INQUEST ON THE VICTIM.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13728, 17 March 1915, Page 2 (Supplement)

INQUEST ON THE VICTIM.

An inquest touching the •death of ij'redorick Bloom field, -the-victim of the Itoyal Hotel fire, was opened at the Courthouse yesterday afternoon before Mr J. S. Evans, Coroner. Senior-Sergeant Barrett represented the police, and Mr C. J. Harley appeared to watch the proceedings on behalf of Mr Duncan, the owner, and Mr K. Cann, the licensee, of the premises. After the Coroner had viewed the body, Edward Car.n was called, and stated that he was the licensee of the Royal Hbtel. He knew the .deceased, and had identified the body at the morßue. The deceased was a lodger at the hotel. He first came to the hotel about a fortnight ago, but went away, returning again on Tuesday evening last. Witness knew nothing about him. The last time witness saw him was on the previous evening about i.O minutes to !.). The deceased w»s then ,'^oing to I <i, to room No. 4, on the top floor. t :<> was perfectly sober. He had been to the pictures, and at half-time came i,tr. and had a drink, and said he was goin t? back. He had no moro drink when he returned before 10 o'clock. Witness went to bed between 10.30 and ■J0.45. There were five lodgres in the house besides the staff of three females and one male. Witness then described the- bedrooms on the tipper floors, and .stated who occupied them. The room occupied by the deceased led out to the passage, and the doorway was about two yards from the fire escape, which \<y\ to the back yard. The fire escape was a wooden stairway, with handrails on either side as far as the- second floor, from which there was a ladder. There was one window to the room, which looked out* on to the kitchen roof which was not more than sft from the "window. The window was easily opened. A person oould walk on the roof. Ho did not think there was a key in the door. There' was a fairly wide landing on tho top floor knd a staircase led down to the next floor. He was awakened by Mrs Greaves, the waitress, screaming out. He did not know the 9xaxit time. H© partly dressed and rushed out, and found the passage full of smoke. He went down to see,if the door was open and to find out who were out and then returned. On his way he mot Constable O'Donnell on the second floor.' ~ . At this stage the Coroner said it was necessary that a plan of the building should be produced. Senior-Sergeant Barrel* said that time had not permitted of that being

3one, and the inquest Avas then adjourned till Monday morning, at 10.30. March 9. The ■adjourned inq«"st on. tL© body of Frederick liloomfieln, v\uo*-o remains wbre found in the ruin.-, of the Royal Hotel after the fire on Thursday morning last, was resinned before the Coroner (Mr. J. S. Kvan^ at the Courthouse yesterday. Senior Serjeant /-iirrett represented the police, and .Mr. C. J. llarley watched proceedings on behalf of the owner] of the premises (Air. 11. 11. Duncan). Edward Cann. iuvusi/e oj' the lloyal Hotel, continued his evidence. The fire escape near tin- mom occupied by deceased (No. 4 oji lie to;) floor) was not destroyed by t: t '.re. There was also a rope in a-M-ci! underneath the window by which he <nuul have descended on to the roof v.l the kitchen. All rooms upstairs were provided with ropes, besides which there were two collapsible ladders and the back staircase. There were steel fire alarms on each floor, but they were not used on the morning of the fire. He believed that all the inmates were out of the hotel. He was told that a short man (whom he thought was deceased) was outside with Stewart and the barman. When he saw Stewart, the latter told him that deceased had not been with him. After the fire was partly got under he re-enter(>d the building, accompanied by Police Constables Berthelson ad O'Donnell. and pointed out deceased's room to them. Before he retired to bed he looked all round, and everything was apparently safe. Beattie. k lodger, who occupied No. 3 on the third flood, wais the last to go to bed. There bad been persons m the sitting-room on the ground floor during the evening. Smoking was allowed. The room occupied by deceased was on the third floor, directly above the sitting room. Between was an inoccupied bedroom on the second floor. The hotel appeared to be most burn?d from the sitting-room upwards. No hotel effects were saved, and witness got out with coat and trousers only on. The furniture and effects were insured for £275, and the stock for £75. The stock was not destroyed. The furniture was valued at about £350. His private effects were not insured, and he estimated their value at £20. Amelia Greaves, waitress at the lloyal Hot-el, stated that she retired to bed between 10 and 10.30 p.m. She was awakened by something falling, and on pulling the window curtains open saw flames and smoke. She occupied room 7 on the second floor. She I awakened her two children, and then went out into the passage and called out "Fire?" There were- no signs of fire or smoke in the passage. It all appeared outside the building. She then took her children downstairs and out into the street. She had time to save a quantity of her clothing. Richard T. E. Robinson, who was a lodger at the hotel on the night of thy fire" deposed that he occupied room No. 5 on the third floor ; He was awakened by his room mate (Kinzett, assistant barman) pulling him out of bed and telling him to get out of the building the best way he could. He picked up his clothes and went down the back fire escape. When he reached the passage leading to the fire escape he was met by smoke, which was coming from the back of the building. He did noi know that room 4, which he had tc pass to get out, was occupied. The fire escape was in perfect order, bui the flames were leaping round it. The fire appeared to be coming from the bai parlour, near the kitchen. The window sill of No. 4 was on fire. By Mr Harley: The ladder from th« second floor to the ground was in posi tion, and he got down easily. Campbell C. Stewart, a lodger at the hotel, said he occupied No. 3 room or the top floor. On the night of the fir< he went to bed between a quarter tc 10 and 10 o'clock. Bowden and Beat tie were in the same room. He was awakened by Constable O'Bonnel shouting "Fire!" He lit a candle, anc the room was full of smoke. He callec his room mates, and the three of then left together. The passage was full ol smoke, and he could not distinguish anything. He groped his way to the staircase and then descended the stairs. He found the lunisemaid (Miss Delaney) on the floor in the passage, and tried to get her down, but she woulc not go. Someone came and took hei out of his arms and downstairs ahead of him. There was no fire or smoke on the second floor. Deceased opened the door of witness's room and said "Good night, Billy," to the barman, and then went straight to his own room. There was nothing about the deceased to indicate that he had had liquorjudging by his voice, ho was perfectly sober. After witness had been out of the building some time, Canu asked him if he had seen "Andy" (meaning the deceased), and ho said he had not. Leslie T. Kinzett, barman at the Royal Hotel, deposed that he retired at a few minutes past 10 o'clock. Deceased came into the bar during the interval at the pictures. He was sober. Witness was awakened by someone shouting "Fire!" and he roused his room mate, Robinson, and told him to get out as best he could. When witness escaped from his room the passage was full of smoke. He passed Constable O'Donnell at the bead of the stairs. The constable .asked him to carry the housemaid downstairs, which h© did. - Someone said that "Andy" was upstairs, and witness and C°n" stable O'Donnell went back to try and find him, but they could not get far owing to the flames. Some time afterwards he went to the back of the hotel, but he did not notice whether it was in flames or not. Constable O'Donnell Btated that he passed the Royal Hotel on his way to the Police Station about 1.20 a.m., and everything was then all right. He remained at the station about seven minutes, and then left with Constable Berthelson. When opposite Armstrong s shop, in Bridge street, witness saw smoke, which appeared to him to be about Horton's butcher's shop. When they got to Wilkens's boarding-house two little boys came out of the front door of the Royal Hotel He then noticed smoke in the building, and went inside, while Constable Bertheison went to ring the firebell. He opened the back door a-ud found the place in flames. There was no one about, and he rushed upstairs. He met a woman coining down with a bundle of clothes. He next met the licensee on the landing, and said, "Let's B®* gieni ©nt. Witness kept calling out "Fire I" All on the top floor appeared to be asleep, and the place was full of smoke. The lodgers came out of their rooms and welt downstairs He knocked at some of the doors. The place was in «m-----plote darkness owing to the dense smoke, and he could not use his lamp. There was no sign of flames. Witness described the vesc«e of the housemaid On going back into the gilding he met the licensee, and asked hjijttj were all out. He said he thought so, but shortly afterwards he said he had not seen Andy, but thought Kijaett had. Witness went and asked K"f ett if he had seen him, and he said he hought he had. They looted for him, and could not. find him. TheyiLned to get upstairs again, but could not do so owing to fire and smoke. Witnessed not know which room was i***^ ?£ {the deceased, "ad^ he known^ie deItjeased was near the fire; escape ne would have tried to get him out.- *±c told two firemen that he thought tnere was a man upstairs. When the dames were got under witness, wita Constables Berthelson and Wade, Fireman Guy, and the licensee went upstairs. Mr Cann pointed out the room the deceased was supposed to be in. Constable Perthelson and Fireman Guy looked

through the doorway and saw ihe body on the floor. Witness described how. the bodj' was recovered. By Mr Harley: He heard no sound from what he now- knew was iwm No. 4. He 1 heard no one else call "Fire!" nor any calls for help. All he heard was the screams of the housemaid; March 10. Constable Berthekon deposed that after ringing the firebell, lie returned to the fire, by which time the first reel had arrived." About a quarter of an hour afterwards he went to the back of the hotel, which was in flames, and found one lead of hose playing on it. A man could have ascended the fire escape, but could not have got into the building. Volumes of smoke were coming out of No. 4 (the room occupied '<iv the deceased). Flumes were coming out of the door at the head of the tiro escape, and also at the foot of the fire escape (which descended on to the kitchen roof). Flames were also coming out of the windows. It was rumoured that there was a man in the building, and as soon as it was possible he went into the building with Fireman Guy. They found the charred remains of a body in room No. 4. Joseph Nesbitt, Fire Brigade foreman, stated that he went to the station immediately after hearing the alarm, and it was not more than 5 minutes, after hearing the alarm that he arrived at the scene of the lire with the reel. Fireman Warren met him at tho station. Within. 3 minutes of their arrival at/ the scene of the fire they had water playing on the building. Flames were then coming out of the western side of tho hotel ever th«" unocupiced shop, but none out of th« front' of the hotel. He did no I inquire whether there was anyone in the building, as he was engrossed in ,;ettin<> the water started. It was perhars 10 minutes before he went to the back of the hotel. He found Foreman Stewart attempting to get a lead of hose up tho fire escape, but ho had to give it up. The seat of the tire appeared to be near the kitchen. From the position of deceased's body on the floor, withness should say he had died without a struggle and had rolled off tho bed on to the floor. By Mr Harley: He did not hear any cries for help." There was a splendid pressure of water. j Robert Warren, fireman, deposed that from the time he wa.s awakened by "the bell till the water was playing on the fire was about 7 minutes. He went in the passage of the hotel immediately \ and heard someone say, "There's a man ; inside." He ascended the stairs half- ' way to the first floor with the hose, but was forced back by the smoke. He did I not see anyone leaving the premises [ When he got outside tho building he ' heard someone say it was only a rumour about the man being upstairs. \ Crosier Guy, acting-foreman of the } Fire Brigade, who resides in Waimea 5 street, near Snow's Hill, deposed that he went to the fire on foot, and wheu 1 he got there the back part of the hotel i was in flames. After he had been at 1 the fire half an hour he was told by ? Lieutenant Dee that there was a man " in a room upstairs. Witness detailed I the steps taken to recover the body. In ■ his opinion, deceased had been partly I awakened, had struggled out of bed i suffocated by smoke, an.l on being - and fallen to" the floor. 3 Albert Dee. lieutenant in charge of i the Fire Brigade on the night of the t fire, deposed that he was at the fire 3 within 3 minutes of hearing the alarm. b There was a reel there then. He det tailed the steps taken to .suppress the 3 fire. He had been in and out of the r building (downstairs) several times be- - fore he was told that there was a man in the building. There wa.s nothing dee finite then—it was only supposition. - On hearing the rumour lie inquired tor the landlord, and found him with Sere geant Barrett in the centra of the road, n Witness inquired as to the position of c the room the man was supposed to be 0 in, and Mr Cann pointed it oufe to him. ,- He immediately sent Firemen Giry and s King to report. He .should think it II was from about n quarter of an hour to 1 20 minutes after he got there that ho d heard about the man being in the upn stairs room. There was the a no chance of i rretthi"- to the room occupied by the !i deceased. The police or the occupier c of the premises usually informed the i. officers in charge of the Brigade it .- there was anyone in the building, and I then the firemen would direct their et--6 forts towards saving life. r John Fitz-Gerald, clerk of the Licensi mo- Committee, produced the minutes c of proceedings of the last annual meet- & ing of the Nelson Licensing Committee d and the police report on the Koyal , Hotel, which included extracts from •• Inspector Coitznan's report on the same 3 building. , ~ - This concluded tho evidence, and the V Coroner intimated that lie would take lf time to consider Ins verdict. ti __