THE HYDE FATALITY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2604, 10 February 1904, Page 30

THE HYDE FATALITY.

JAMES WILSON BURNT TO DEATH.

Further particulars show that James Wilson, the surfaceman who was burnt to death in his house, at Eyde on Friday morning, must have been suffocated in his sleep. He wa-j 33 years of t>ge, hung by turns-elf in a four-roomed house, the propertj of the Government. His wife, it i* said, left him .some time ago, taking with her all thenmoney, amounting to over £100, and went to live with another man on the West Coast.

"Wilson had been woiking as usual on the railway on Thursday, and w; •> seen about the town at night. On home a light was observed in his bedroom, which was one of the front looiiis, and aicerwards in the fcitting-room, al=o v hont r< om, and it is surmised that whi'e thero he lay down on the couch and fell oUcep, leaving his euidlo alight. Ho wai known to bo a diligent reader of books. Hi* caudle, it is supposed, burnt down and ignited something mfammable. and tho fir& spread. About five minutes r.fcer 2 o'clock on Friday morning Mr* Murchio, wife of the stationma-ster, roe to attend to her husband, vho was ill, and Mr Murch'e cal'ing hor attention to a glare, she looked out .it the -n in low and saw that Wilson's hou~e was on fire., the sitting-room being at that time in a bh-ze. with the flames coming through the roof. Mrs Murchio went out and informed a railway porter named Wallace of the outbreak, and Wallace: r*iig the station bell to bring help, v. hi eh was jcon fcicheomi.ig. Tho doors and windows of the houso were clo=ed, and no =igu was e-oon of Wilson. The flames were vciy fic-roc, a strong north-west wind blowing, and as nothing could bo dc.no to save the house all efforts were coucentrattj on preventing the fire. iw.j'nm? the pdioining hoa c c : and in this th& wilbnq; flcrkpw were successful. About 4 o'clock Mr Fowler, tho relioMnp statsonmister, noticed the remains of Wilson burnt to a cinder, in tho front of the hous' 1 . but a« no obje-ct could bo gained by relno^ ing iho-m rlioy wer°allowpd to be in the asho- until the arrival of Dcif^ciivo Cornoliy (who h-'d trout* up froTi Duredin), Constable P."tc"'"on (of "S'idd'onTi'clO. ond the d^cea^od'.- bro'l.-er, vho is en pioyor! on the rr'lway above flyde The. rf ir.n.in"3 wca-e then taker, away to await an inquest.

On "O'arcMng the place whey- ihe few remain, of the- body were found the de-eesj-vd's vi.i'eh, al»o the. to?-nlat<*- raid hc-el-pl?.{p=; of bis boots a"d 11-e buckler of his brrto-, were picked vp. shewing iluit ho was drc~"pd vrhen death overtook him.

TViK-iTi '■•ad no family. His v>°.rcnto resido in Milto:i Tt i« said Ins life v .\s insured for £100 in the Go\ p-riim-ent L 4 fp. Insurance cfre"- The house, was v:C\ ftiri i>hed, ijiol'vlin? an cotan

T'l-e j'nnu^st into tlio ciicum^tmi""" attending. AViisou's doath \rs« held r~ Tail's Otatro Central Hotel, Hydp, on > v 'turdnr morning; So\en vut'ie^es wer;. examined,

and tho verdict of tho jury was that the d.cva^'d v.a-, bdim to d<--ith, but there- was i'O iwdonc-o to <-how ho>-. the tiro in tho j'.ouso originated.