BOY’S TRAGIC END.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 494, 1 July 1932, Page 4

BOY’S TRAGIC END.

Burned to Death in Fire at Hare wood. CORONER’S INVESTIGATION. The circumstances in which Raymond Edward King, the eight-year-old son of Mr Edward J. King, of 29, Gardiner’s Road, Harewood, was burned to death on the morning of June 16 were revealed at an inquest yesterday, before Mr E. D. Mosley, Coroner. A verdict was returned that death was caused through the boy being accidentally burned when the house in which he was living was destroyed by fire. Mary Rita King, the mother, said that her husband was on relief work, and came home only at the week-ends. She lived at Gardiner’s Road with her four children, whose ages ranged from three to eight years. Raymond and Jean had been suffering from sore throats, as a result of which she had been in and out of bed attending to them. The house was an old wooden one, with a lean-to at the back. Jean slept in the front room on the east side of the house. There was an open fireplace in the room. Raymond and his younger brother David slept in a room opposite Jean’s. There was no fireplace in this room or in witness’s, which was directly behind the boys’ room. She always kept a fire in Jean's room, because the house w’as damp. Before retiring to bed at ten o’clock on the night of June 35, witness put a wattle log on the fire in Jean’s room, and placed a guard over the fireplace. Possible Cause of Fire. The only thing that she could suggest that would cause the fire was that some of the children’s clothes -were hanging over the mantelpiece. These might have fallen over the guard. There was a small kerosene lamp burning in witness’s room. About 11 p.m., she was called by Ray, and went to his room, where she remained for half an hour. Before going back to bed, she went into Jean’s room to see that everything was all right. considerable time afterwards she was awakened by a scream from Jean. Witness tried to switch on the electric light, but it would not go on. The house was full of smoke, and she could see that Jean’s room was alight. She rushed in and dragged her from the cot. The room was in flames, and the bed-clothes on fire. Awakened Boys. She took Jean outside, and awakened the two boys. She had difficulty in rousing them. Ray complained that he was sick again. Witness got them both out and pushed them along the passage outside. She told Ray to watch Jean. Witness then went inside and got Bernice. When she returned, the children were not where she had left them. She ran into the house again, and found Jean in the passage. The house was then a mass of flames. She did not see the two boys again. She ran to the gate and called for help. Mr and Mrs Densem, neighbours, arrived almost immediately. She told them that the boys must be in the house. Witness thought that Mr Densem went to the side window and entered the boys’ room. "Witness did not remember anything after that. They had lost everything in the house. There were no insurances.