CORONER’S INQUIRY-

Taranaki Herald, Volume LX, Issue 143770, 19 April 1912, Page 7

CORONER’S INQUIRY-

FIRE IN DEVON STREET. The Coroner, Mr. A. Crooke, held an inquiry at the Court House to-day into tho cause of tho fire which recently took place at the premises of J. K Burke, fruiterer, as a result of which the building was partially destroyed. Tiie following jury was empanelled: —George Alexander Tabor, dames Oliver, Isaac Morrison, William Wood, Gilbert .Lawrence, unci Edward Egan. Mr. Oliver was chosen foreman. Mr. F. C. J. Bellringer appeared on behalf of the Fire Board. The first witness called was Thomas Hood, chemist, who said that on the night of last Good Friday, he arrived at the shop about 6 o’clock, and was under the verandah for some time before he opened the shop. His attention was drawn by some people on the opposite side of the street to some smoke which was rising from Burke s premises. He wont down tho right-of-way by Griffiths’ premises, but could not find any evidence there of lire; he went back and had n closer look, some people had by this time collected, and he rang up the Fire Brigade. A man called Johnston also gave the alarm. Tho building in which his shop was situated was next to Burke’s. They coiud now see that the building was well on fire. The premises consisted of a shop, off which there was a sitting-room; tins was in the main building, beyond was an addition in which the kitchen and bedroom were situated. The structure was of wood and iron, hut at the hack there was a brick wall. On the ■east side of the building the right-of-way only extended to the addition at the hack. Von Lubbo’s place was on the other side. The building was very difficult to get at from Devon Street for fire fighting purposes. The brigade arrived smartly on the scene. He saw nothing to lead him to suppose that the fire was in Von Lubbe’s place of business, the fire was at the back. He would not swear that he had seen Mr. and Mrs. Burke that evening.

Cross-examined by Mr. Bellringer, witness said that the fire seemed to have come from either the kitchen or the bedroom at the back, he could not say which, hut it was in the rear of the house. He did not know how tinwindows in the sitting-room were situated or whether there was a skylight in the sitting-room or not. The fire could not have been seen at first from Devon Street. If the fire had been in the bedroom, it would- have been harder to see than if it had been in the kitchen.

The jury had no questions to ask. J. F. liurke said he had carried on business ns a confectioner, fruiterer, and registry office keeper for two years, on a lease which had about two years and four months to run from now. On last Good Friday his shop was closed all day, and he was at home up to 4 p.m., when he lit a fire and boiled a kettle and had afternoon tea. after which he and his wife went for a walk. It must have been abont 5 p.m. when they left the shop. They had used the ordinary fire in the stove all day. He left the shop by himself before his wife was ready to go with him, to have a smoke, but found ho had forgotten his tobacco when he had got as far as the railway station. He wont back to get his tobacco. Ik wont, into the shop and picked up his tobacco off the counter, where he had left it during the afternoon. He met his wife near the railway station when going back for his tobacco, just east of the railway bridge, and she went back with him to the shop. It must have been about 5.30 by this 'time. They then went to the Esplanade by the Terminus Hotel, and returned when they heard the firehcll ring, to find out where the fire was. They went past the Post Office into Devon Street. His first intimation that the fire was in his place was through some people telling him this, when he was near Sole’s butcher’s shop. No one told him this at the Post Office. He then hurried home as fast as he could, his wife going with him, he helping her to push the perambulator. He did not think that he could have gone any quicker by himself. When he got to the shop the back part seemed to be all on fire, and the water was being played on it. The bedroom was separated from the kitchen by matchlining, the walls of the bedroom being of paper and scrim over the matchlining. They had gas in the kitchen, but used a kerosene lamp in the bedroom. Ho was smoking a pipe in tho bedroom during the afternoon. He did not know when the fire could have started; it might have been in Von Lubbe’s shop for all he knew. Alongside the stove was a small shelf, which had been there for years, and he thought that this might have caught fire, as it was close to the stove, and about eighteen inches below the mantelpiece. He suggested that tho continual heat of the stpvo might have set this shelf on fire. He was last smoking in the bedroom at 1.30 or 2 p.m.; he was lying down smoking, but was sure that no spark from his pipe had set the bedding smouldering. He had been insured in the United for £75 for nearly a year. He estimated that his loss through tho fire was about £25. That was his position after tho adjustment which lie had had since the fire. Not all' of the articles insured wore in tho building at the time of the fire; the harness was not there; a collar and reins were burnt, however; he had last seen them under the bed two months ago. His loss consisted of bed linen and small things about the house and furniture. A watch chain valued at £7, which was in a drawer in the bedroom, was burnt. £3O-of the insurance was on his personal effects, and £45 on shop and fittings. The harness buckles ought to have been in the debris, but ho had not found them. He had made a statement to Mr. Lightband, but had sent in no claim. In a signed paper he had stated that there was a total loss. He had claimed that there was £2O worth of stock spoilt, hut he did not now think that it was worth so much. He had also claimed that he had £4O worth of furniture burnt. Mr. Day had estimated the value of the stock prior to the fire at about £5, 10s. He bad not, he said, taken much count of the stock lately, so he did not know what stock there was there on Good Friday. He had got quite a lot of goods in lately from M'Dougall, of Dunedin, the Atlas Co., of Wellington, and Griffin and Sons, of Nelson, amounting in all to about £3O. He owed these firms about £7 or £B. The difference between this amount and what he claimed for was accounted for by sales. He owed some small accounts besides this, and was over £2O in arrears in his rent, which was £1 por week; his landlord was not pressing him, however. He could not tell how he had been doing in business lately; his wife could do this better than he could. He had been working outside himself for the Westport Coal Company for nine months out of the last year. He had user! some of bis wages to put into the business, which he did not think was paying. He had tried also to get rid of his lease. There were old clothes, blankets, etc., in the shed behind the

building, His personal loss in the fijco had consisted of shirts and underwear, and his working clothes, which he kept in the shed. Ho had never before had any fire at the place. The harness, when ho insured it, belonged to him, hut ho had mortgaged it about four months ago for £4. Kc had two gold watch chains. The one which was burnt ho had had about eight years. He only insured one of thorn because he carried one himself. Ho had obtained tho other one from a man to whom ho had advanced money. Although ho claimed £72, he had accepted £25 as a settlement. In claiming €72 he had allowed a margin, as everybody did. Tho insurance company had 'nested him, and had much the better of the bargain. He bad not thought it necessary to mention cither to tho police or the insurance company that he had returned to tho shop alter he had left it at 5 p.m. Tho worst of tho damage was in tho bed-rcom. The first time ho left the building he thought that ho had left the doors open. To Hr. Bellringer: Ho was in company with his wife the whole of tho time after he went out the second time, lie had heard that it was his place on fire when by Solo’s shop. He had only been able to look on when lie got there. The police had told him not to go into the building. To a juryman : Idle stove was built in brick. There was no draping round the fire-place. The State coal swelled w hen burning. The shelf was the only thing which he thought could have ignited if the upper part of the stove door had dropped down.

To another juryman; There was a skylight in the sitting-room, which was open an inch or two at the time of the time. A spark from another chimney might have come through it. The shelf was of rinm.

The inquest was then adjourned till 2.15.