UPPER HUTT TRAGEDY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 92, 9 April 1914, Page 6

UPPER HUTT TRAGEDY.

FURTHER EVIDENCE. [Pkb Press Association.] AVelliugton, April 8. Albert F. Cooper, 15 years of age, said that at the time of the fire he was in the employ of Benge and Pratt. He was aware that the firm kept gelignite and blasting powder in stock. He had seen a case of the former and a keg of powder on the premises at one time. The explosives were kept upstairs. There were times when there was no gelignite in stock. He remembered a case of gelignite coming into the shop on February 6. It was taken upstairs, where he last saw some of it two or three weeks before, the fire. He last saw gunpowder in the room about Christmas time. AVitness was not altogether surprised at the explosion. He was surprised, at its force however. He had never seen calcium carbide in the main building at all. To Air Morrison; He did not remember Benge making a drawer out of a gelignite box. The keg and box might have been empty. He had never seen gelignite sold on the premises.