INQUIRY INTO FIRE

Taranaki Daily News, 29 November 1934, Page 13

INQUIRY INTO FIRE

COMMENT BY MAGISTRATE. RELIABILITY OF WITNESS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, Nov. 26. “I believe the witness has told a few things that are true,” declared the coroner, Mr. E. D. Mosley, in the. course of criticism of the reliability of William Davidson’s evidence at the hearing of the inquiry into a fire on the premises of Davidson and Co. Ltd. The coroner added that Davidson’s evidence for over two days had been most unsatisfactory. He had ample opportunity to explain, but had shirked it and had .even, deliberately told untruths. The inquiry, which ;vas adjourned from last Monday, entered its thirteenth day and Davidson, who managed the firm at the time of the fire, began his fourth day in the witness box.

•I •.. In reply to questions by Mr. Thomas, who' is appearing for the Guardian Insurance Company, witness said he did not know when he left the premises on the night of tne fire, but, accepting his daughter’s statement that she heard him arrive as 11 o’clock struck, his time of leaving the office would have been 10 minutes previous. He was not certain it was 11 o’clock that struck. It might have been 12 o’clock.