WOMAN BURNED TO DEATH

Taranaki Daily News, 11 March 1933, Page 7

WOMAN BURNED TO DEATH

FATAL CHRISTCHURCH FIRE TRAPPED IN BLAZING WASH-HOUSE FUMES OF PETROL DISCOVERED. VICTIM IN DEPRESSED STATE. By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, March 10. A fatal fife occurred at the residence of Mr. J. Gresson, a well-known solicitor, at Fendalton Road this morning, when his wife was trapped in a burning washhouse. She died a few minutes after her rescue by her daughter. She apparently went into the washhouse to attend to a fire in the copper. The first person to discover that the washhouse was afire was Miss Bridget Gresson, who dashed in through the thick Smoke and found her mother lying on the floor with her clothes in flames. She dragged her mother out and extinguished the flames, but Mrs. Gresson died a few minutes later.

Mr. Gresson was then on the way to his office, at 9.15 a.m., and he was recalled to the scene of the fire. The brigade prevented the flames spreading to the house, a large two-storeyed building. At the inquest held this afternoon the coroner, Mr. H. P. Lawry, returned a verdict that death was due to bums originating from petrol. “While she had previously shown suicidal tendencies,” he said, “there is no evidence available as to how the fire occurred beyond the fact that she was still showing signs of depression.” Dr. C. Hamilton Gould, brother of Mrs. Gresson, stated in evidence that Mrs. Gresson’s health had not been good, and She had been receiving treatment. He saw her on Tuesday evening, when she seemed well.

Constable McLeod said that the fire started in the Washhouse, where there Was .a distinct smell of petrol. Mrs. Gresson, who was 40 years of age, was a sister of Dr. Hamilton Gould and a niece of Mr. George Gould. The Goulds are a well-known Canterbury family. Mrs. Gresson had been in poor health for a number of years. She is survived by her husband, two sons and a daughter.