INQUEST.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3655, 29 December 1879, Page 4

INQUEST.

An inque-t was held on Saturday at Me?»rs >ichol3'" stution, on the body of Angua Thompson, who was bmned to death in a stable on the night of Christmas Day, before Charles Dudley, Esq., Coroner, and a jury, of whom Mr 0. Cunningham itos cho?en foreman.

Percy Nichols said : I live at the Haylnrds station. I was there on Friday morning, Dec. 26. About 3 o'clock, the ttables belonging to the station were found to be on .fire. I gave the alarm, and in company with others went over to the fire, when wo at once rpleased the horseß— four in number— wl-ich were then in the stable?. Thero was a man named Angus Thompson sleeping in » 100m at the north-weet correr of the stable?, winch wa« the spot the fire appeared to havo originated in. The wind was from the north-west, but very light. We tried to get in to Ihorripson's room, but could not do fo. as it was all on fire. The door of the room opened into a passage leading into the stable, ard there was a window to the room opposite the door. The chaff-room also opened into the passage. I did not hear any cry for help ; thero was not a sound. I thought the deceased wa« in Mb room, but it was quito impossible to get to him. I have seen the remains, and am thoroughly satisfied they are tho remains of Thompson. I should think deceased was about five and thirty years old. He has been on the Btation Beveral times as a servant. I , think he always slept in tho same room. Ho had the rare of the horse?, and it whs his duty to feed them. He would require a light for his work. I think he had a lantern. j The men had all been keeping Christma?, hut I do not know that any of them were drunk. By Ihe Foreman: There was plenty of room for him to have got out of the window.

John Bradlej, said : lam ft labourer on the H.ylands Station. I knew the deceased. I have seen the remains. I have no douht they are those of Angus Thompson. I could not, however, identify them. I was with deceased in the men's whore on the night of Christmas Day. He and I left to go to sleop in the stable, where I Blept as well as lie, only in a different, part— at the opposite end. When pnssine the yard deceased, who was in fronb of me said, " There is a light here." We went over to the stable, and clo?o to where I slept wo found some shavings on fire near deceased's basket of tools, which were also oif fire. Deceased went for a buckot of water, and I stamped out the fire, and together we succeeded in putting it out. I do not know where he usually kept his tools. We thon went back again to the whare to sec if any of the men had been up to the stable, bub found that none of them had done so. Wo then both wont to bed, after seeing tho fire was quito out. I cannot account for tho origin of either fire. lam not aware of any illfeeling existing between deceased and anyone else. Before we left the whare one of the men (Grace) went up to the house to try and get some.more grog. When ho returned he said he could not get any. This was an hour and a half or two hours before deceased and I left to go to bed the first time. I have never been in deceased's room. When I left deceased he >vas perfectly sober. No one called me ; I think I was pulled out. I cannot reraembir distinctly, as I was nearly choked with ' he smoke.

Alexandtr .Vfartin said: I am employed on the 8"alion. I knew the deceased. I saw him when he arrived from Rnngiora on Christmas-eve, and saw him go into his room. He had two bottles with him which I think contained whisVy. I did not eee him give any to any of the men. I saw deceased when he left the men's whare to go to bed. He was quite sober. I was in the h'> ise when Grace came back and said he could not get any whisky. I heard no remark made about it. Walter Nichols gave corroborative evidence. The Jury brought in a verdict "That deceased met with death by being burnt, but how tho fire originated there is no evidence to show." The monument which tho Emperor of Germany intends to erect in Folkestone Cemetery to perpetuate the memory of the victims of the Grosser Kurfurst catastrophe who are buried there, is now completed, and will shortly be brought to its destination. It is understood that the expense will ba defrayed out of the Emperor's private purso.