant wMi'att'ond* nig to her, usual-duties, and-mtnejsiiwasin the kitchen attending to the dinner.-' After that Wituess took the baby upohifs 18'bed.-She remained ;upstitir3abeit. a quarter of an'tour m; 20.minutes. -Her eldest son' then came from his room, upstairs, to, speak tbher. Het little girl was then m her room upstAlrs, and witness heard her ,call but! '.' Quick, the house is orr firo agam!- ; .lesson rushed down stairs, Thlr»a|-b?,:^ani( ,lte,i' aml Put-t-wWouS: .„, ''_} .\. aa. '■**- the drawing room. Witness saw that the curtains on the window'.fao'ing Mrs Tilbury a side had been, burnt.. The,only one .^i s&S ra: wh.? We fire,occurred was the servant. When witness'went Upstairs she'left the -_s'"l. I!"""' 0 k4clli»V Sbe was not aware, of any otliM person being in the house that morning up to that tinic, Mr Clark _ai.e'd'"m later ~L ,1 ,0 ,? l 'ernbbn, afbr her husband, loft . I'^l P', 10** came <*°w>- stairs,about m_2. -S ai\'i had aft P™°<>n tea in the fining «tvf i Sho *-hen went in.to see-Mrs Tilbury, O_XtT-i H" daughter was then in.front.of ■tn-jhouse; and there^vas no one in the house w„ i V_. nt- w,tn(!ss was with Mrs Till Zf^ 2°.^ llUtsS t ' *hen. a little boy,came .2 tf H}'' l Yolll',,hßU__ is an'ftreftgiifl." bab/^d i' **__»*»s saw W d™Shi.l 'the .\\7k fl¥ I,ttle b°y in front °f'*he house, •-•he siiw no fire nor smoke, and, rushed upstairs. ..ne heard a noise, like things falling, .and met the girl coming downstairs from the direction of-one of the boy's -rooms. The first room on. ascending the-stairs was-that occupied by ; her daughter; then came the wardrobe;, then the Servant's room. When- she got to the first landing she-sew flre1 coming from the Wardrobe. She could not get'past it The wardrobe.was built in the passage. She thought the; door of the wardrobe,was closed, bhe would;haye noticed it if it had.been open, lhe last time. slio. was in the wardrobe was the evening before. She secured.the :d£or with a key, leaving, the key in the lock., -She thought that some One had been ill the wardrobe during the day to see that all wsls right after the fire ■Alien she saw the servant she was comin-' from-a direction, opposite to the wardrobe". When sho ine't her she said: " Maty," this,is dreadful.". The girl seemed quite calm, and said nothing that,, witness remembered, 'fhe fire seemed to -have got a good hold then. Witness lost her jewellery and everything. She could not form.any,opinion a3 tohow the fire occurred., She had; never seen the children playing, with phosphorus. .. : ; :- To the Jury: They used wax matches in the house." The wardrobe was notrnear any chimney. Tho servant was a willing, cheerful sort * of a girl, witness thought.-She seemed very anxious to come to witness, but after-she bad been with her about a day. and a-half she asked to go out for art hour.' When she came back she said she had been to a'chemist, and he would riot give her any medicine, but told her that she should not be at a place where there-were stairs. Witness wanted to go and see the chemist, and explainl'the '•servant's duties to him, but she would not allow her to do so Afterwards'witness saw the,chemist,1 and he said he had been treating the girl, but what she had told her-.was not true. He said the best thing the girl could do was to-have a ;place. . ' •. •

To Detective O'Brien: Witness knew that the servant had no clothes hanging up in her room. She used to have a, tin box in the room, but she did not .know-whether it was removed before the fire. ;,.--.*. :;

Bessie May M'Donald stated that she was in the drawing room about 20 minutes before the second fire occurred. The servant was then .Hi the kitchen.■ ■ She was the only-person downstairs before witness went down. She had been upstairs' b'etweeri-.l and 4 o'clock.: She opened the wardrobe once after dinner to see if there wa3 any smoko in it, but there was none. She found it was locked with the key in it.; She locked:it again and'left the; key iii the lock. The door would not keep closed unless it was locked. S|ie was downstairs before her' mother had her afternoon tea. When she came down the servant wheeled the baby about outside for a few minutes, and then went inside.' Afterwards witness's mother wont in to see-Mrs-Tilb-ury. Witness subsequently saw the servant go into the drawing room. She asked her what she went in there for, and shesaid she. wanted to see .where the fire had-been.":Witness had been outside the front of the house about 10 -minutes when she noticed smoke coming out of .tho. middle window on the top storey. She ran inside into the kitchen and ,told the servant that the house was on fire. The girl sitidy Oh, no, never! "and appeared not to-believe witness. Witness caught hold of a dipper half full of water, and. went upst_urs with it... The, girl overtook her halfway tip the stairs,' and took the dipper out of her hand, and ran upstairs with her. They went to her mother's bedroom, past the wardrobe. The girl opened the wardrobe door,: and said the fire was in there. Witness looked into, the wardrobe. It'was'.wide open then. She could see no flame, but there was smoke. The servant opened the door, threw the water and dipper in, and then shut the door. Witness afterwards went downstairs, but did not see fire in any. of the other rooms. She had no idea how the fire occurred in the wardrobe. , .. . " ' y

Reginald M'Donald in his evidence said the wardrobe; was partly over, the drawing room, but on the opposite side-to that oh which the fire occurred in the room below., ; .;-- •

Mary Thomson, the servant girl, having been cautioned, expressed a. wish to; give evidence. She said she was, working in the house un to the time of the fire. She had been in the habit, for a fortnight before the fire, of sleeping it her home at Woodhaugh.: She generally left for her home, about 8 .o'clock, returning" next morning about a quarter past G. On the morning of the fire she was let into the-house by tho boy.Douglas,about 20 minutes past G. She did not know where the boy went to after that. She Rt once lit theVkitchen* fire. She was late, that morning, so did not change her clothes until she had lit the fire. She then went about her usual work. The front door she found unlocked, and her thought was that Mr. M'Donald had gone outside to take in the Times. She looked into the dining room, and there saw Mr M'Donald reading the paper. She continued her work and got the breakfast ready, but did not touch the dining room as Mr M'Donald was there.".She-did not. see, him leave that room. Once, when she was on .her way into the dining room,with a tray, she saw him going-Upstairs, and'just as she reached the room Mr.M'Donald asked her where all the smoke was coming from. Witness said she did not know, and on coming out bf the dining room again she saw smoke issuing from the drawing room. Mr .M'Donald opened the door of ihe room, and witness saw' that tho whole place was on fire. .'She called out to the little boys, who were'at-the back, to get water, as the house was.on'fire,".' Water was brought,in a dipper, and witness, took it into the room andthrew it on the fire. She mot Mr M'Donald coming out of- the room with a chair, which was on fire. In her usual work that morning she-had- shaken n mat, that lay at the drawing room door. She had not been in tho drawing room before she went in when it was on fire. She first saw Mr M'Donald that day in the kitchen. That was before _she had seen him in the "dining room. -.Mr M'Donald noticed the ' smoke about at that',- -t,me, and fiuestionod witness about, it. Witness thought it was' coming from the fire, which,she was lighting at that time, and said so to Mr M'Donald, It was 15 or 20 minutes later that she saw him in the dining room, and it was five or 10; minutes after she saw him in that room that the alarm of fire was given. Witness had noticed smoke about tha kitchen and bagk passage, biit not enough to make her suspicious of anything. After the fire ■ had been extinguished' witness went into the room sovprpl times'to see that things were all right. She may have been there six or seven times. She noticed on the first occasion 'thntfho walls of the room were hot, but subsequently everything appeared safe. The last time she was in was about 10; or 15 minutes before the second, fire broke out. May was iii with her that time. Tho second fire wasdiscovered'by May. Witness was in the. kitchen at the time, and heard May coming, downstairs,1 :aayin'g the house was on fire. Witness gat water in a dipper, and gave it to May to thrown on the:fire, and-when May came back she gave her a- pie-di?hVpf water, which was also thrown'on the'fire. ' Witness then went, into the drawing;room,herself. with some water, and saw that the curtains of the ;sido window, a cushion, and a chair had been burnt. From the time that.;witness, and May left the room until the fire was discovered witness had been working in tho kitchen. After tho fire had booh put out she went .into; the room twice to see that things: wore all right. On-; of the times yins when the faniily.jwere, at dinner. About iinlf-pnst Sl o'clock witness finished her work and changed her dress in her bedroom upstairs. It took her about 20 minutes to dress. She went into none of tho_ ? other rooms except the bathroom.,. She did not go, to

WHr SOKE PEOrLE ABE TOOR'. .-•■ V ' Bad management keeps more people in poor circumstances than any other oneVcause. To. bo successful one must, look ahead rind plan ahead, so that when a favourable opportunity presents itself he is ready to take advantage" of it. A little forethought will also save much expense and valuable time. , A prudent aiid careful'lnan'will keep a bottle of Chamberlain's Colic,; Cholera, and Diarrhcca Romedy in the house, the shiftless fellow will ivait until necessity compels it, and thon ruin his best, horse going for a doctor, and have a big doctor bill to pay, besides : one pays out 25 cents,' the other is out a hundred dollars, ancl then wondors why his. neighbour is getting richer while he is getting poorer. For sale by all lcr,dinE diemi***. .V1

the wardrobe. ~ She»eycrV*^eiht;t^it;ali;'the'tims'"she was: there. She "kepts'.fier'bo'x fm-horV6wri: room. Sh_ then went downstairs and si-w-Matf On;the yeraridah with th&ibabjy W'it_ie-I_ 7ibiM -: thef-haby, and; May .went;.in_iideVjr-turmhg illat.phta,qua_;ter of an Vhoiir, whenVsho tOok-tfie; baby aiid asked witn.s.. VtO- go- fotV'a-walk ,withY her: Witiress w_ilt:'ifi3.id^S^dVM_s sM!Dbhald, (jailed her mtothe^ininiVrodHi,i^asked^hetfV if she would have;,a | ;cupi<bf,tea;yAvi{n*_lsaadi: the, tea-iii; the kitchen.;,.She.Vwas.' then: giVerisome.,silver.to clean.WdVMrs'lrUohald w'eilt: •to Mrs Tilburv^s; saying;'that she -woiild! not -'' .bo long ; away. Witness '■ had: just started'" to' ?l sW,'- !l3 sijver when May came in, saying: the" h6hs^ : ffjis .ti '.__ iigdiii, : V/itaes? sconce gotsome water, and went Upstairs witti-M'aJ. Thfir* V was thick smoke coming-ott of-'the'-ivafdrabV/' Witness earned the.dipper tff ..water;:;upstair** all the way. The door of the -wafdiebe. viasT locked, and the key. was so hot that-Wnesf./ too_k. it, m-her apron-tO't^urnVit.*, Oni-openifi-^V the door smoke and.flame.xa'me.out.- Witness . threw, the dipper Slid'water'in" and.closed the ' dear. - She. then went to' the; bathroom,to'get ■ _ cm that ivtis st-lttallj., kept there, Was the' smoke was so thick she eo«k. 'not f-nd'itV'Sbs V went-downstairs, and :halfway.;downr she irietV ■ . ,n? .. °" ■'•'-•' w»y.UP-". Mrs.il'Donalofsa:d,,; Oh,. Mary, th■3:"ts, dreadful.";'Witnes£(' was: considerably'affected-,by-the 'smbke'V'tip-: stairs. -.When witness was; in-service;at,Misil": Kolf.e 3 fi house, about 18': months "ago there-was : alsp.a fire-.t11e.-.. That fire alsb,occurred in the drawmg.-.r00m,; in. a, cupboard, in which: linen V and music were kepi- There had hot .been-aV fira in the room that day. The. dinger wa»V discovered Uv Slissßolte and witness Wetheiv about 10. o'cloclc in,,the mom-rig.'-'. The -hous». was not burnt down. It was-; supposed;, that the cupboard, caught; fire, either from a light a gentleman used; to take to.it-.to_find his.musiiV or that rats or mica had. caused itjbyjcan-yinj; matches, into the recess.";, _ ' :'.,,;.- -. ' '-:

To, the Jury:-' There'had never -been a fire iiy the.-grate, in Mr M'Donald's drawing roorii. Witness had been five weeks; in Mr McDonald's eiiipldy, and. liked all. the 'family-exceedingly well. She liad no. fault to find, with': any-of them. Witness did,not clean'out; the drawing .room;. Mrs M'Lonald did : that;h_rs_lf.V,;,All witness's'clothes and everything she,had were ■ burnt in the fire .except, her ..watch...>■ • .'_■('_■'. ■~ j;.,V ' Douglas'M'Donald, recalled, said heig'otilioma from school about 4 o'clock.. He.did. not goVupstairs. He had something to eat iii the kitchen, and. then: went into".the'- back:yard,' where he retnainei, tilMic saw the flames c'omihe but of th-roflf. -.- '. y-'ssZ' ■ ■ /,;;-:.;;•- V;;; ;;vv-V

Robert: Bain'alsa gave'evidence.V In answer tothe.jury, he said.it'was at least-a'.quarter of. an Hour from the time he saw the fire break ont till-, the brigade arrived,: but'the! flames "got a hold so rapidly that;if they, had been' there; 10 minutes sooner they., could hot; possibly have saved the .building. The:supply of waterVwa-. very inadequate. The.;pressure,was .very;.light., On.->; of the, hoses .did not throw the ,water:.above., the verandah. The fire brigade:did, their ;best under'the circumstances. ';''-'.';■

~ Thp jury, after a short, retirement,Vreturne'd <. with a verdict to the effectthatithe ,acu?e was." wilfully set fire,to, but that tfiere',»fa- not.sufii-S cierit evidence, to show-by who-0.;,,: VV'-."':