A FATAL FIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 295, 6 May 1913, Page 5

A FATAL FIRE.

V —» ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS. , By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Monday. At the Lome Street fire, by which George Frederick Hall, aged 57, and his wife, Phyllis, aged 57, lost their lives, the other occupants, three male boarders, all slept upstairs. The boarders retired at 9.30, leaving the Halls talking in the kitchen. The next thing known is that the boarders, Stevenson, Lloyd, and O'Sullivan, were awakened by the flames and hastily left the premises scantily clad. In the meantime the brigade arrived, and the superintendent states that he was informed that all the occupants were out of the house. The fire ' Ws> quickly subdued, and a search revealed the bodies of the two deceased lying in a bedroom. They had evidently endeavoured to escape, but had been overcome by the smoke fumes, the bodies being merely scorched. Death was due to suffocation. Hall was undressed, and had been in bed, whilst his wife was dressed and had apparently lain on the bed. The fire started at the rear portion of the upper floor, probably in the boarders' room, which was destroyed, the other two upstairs rooms being slightly damaged. The gas was found burning in the kitchen, and had evidently been forgotten. The two deceased arrived from England six years ago. Hall was an army veteran. Stevenson and Lloyd were unable to throw any light on the mysterious outbreak, and O'Sullivan has not been seen by the police since the fire. EESULT OF A DRINKING BOUT. ; Wellington, Last night. At the inquest on the bodies of Hall and his wife, who were found dead in a room of a house in Lorne Street, which was partially burned on Saturday night, evidence showed that a. quantity of liquor was taken into the house during Saturday evening, and', that the three boarders (who escaped), and both the deceased were under the influence of liquor. The boarders went to bed about 9.30 o'clock, leaving the old couple sitting in the kitchen. About 11.30 two of the boarders (Iloyd and O'Sullivan) were awakened by fire. They called Stevenson (the third man) and all got out. Lloyd, before leaving, called to Mrs. Hall, but, receiving no reply and having left the Halls sitting in the kitchen, he thought thev had both got but. The coroner (Mr.'W. G. Riddell) returned a verdict that the deceased were accidentally suffocated. He re-., marked that if the boarders had not been apparently under the influence of drink, they might have made a metre careful investigation to see if the old people were safely out of the house..