FIRES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13355, 3 August 1907, Page 5

FIRES.

TWO MEN'.BURNED TO, DEATH. Per Press Association. NELSON, August 2. A shocking fatality occurred at 10 o'clock last night, when a smalls twostory building in Milton strett..:■ w'a's burned down, .and two men, dohn irxewart,. a bootmaker, owner aiid occupier of. the building, and Johii Brown, an engineer' and filter, weia burned to d'Hithi* ■ ; Tlia two were- victims of drunkenness, and had indulged in an orgy'tit, .Stewart's ■from the afternoon. A third mail, named Archibald Ogilvie, a. coach trimmer, was with the others in the afternoon, but left soii>3 tune in the evening'; hence .he is still alive. The fire.bell sounded, promptly, and many were soon on the sceh'e, but were unable to gain admission. A strong southerly wiiid 60on helped the flames to demolish-the budding, but the efforts of (he brigade'and a good supply of water, saved the- other places to the leeward. JMr Norris, who lives next door but one, suffered damage by the hasty removal of his furniture and effects. When the flames wore subdued efforts were made- to extricate the bodies from the gutted house. While the th-emen. were thus engaged a brick chimney toppled over, and Firemen, James Whiting, Joseph Nosbit and Edward Woodward sustained some injuries. At the inquest the medical evidence -•bowed that death in both case/- wa ; s caused bv suffocation and burning. One witness (Ogilvi-e) deposed that, he last saw' John Stewart and John Brown alive about 4.50 on Thursday afternoon. He- had bought, and taken them two bottles of beer which they drank at. Stewart's house. They were all sober. Another witness deposed to seeing .Stewart in his house just, before 7 o'clock when he was staggering about with a candle in his hand. The occupant of th-:-house two doors from Stewart's discovered the -fire but was unable to enter the back"portion of the. house. He shouted butreceived no answer. The licensee of the Bush Tavern denored that Stewart, visited hi« house ju-«fc before noon on Thursday, had half n. pint of beer and took a.wnv two square bottles of beer. O.ilvie in. the afternoon purchased three bottle* of beer. The i'lrv i-'turned n verdict that both men "ict 'tb°iv drr'ths bv suffocation and burninsr. 'adding that flier-.- wax no evidence to show how the fire occurred.