INQUEST ON THE LATE FIRE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 626, 14 February 1879, Page 2

INQUEST ON THE LATE FIRE.

\An equiry into the origin of v the late destructive fire was held yesterday af terv H. Kenrick, Esq., Coroner. **■■ 9?ne*foHowl»g were sworn m as a jury, of which C. D. Berry, Esq., was chosen ■forem'aiTr— Me'ssrsr Meldfum, Robfop Upham, Maynard, Wilson, Bavin, Stevenson, Sigley, Large, Judd, Berry, and JEaraand.^.;, , «,^ „.„.. ,^_^. ..._^. After an adjournment to view the scene df Wfi?e' ; thelrst ; witness, Joseph Maiden, being sworn, deposed : Path a'barmah at' Jbyti&'s 'Stateli - I was going down fthe street' to; what time , it was at Nasmith's. It was about eightf ' •o'clock-.! I.was just by the^shopiwhShl heard>sbin!eo&e caUout " Fire i": JTommy Croker was the_person who called out r'" Fire !", ,f Efe^waa, near) Bjbs^'sj .tiiejdra-j , ipey's shop..,]:, saw^the/fuW Ybe&X ioj>ked' rift at Best's. ; It was in^e coraw^cjose to the ceiling, , on; ,. the,., t^p^lie^aa^ong"* not see in r ' f . to Nasmifrh's shop^j,tt^M jaark^, J/ijSafw^ 1 the fire through.fne glMSf4op,r,a$ I |sest'sr I saw,- sprn J e,Bjnpjte; m the "shop. There* .was, no other light but the fire v ; The paper and lining was not burnings-only vtheiboi^s.MM^'j^jifiditOrbre^k opfcft the door. It may .Jiaxe taken two minutes-. £ I saw.np_:one;in / thef<s.hoD.;t ( I saw some one coming through the upstairs, window. Fdbii'i know who it Was: ' I dori^t know wlie'th^r'Be^t#ai! f 'iii t the i 'short' Wfe got into the'shop." t*he l riWhttb%&mrth?s 1 and got m through the front door, whiph we t br&ke open. ■I'saVa'flame coming throiiigh 'ttie^partition bßtween'Na^mith'Ai » i . I fl)hßrei'wavlnbi3ne m. •NaSihith'a" shop;iandijnq* light* burning" there. .eJ.;;n?io^niii \ "■tßytie^jWy la^hTfire^waal'dinfinedi ttbf the'cr«rwetMwh9ti di'ftrßtiisAv^niinbtu.'n-■i-n'gl ■ ' fl 'did' ttoi> 'tied Henlr^i Sorry » *when Ifirat,«a* the;' fire. ->i ;^M9°^ c fiPy^fc deposed : L^as m Gisborrie on t"h"e night of the L fire. Ab"ouii E o'clpck I was passing Adams's ;sK6pl^nd ? -h6^(i 'M'W T !/fre at 1 Mr' 'fiSsVy i ti<So& . I then'W^ipyand said "do noVmake too much noik§ o; Wt.iL.w f e J s.ee whether its a fire or noi." 44d6kdc?4Vo%ltWwSi^#M sa-V a fire. IJLWfts on~aßhelf on which some corsets-t-Were' 7 plSWa' 'ifri boxes, abpafc- . two-thirds , of the way up from the floor. i.™ |«am^kyßee;melf % (!^e 'Qiißttihg'?from 1 b'eltlntiiihe « lltfd ! aHotne* 'tfro^ the modow oOein* and passed a small boy-tttfo'ligW t*4 ft^ ii^ Wdb to release ■. gP/iffißW tir M. t period, Mr. /Bfistr camet ip.^m^^f^M^%^oVt andrnunfes^ried,.,, w .Mfc w ftidßelfi Directly .he came m ,lijßr^e^ai|kea r - f^fjHijJJp^jWha.tls^h^rpwi!. J& appeared ,tp ,be }g4je#tHy., d^sturjjeda.^d^^idj hot appear to know what to d 0..,,! s.aifty, " It» iaovo time, to /act thus., t Yvp-ttfid better attend to your books, and valuablesK" "He (l tKe > n r went' out through the oback. "By'tMß-tiOTB^-ntrrabers'of^peopteTwetef flpokjfig^nyand^e^iflaine^'^ere veiy strong. No attempt was made to ex--ijiHguiah^ihf#e.^ It L m|gh^iJjayjß been suppressed at the time 'T first saw it^ ■mWit did ti6t'cbver f fihe'ljpace<bf tlire^ sum'rficM'fe'et.' 7 f f'iJ"iin<A.. C..1. I X#f WiuWi^l>\*!aH'bil6efci»gf6r tWo'i or^hfye^mMuies £¥" VWis66l<& Mr. 'B^rs^sh^ and othets'that ' '<4f4M -there . Wer«'^M»bu ; t 'M'fei 1 ftnprdssfett! i!fk<a]kl there < 'was^fei 'fattiOl hatigittglampimithe ihopjcbut am tfdti fcertßinf: '«'o?h6i '- flames ; wet^kJoming 'tftrufrgH-thet' -interstices aft tha icoraetboxes on $k& iihflf t*fi i }<> aoij«frr<;ij.'! ; , S - (t^Tln>ilfU>'Bbi>ktorjiY i d^nidt(>;rdlt epght o^cl^ok'^tiiTueidayinigi^KLw^'i^asßiig.. >NaSmibh <l &v :i fcoiningi.'idOwi^yliha>.Btr;eet, whenJ<n6tibed^axefl^6iii9Q^ifirer;fro^j Best's shop. - I -went to the front dbdr^. and saw; the flame's*. IT'llHey wfei^f comintf ftofeiftshdlf neariihe .badknftorherj'P.bout 5 or 6 feet from tfielgrkundjl.altfrtil 'side neat'estti jCjfaspaithf $■. ( \ travelled up the fron^ pfj the i .boxes, and were nqt yery large at the time. I saw no lamp_ burning 1 m the shop. I dalled ottos "fire." and assisted to burst open the dbdri. TI we'ntintb iieithe*r;F4|imith's.C[if ( Bests. .8 Jit /is my,- opinion that $he fire By the jur.y^l-jdid not see jliiy light m Nasnyth's shop. 1 did not see any pOT 3M i fbt'dhu^^ate > r'lfr6fiitßeslfs pre- ; mises,. Op firs'e gave l the elarmVfl % saw no '■l^jP'ifflfie s"Kb^^hcl dld'Abt'sbell any 'fcer-o'serie\''T!; } »«-«»il .iim 1 ' 11^ - ?n: ' tM Asni€a f ßes«,'ftsw»WiV''aeposea : I ami wife of W. T. Besb?A on>l^Tuesday 'lastf! w^slliviilg'inH'^ladstone' Eoad, where my -htfaband's shop was. jvMr: n Best'6l«sga'the-Bh(sj) v 6n that nigffl&at" twenty min'ateß-> to eight o'clock. He ■tmeQi 9%&f> {lain^ <^c q^ pne aliglit^" wWWl^fflWfii WS»'/W|fflPPJw?;i) side - Our dining-room stood at the bapft^Vsf < fM?.» Nasmitti's^trong-rQom. We hddW fire'Hn the elinftiey thdt'night, Jbut t ti^b t fajfcwgp one/ / Tliefle^jas ijojdirep^ com'mii^nc atipp, ) r betw.eeir our shop and dining-room! J TKeW Vafe no light in'the* drapery part-of~the establishment. # 'At ' ahoiHl; 6jghtj o*4lo<?kjj .FthiJ^t/Vje-Twere m t\\fi kitchen^ \ye.l\eard a jrumblirjg noised 'My sister 1 ' went 'BUt; 'a'hd 'came b-ack again. I thdn.wenJlintb.thenyfei'd, snd^ saw a fire through „the.; windpw in' : Nasmith's strong-room. The fire was .confined to the interior, and no flames were issuing' biitsMe".' !; 'At that time 'nW' husband got the key of the drapery j ps?S[ tl went directly in^n t^ie/dr^pery part 'tff our place. My sister ran upstairs to save something. When I went into the shop I saw the shelvek liext 'Na'smit^'s on tire. At the time I went into 1 'the '' shop, I heard the people breaking into 1 the door: if I saw (Mlv B.?yant^n the shop. la;m:quiteßQ^liiy ; c that the fire originated somewhere near the door : leadjng.to^asmitli's.^afei > . l anv certain it ,did, no^ prrginate. $<ohi .any Avhfere near , , .r, f - , *r.etbe fa^e wmfiS^bl^Vmy $£ t! T%e «rma .vwk^Qom aj; f Oaok,^. I t %#P/.™^h>FW9^^e T^eiJft Thei-^s u aj^nnney p^Oß]e j outside would iiaturally think that 1 ziie nre was d.iir place'; v 7? W. T. Best,- deposed : I ara^a Braper, attd*"Tsnried" oir btißtnßssrin~Glad(st9p,Q ] Road. --j-J^-^effc the^hop to go to my private apartments 'at twenty minutes to of Nasnnthii strong-robm. ' l Had qhlj. one light burning m the shop that night! which" 'i I tttrned' ; oUt. My wife and' sister-^n.l{i.w n w;ere/wi,^flae I,ri^1 ,ri^ /the: back room. Miss McCormack," said " whaj? is that rumbling noise V I hasijened, and heard nothing. Miss McOormack again called attention to the, noise.

$ i$L Jl * he Cl< y of " fir e." 'Hearing aJwe^jjJpHse, I went out and looked xatoJiattpnisyard, and r^ the fire. Just-Were the window <M I B aw a a body of smoke, and looking m I saw the flames near the strong-room I then went by myself into the shop ' and looking up saw two or throe iets^f flame shooting out from, the partition betwQenNasmith's and our shun. Tap™ "waTnTone m Tfimliaw tfomntfyy being passed through a broken pane m the Mr. Bryant. s He«came m after, I opened the door. Tie told me to look after my -books., -I. am ofjjopinion that the rnre 'oi^imfteft iorfdei Kthe stairs and 3.tf<?JJgsrQQin.j/|!3^i t^«t sefjjmy light burning int^smith's. The houses destroye^far^re;.; Mwpl^Goods, Nasmiths, Best^ _ .Cooper and Griffin, tjtoadky'* B.^lq?» 4|biop,^da^|B A Btore, %, o .,Pqfirw'p« Emne.sanßj r |and, ftmfe of £560. — Mjc-stockand Junuture-was in* •jsgie^fo^ &ym nt e^iyatp^y^oss over insurance at £2000. * . B y.^Jm&3ltek fy^tet^d the shop, I came through the work-room, 'only fjrfe ViM s^)WiM ttfprobeeamra Nasmiths and came through the partition into my ilito^M'lt wai^tiite possible for the fire to come into my shop without first appearingriiiiriirakmith'B front shop. ' Miss McCormack deposed.: I am a sister jof-, JJ^sivJ^ffifr'-f .^/Jffßj residing with her on Tuesday evehinor last X>apki:to>pmZ JjJWHviraa.fshpufc^ftwenty ran out to the gate To loo^'oulJf'and 'WeTaVa-;fiie>(S#^«r^ft*ffTfir^K?!Wdiehen turned back, .midMMi-s. Best saw the fire thfoJgMt&tfrfwina&w'at Nasmith's. I rushed upstairs for some jewelry) I observed smoke-coming- up through the stairsj^jafid^n^aegth^fptjuld see the by t -WbP Sf thl Ipper Wiiidbwi liihin^-^he-./lifef originated in-Mr. Nasmith's. No «ne ryent into tir<m<ai*itagta># from the time PftiwWdoßtaJrtfti twedty to eighfcjt«until the-fire-was-obflervedr- — — : Jaifcjpol^p^^ rsrfffi journeyman t y#phni»ker. vrprkinc for Naamith. I 'hAieht m thm&tif&iQh. fa WAita'a . shop on Tuesthy night. This^wrfs at 'twfe(ntyftain\ttes(t(f>»lgl{ti.ijij[ the ?. af ?- A-jfeff^awrf^feT There was a lighted lamp, m the strong room, whioh I priV^"%ifitf<#l& W©> other lamte IfuTningiii"the-shop-aTid"OOT-in the~win-dowwh^-ilftSiedij^ljafe. I put them V^ty^-^Vf /'^'jf^oor. the shop, and gave the keys tS'Mr. Nasm^hu,%.men v was tnere at the time. "- W4 a-U'Tihree 1 left* together to go AomMoandsjwer^^^am^jng^ caUed Mrg'JiT^^j^ m^#pg»trongjh)om to Wvm*emffljffih It F&tM, and ne came into "the itrons£rbora. r ' T don't knovr R 'Wnmߥ*b%is^oking at the i*Q®.OyT]C||f»AwMmoi'^i?sr(ps«:Bhavings J under the ■$$$}§$) J did not go straight >- home. J.'. „* *y- Z»r the fireplace, ana if embers had fallen tljey could ndngnite, r I am ftutt the lamp Was pi&t ou£ I 1 lit the laApjin the safe m the ittrong-roohi. Matthew'GFf^Wasmith, dopoaed: I * "Sm a ieweller,"Tiiid oarried mr business irtXSHtftbtode Rdad.Horf>thefni|ht of Tuesday lasHrmis at the shop! "up, to a qurter to e%W - yr James Frier is my journeyman"} »M& %ft Smoking at the time for shwtfeiri^%p. I know nothing Cooper and' ;r Griffld's, which were my •propartyl 'iihaxi/iHio.fbuß'Hhopsiasured for £550, andffieOO on stock. I estimate my jmiwm #fft(lti®W insurance at Thos. Adams deposett: T bookseller and Btationer, -lately carrying on ''tHufiflttaftufffta Ifttedstioii^.'Boad. My preuiiseaVTOrpd^.tfroy^djd-ur^ngjthe fire the origin of the fire. 1 wa§- insured f or';B500 'onTiuildJHgV'And £700 on stock, i I estimate ttsy kwmes altogether at £600 immcft, \ {[-/■[ kt?. W. Good,. deposed : I am a, jeweller, lately m business m $ladsttth£ ! !Road. My pre^niaesj were; destroyed by fire d siB c8 te#j?M la s%r;S!l ¥ ildin s (iiL T hp Jury, after brief »» deliberation, returned the following verdict :tfai* That th A? re ; tf ffW*^ Ait>ef " r in .Mr; Beßt's .Wmra^f^.mi'^ thfere was not sutent .evi^e&e 11 adduced to determine Row it originated. " igrtiin. .!.■ in' "i — ' • "•■'