WILFULLY CAUSED

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 965, 7 May 1930, Page 11

WILFULLY CAUSED

FIRE AT PUKEKOHE KEROSENE AND EXPLOSION From Our OtCH Correspond. PrKEKOHE, Monday. An inquest into the circumstances surrounding a fire which occurred in Wade's Building. King Street, Ptik' - kohe, about 4.45 a.m. on March 23. was held today before the coroner, Mr. C. K. Lawrie.

Mr. E. J. Prendergast watched proceedings on behalf of the owner, J. Wade. Mr. C. E. Hankins appeared for the New Zealand Insurance Company and Sergeant J. T. Cowan for the police. Evidence given by C. E. Hankiu-. insurance assessor, was to the effect that Wade took out a policy of £9ii<> on the building on April 1, 1925. ami it was renewed this year. After the fire he called on a land agent and was told that the keys of the premises were given to another agent. A woman clerk could not find them when asked.

A night watchman. J. C. Murphy, who passed the buildiug. five to teu minutes before the brigade was summoned. said he noticed nothing untoward at that time. The wife of a bank manager, who*, premises adjoin Wade's building, told, the court that she was awakened by an explsiou and the shattering of glass. I’pou going to a window she saw smoke and flames coming front the building and observed a man running in the direction of the rear of another shop. Other witnesses said they saw a motor-car travelling away front the direction of the outbreak and proceeding toward Paerata. G. H. Glover, the land agent to whom the keys were given to showprospective tenants over the building, said that the keys were in his office between March 21 and 23. He did no; recollect whether he locked the rear door when leaviug the premises. Firemen and the police gave evidence as to having smelt kerosene near the origin of the outbreak, to finding empty bottles smelling of kerosene on the staircase, and to observing a broken board nearby. Thi.-. they held, waa forced off in order to provide a draught. A glass paue] on a side door had been broken. When the building was occupied by tenant* five years ago a lire occurred, also near the foot of the staircase. The key was in the door from the kitchen to wuUms but the door wwm sot locked. Sergeant Cowan said that when Ininspected the premises about a week before the fire the back door was open, but the one between the kitchen and washhouse was locked. John Wade, publican. Toka Toka. stated that the amount paid on tlie occasion of the former fire was remitted to the mortgagee. He was unable to state what sum was paid for repairs between 1925 and 192 S or whether the first fire was profitable to him. The fire cover on the building was for £990. but he valued it at £1,200.

When asked when he first knew of the fire, whether he was in Auckland on March 24, and as to his whereabouts at the time of the fire, Wade declined to answer. in returning a verdict that some unknown person or persons unknown wilfully set fire to the building, the coroner made the statement that. Wade could have given more evidence than he did.