ORIGIN OF A FIRE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19944, 31 October 1934, Page 5

ORIGIN OF A FIRE

INVESTIGATION BY CORONER

INTERESTING EVIDENCE Bv re lesraph —Press Association CHRISTCHURCH, October 30. The inquiry into the origin of the fire at the warehouse of Davidson and Co., Ltd., Lichfield Street, on the morning of June 8, was continued before Mr E. D. Mosley, Coroner, to-day. Thomas Vogan, proprietor of the Kash and Karry Stores, said he had purchased tea from Davidson and Co. He bought cartons from another, and required Davidson and Co. to pack the tea in these cartons. The cartons were the property of witness. If Davidson claimed 29/- for one thousand “K.K.K." tea cartons, he would be claiming for witness' property. Francis Albert Liddiard, a salesman in the employ of H. W. Wauchop, said his form’s warehouse was close to that of Davidson and Co. He knew Mr Davidson's car, which was a reddish brown Rover sedan. “On the evening before the fire.” said witness, “I was at a card party at a house almost opposite Davidson’s warehouse. I left between 12 and 1 o’clock in the morning, and I noticed Davidson’s car parked a few feet from Madras Street. The time would then be approximately 12.30 a.m. There was no one in the car, and there were no lights in front of Davidson and Coy s building. Witness, questioned by the Coroner, said he was certain it was after midnight when he saw the car in the street. Gordon Shaw, storeman at Wauchop’s warehouse, said he was at the same card party as Liddiard, and left within a few minutes of him. It would have been between 11.30 p.m. and 12.30 a.m. He saw Davidson’s car, with which he was familiar. Alton Victor Sherratt, a traveller employed by Davidson and Co., said he was thoroughly conversant with the stock carried. He would not value the stock but he did not think there was £2OOO worth of stock in the warehouse at the time of the fire. He went over the warehouse after the fire. He would not say after that examination that any lines of stock could possibly have been destroyed leaving no trace. He gave evidence of the books which were missing, in particular a re-entry book in which were noted orders wholly or partly not supplied. This book he had given to Davidson. This book, with others, was on a counter in the warehouse after the fire. The books were then quite legible. He took them from the counter and placed them in the office, and they remained there for three weeks after the fire. A price book and one of the re-entry books were still missing. Witness had a fair knowledge of the stock, and he thought that after the fire practically the same Quantities of stock could be seen. If Davidson claimed that 1031 dozen balls of twine had been totally destroyed by fire witness thought he would be entirely wrong. Twenty-two lines of confectionery entered on the stock sheet witness recognised as confectionery returned to Oswald M. Smith before the fire. Davidson supervised the packing for return. Witness had made and signed *a statement for Mr Smith, insurance assessor. Davidson complained to witness about the grossly unfair way certain parts had been worded. Davidson wanted witness to make another statement to explain certain points. Witness refused to make any extensive alteration to the statement. Davidson asked witness to amend the statement in reference to the percentage of stock visible after the fire. Witness mentioned several bottles of kerosene or turpentine placed in fixtures scattered through the warehouse before the fire. Davidson, in explaining these to witness, said that during the holidays, while washing his hands in the warehouse, he noticed an open tin of kerosene. Thinking it would evaporate if left he filled several bottles and placed them in the fixtures. Davidson made out several statements for witness to sign. Witness signed a statement on September 21. This took a week to compile. and during the week Davidson frequently approached him with statements which he refused to sign. To Mr Thomas: He thought that nothing like £IOOO worth of stock had been totally destroyed leaving no trace. There might have been £IOO worth. The inquiry was adjourned till tomorrow.