FATALLY INJURED IN FIRE

Taranaki Daily News, 17 January 1931, Page 7

FATALLY INJURED IN FIRE

WOMAN DESCRIBES OUTBREAK.

CHRISTMAS MORNING TRAGEDY;

By Telegraph.—Press Association.

Auckland, Jan. 15. The death of John Murphy, Onehunga, who was "fatally injured iff a fire at his residence on December 25, was investigated this afternoon by the coroner Mr. W. M- Woodward, S.M. Constable Hinton said that at 7.20 a.m. on December 25 he went to the .house of ’D. Murphy where he found John Murphy lying on a bed suffering from burns on his limbs and body. John Murphy told constable he had been burned in a fire at his own house. He did not know what caused the fire as he was drunk. . , At the same time in the presence ! of John Murphy Mrs. Weiss jUn. informed the constable that she and Murphy were living in Murphy’s place. They had arrived home from a party about 1.30 a.m. on Christmas Day. On entering the house she lit a candle and put it on a candle stick. After she had extinguished the light she fell asleep. Some time afterwards she was awakened by a cat on her face and then she noticed the place was on fire. She at "once awoke John Murphy, who rushed to the flames. He fell over into the fire. About 20 minutes afterwards, she saw k him in a bush in the garden. She joined him after she had ; fully tried to put out the fire. Constable Hinton’ stated that the building in which the fire occurred was a shed 12ft by The weatherboarding on the uprights' was badly burned. There was a bed on the floor and the fire appeared to have started in some newspapers near the bed. Murphy was taken in an ambulance to the hospital. A verdict of death due to burns accidentally received was returned by the coroner.