Fire at Te Henni.

Taranaki Herald, Volume L, Issue 11864, 11 January 1902, Page 2

Fire at Te Henni.

THE ENQUIRY/ An enquiry concerning the circumstances surrounding the destruction by lire of the late Major Brown's residence, at Te Henui, was opened in the Courthouse at 10 o'clock on Friday by Mr R. L. Stanford, S.M., and before the following jury : — C. M.Lepper (Foreman;), G.Tisch, J. R. Chatterton, H. N. Goldwater, W. B. Bayne, and J. Irvin. Sergeant Haddrell conducted the enquiry. Mr Il'.I I . E. Wilson represented the owners of the property (Messrs T. S. Weston and F. Thomson), and Mr Govett watched the proceedings for the Brown family. (Evidence Continued from Yesterday). Tlio inquiry was resumed at 2 o'clock on Friday. Mona Brown, daughter of the late Major Brown and the previous witness, deposed that after the sale on December 18th her brother and herself remained on the premises till December 21st. Her brother left on the 21st about 7 a.m. Witness amd her mother were at the house that day till about noon, engaged in packing, burning papers, and other work. They burned a good deal of stuff in three fireplaces. The fire in the kitdhen was smoking Wihen they left the house. , Witness was in the neighbourhood of the premises just before 8 p.m. that day ; she was at : Mrs Roberts' place close by, but did not go on their old premises. That Saturday night witness slept |at Miss Woods' place in Lemon- ! street. She did not hear of the fire till 11 a.m. on the Sunday, the day of the fire, when she was going to church. When- the property was, put on the market she told people tlhat the family were desirous of retaining it. On October 26th- she had. a conversation with Mr T. S. Weston about the property : she did not make threats to him, but told him. the family were desirous of retaining the property, and Mi*, Weston said he would see his client about tlie matter. After the sale on October 26tii she saw Mr Weston at his oftice and asked him who his client was. Mr Weston told her to call again on , the Monday", October 28th. On the Sunday Mr Laird, the trustee, came up and informed them that Messrs Weston and Thomson were the purchasers. On. November 2nd she saw Mr Thomson, and asked him " if he was one of the curs who had bought Major Brown's property, and turned Mrs Brown put cf her home." Mi* Thomson told her if she wanted to speak to him to come j after business hours. Sergeant Haddrell : Did you make any threats on that occasion ? Witness : I made none stt ail. Sergeant Haddrell : Did you make any threats that something would happen to the property ? Witness : No. Sergeant Haddrell : Can you tell us what damage was stated to have been done oh the property after the sale ? Witness ; It was stated that puriri posts had been dug up and removed and that fruit trees and the garden in other ways had been damaged. Sergeant Hadrell : Can you account for this damage ? Witness i Mrs Brown consid-^red she had a right to ihe mantelpiece (which was^ put up ternporarilV; an; stove, and remove i them. Sergeant Haddrell :- About the posts ? Witness : As far as I know the posts were lying about. It was stated a man was seen digging -up a post, but' I did not see him. Sergeant ' Haddrell : And the damage to the trees ? Witness : ' Some of the trees were cut down because they were not bearing, and as the vis down cows and horses got iv and did a lot of damage. Witness continuetl: s?3ie »ne'V her late father had the .property insured because it was a trust property, but she did not know the amount was £400 til? afterwards. Sergeant Haddrell : Did you know the house was not insured when you left it ? Witness : No. Sergeant Haddrell : Did you make any remark that nobody else should have the property '» > Witness : No ; but I remarked that it looked as if the sea was going to have some of it. Sergeant H&ddrcll :• Vo yvt mow of anyone who would burn the place down for spite against you ? Witness : No. In ainswerto another question witness said tho trustee had paid £5 to the purchasers for damage done to the property. ,- By- Mr Wilson : There was an oil bottle in her late father's • work room. There was also a great deal of rubbish in the place. Mr Wilson : Did }ou notice if the walls of the house had been splashed with oil ? Witness : No. Mr Wilson : Did you threaten. Mr John Brown all the harm you could do him because he wished the property sold to benefit the two families of your father ? Witness : No. Mr Wilson : Did you say ' that your whole object in life was to do harm to Mr Woston, Mr Thomson, and Mr Butterworth ? Witness : No. ■Mr Wilson : Did you threaten Miss Brown, an invalid, •kt'ig'iV.T of your father's first marriage, who lives on, part of tlie property ? Witness I told her what I thought of her. ; Mr Wilson : Do you "deny saying that i' f you wei'e leaving 'The Fitcfs,' but no one else would live tihere?" Witness : T did not say so. ' . .■ Mr, Wilson : , Did you have any hand in writing jinanynious letters in connection with this property. Witness : No. Mr Wilson : Whose cows were iv the garden ? Witness : Ours. Mr Wijsj>n : Just so. By Mr H. Baucftopo (agent for the South British Insurance Company): There were the pil i:n juid.i-.vipty paint tins in- the workroom ; but she knew of no other inflammable matpriol in any other part of the house. When they left k the house some doors were left open to enable j people to get stuff out of the place. She could not say as to the state of the windows. The fire was smouldering when they loft. ' By Mr Govett :It was arranged that the purchasers should take possession at 11 a.m. that day. 1 CT W. Govett. solicitor, staled £hat ho had acted for the lato Major Brown. When Major Brown died >the property had to be sold for the bphefil'Qf j,hps6' under the trust. The prpperty was sold at auction for £1 55(). Mr Weston appeared in the papprs as the purchaser. Mrs .Brq'wn had to pay £5 to the purphasers for damages ; the money did not come ou^ of the estate. Mr Laird and himself settled the matter wjlh' Me Wpst-on. He would have insured the building for £200 if penplp J|arl resided there. ! ' cfames Butterworth,' general dealer, stated/ hp amended, tjic sale of "The Pines'." He was' pdmiriissionod by Mr Weston to purchase the property, but alsp saw Mr 'I honison bisf-rc the salo. TJio property was knocked down to him for £1550. On December 21st witness at Mr Weston 's request wont to the house in the afternpom at 3 p'plopk tp -sec if any damage had bpen do^o.' Witness, Thomson, and Bui lot (an expressman,) wont, through. There was only one key to the place, and windows were open. They saw smoke in a fireplace where paper had been burned. In an adjoining room they found a load of rubbish, on tho top of which was thick paint oil, bottles having been broken. The wall was smeared £it KinsUiigh with oil. Witness remarked that ii Joqk'cri ljko kerosene. There were fjplaphpri oil marks pn the floor. Mr Thomson uslced witness if it was safe to leave tho smouldering papers, and witness replied there was no danger from that. Witness suggested that ho should nail up tho windows and doors, and told Mr Weston »o. Ho told Mr Weston to insmrc tho place above all things as he never Raw a place so roady for a 11 ro. He ulso told Mr Wo&ton in the" presence of half a dozen men to get the police, to put two watchmen on tho place. The renson ho said that tho place wnH ready for a firo wns on account > of the 'oil Ihrown about nnd the qjinntity of innammable material iyitjg; H*P u f j Tho Coroner : ¥ou consider then Uint tho danger from firo was from tho outside ? Witness : Yes, that is what 3 mean,

Witness continued : That according to the plan (produced) the part ■ of the building where the most inllammable stuff was, was the last part to catch fire. Sergeant Haddrell :Where were you ori Saturday night ? Witness : I went to the Salvation Army, brought my wife home, and after the children played some music we went to bed. The wife woke me when the bells rang, acd I remarked " It's Brown's place." Witness continued that he looked out the back window and saw the direction of the fire which satisfied him. When the 'Brigade were coming back he looked out the window and asked, " Where was tho fire ? " A man replied, " That place you bought." Sergeant Haddrell : Why were you so sure about the fire ? Witness : On account of the destruction done at the place. Sergeant Haddrell : By whom ? Witness : That is not for me to say ; 1 did not see people damaging the place. Sergeant Haddrell : Were you threatened by anyone over your i transactions in connection with this place ? Witness : Not presonally ; but I heard I had been attacked in an anonymous letter. I simply said "Let them go ahead." By Mr Govett :• The part 'of the building where he saw the oil was burning late oei the Sunday. By Mr Bauchope :As the house stood it was wcirth £400 as a residence, and with an outlay of £100 it would be worth more. When- he went through he did not reckon Ihere was danger from fire within. By the' foreman : You say you advised Mr Weston to get the police to watch the place, as you were afraid it, wou,d be burned down ; and that you said so before half a dozen mca? Witness : Yes. The foreman : Was Mr Bauchope one of the men ? Witness : No ; but Mr Wilson was. Frank Thomson, one of the owners, gave evidence as to going through the house on the afternoon preceding the. fire. He described what lie saw. He lived near the property. On Sunday morning about 3.20 he was awakened by a neighbour. The place was then practically on fire all over. He had heard of the damage done in the orphard ; but could not say for certain whetiher it was accidentally or wilfully done. Miss Browjn had interviewed him in business ' hours, and had used abusive language, but did not threaten him. .Since the fire he had learned there was an insurance of £200 on the place. By Mr Wilson : As far> as he was .concerned he did not intend to pull the house down. ' By Mr Bauchope : It was possible that through doors- and, windows being open a draught caused the fire in the fireplace to spring up. He considered the property worth £1 a week rental, and the capital value from £300 .to £350. H. "M. Bauchope, agent for the South British Company, stated "The Pines" was insured in 1880 for ! £600, in 1885 it was 1 reduced to £400, and on November 8 the policy expired. Mi* Weston agreed with him to hold the place covered for £400 ; that was after the sale. On Decem- ' ber 21st he saw Mr Weston about J insuring for £400. Mr Weston want- i ed the place covered for two months ! although unoccupied. Witness wou.d not agree to this. He finally agreed to insure for £200, but the place »vasf not ' to be unoccupied for more than a^ month. Sergeant Hdddrell g)ave evidence that he went down to the fire. The whole' of the building was then on are except the southern end.' This was the evidence. The Cororer in summing up the evidence said that two points stood out prominently : (1) that when the (ire was" first discovered it had a hold over nearly the whole structure, which was of a long rambling shape, and tfliis 1 would lead to the inference that "i the fire had started in moreplaces than one. (2) There was the evidence of Butterworth, who stated the place looked as> if; -it had been readied up for a fire. Butterworth had in this instance proved a true prophet. He did not ueed to refer to the insurance aspect of ,the case except to state that Mr Bauchope had shown considerable tact in whatever he had done. The jury aiter an absence of five minutes returned with the following verdict : That tlie house was set on fire wilfully by some person or per1011s unknown-. Mr Govett applied for the expenses of Miss Brown, who came from Napier,' 'and Mrs Bro,wn, who came from Auckland. The Coroner said ho could not ?rant such expenses, but if Mr GoWtt put in a written application he would forward it on to the Department.