The Late Fire at Mr Moriarty’s Shop, Greytown.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2031, 16 February 1887, Page 2

The Late Fire at Mr Moriarty’s Shop, Greytown.

An inquest upon the fire which took place at Mr W. Moriarty’s boot and shoe shop, Greytown, on the 20th January, was held at the Court House, Greytown, yesterday, before Dr Spratt, Coroner. Mr Gully appeared for the prosecution, Mr Tait for Mr William Moriarty, and Mr E. Gray for Mrs Jorgensen, who was managing the business for Mr Moriarty. The jury was composed ol Messrs Cuff (foreman), Higgins, Cox, Heagerty, Haigh and T. Johnston. The first witness called was Mrs Jorgensen, who was examined at considerable length. Much ins terest was felt in the case, judging by the attendance at the court during the day. Mrs Jorgensen examined by Mr Gully.—My name is Margaret Jorgensen ; first occupied the shop on 20th January, 1884. Carried on business on Mr Moriarty’a bshalf in the boot and shoe trade; business was solely under my control under an engagement with Mr Moriarty ; was engaged npon salary, not receiving any part of profits; was in the habit of rendering an aocount periodically, showing stock from time to time ; Moriarty made out the balance sheets himself ; sent registered letters every Monday morning enclosing week’s takings; kept books showing sales and receipts ; Mr Moriarty now has the book ; it contains list of stock ; the book shows amount of stock received from time to time ; I entered cash sales as 1 sold ; the balances were made up from Mr Moriarty’s own books kept at Carterton ; I had no ledger; left everything to Mr Moriarty ; sometimes he would come down once a month, bnt not latterly ; We took stock every 12 months in January; I recollect seeing Mr Moriarty in December ; he spoke about taking stock ; this was at Oars terton; he told me he would take stock on January Ist; he said—if more convenient to me he would put it off; I said I would have friends during the holidays; he then said he would take it on the 22nd January; The fire occurred on the 20th January ; He spoke about the book debts; I told him I had no more than last year; he did not mention £4O as being the probable amount; I could not now say the amount of book debts m the middle of December ; At the time of the fire there was about £150; the book shows that; One book shows the amount, the other the details ; they are entered up to date ; Book debts may have increased about £2O since the interview in December; I was at home on the night of the fire ; my husband was out ; I had no particular time for closing ; I gave the first alarm ; I noticed the fire before any other person appeared ; it was in the shop near the window fronting the street; there were turkey red curtains near the window ; the screen was about 2 feet from the window ; between the screen and the window was a small box and a shelf filled with boots ; when I saw the fire first the screen was all in flames ; I found the fire through going into the shop; 1 picked up tne screen nsed outside and threw it on to quench the fire; After throwing things to smother I went round to Mr St George’s back door and called out fire, but could not make any one hear. One man and then several men then came up and gave an alarm ; 1 have no idea how the fire originated but think it arose from the candle. 1 left it there about half an hour previous ; I was only away five minutes when I discovered the fire; the screen was the only inflammable article at ail near the candle, the place was very draughty and often blew the curtains out of place, the top level of the aaudle light was about five or six inches below the top of the screen. The boots were all hung up ; they were not on the floor when I called out; one mau came immediately ; the boots were all hanging in their proper places. I am aware that a number ol boots were thrown in the middle of the floor; I believed they dropped down by the strings being burned. At the beginning of Deo I believe the selling price of stock was over £3OO ; 1 did not think that the stock bad decreased ; I had not any idea of the value of the stock then. The candle was on the counter whan I first saw the Are ; I took the candle away; I snatched it up and took it outside ; I put it ou the kitchen table ; all believed the counter was blazing then.

Cross examined by Mr Tate—One week early in Nov I sent a letter to Mr Moriarity saying I would get the book debts in by the Saturday in that week as people had promised them ; I only said I thought so ; 1 thought there was an inaccuracy of £32 odd in the balance sheet; it turned out to be correct within 2d ; X kept an account in the Savings Bank; 1 cannot say when it was opened; the largest sum to credit 1 do not know as it was paid in on my husband’s and my brother’s account; it was deposited in my own name ; some of the money came from Christchurch ; £IOO came nearly all in a lump sum. He (my brother) had £l5O to come, but £SO was deducted for a debt he owed in Christchurch. To Mr Gray—My brother was with me in May, 1885 ; 1 occasionally banked money in my own name belonging to my brother and my husband. Mr Moriarty sent me every mouth a stuck or balance sheet similar to the | one produced ; I never compared the stock with the values put down by Mr Moriarty ; I did not go into details ; I simply copied Mr Moriarty's figures in to my book ; Mr Moriarty came down once a month a few times at the commencement of 1886, but not recently ; he examined the stock only ; did not take stock ; 1 kept no regular ledger; did not go through the books to ascertain the exact amount of stock : 1 did nut know the exact amount of book debts then; I think they show about £l6O now ; I thought by the amount furnished me in Mr Moriarty's last balance sheet that the stock was worth about £306 ; the balance sheet supplied me by Mr Moriarty was the selling price and included the book debts. Re-examined by Mr Gully—the estimate of £3OO includes book debts and stock at selling prices ; 1 got a balance sheet from Mr Moriarty on Ist December showing a balance showing £358 which includes book debts. The post office account was moneys belonging to my brother and my husband ; the amount received I remitted every week to Mr Moriarty when he did not come dowu ; whatever cash X bad in hand 1 remitted. Wm Moriarty deposed that he employed Mrs Jorgensen to manage his branch shop in Greytowo in February 1884, the remuneration being latterly increased to £6 per month. In 1884 the stook at this shop amounted to £213 17s 3d, book debts £8 16s 9J. This was when Mrs Jorgensen took charge of the shop. In 1885 the stook and book debts was £203 Bs. In 1886 at £235 17s, the book debts being £66 6s. On Ist January, 1887, the stock should have been L 358 ; this would io« elude all the stock and boot debts. On December 17th Mrs Jorgensen said she thought the book debts were about L4U and ho was satisfied. Insured in March 1884 for DIOO in the South British, the next risk was taken in September 1886, in the National for Ll5O additional. At the time of (iroi>’; ru should have been L 327 ill Stock including book debts, Witness produced the accounts of monthly statements sent by Mrs Jorgensen. Up till after the fire he considered the books were well kept. Since May the cash takings appear to have been very irregular. To Mr Gray—Believed that there was L 250 worth of stook iu shop when Insurance agent examined it. la Septemmr last the stock was increased to L 363, selling I did not tell Mrs Jorgensen in January there was a deficiency of L4B. I never suspected anything wroug. I once proposed to take the stock on a Sunday but Mrs Jorgensen demurred to this as there were no shutters to the window. Insured on 25th March 1884 in MrWood’soffloe (South British) fir LIOO, the next risk was taken in Sept, 1886, in the National for Ll6O additional Mr Fairbrother took the extra risk ; 1 believe Mr Wood said he would like to see more stock in the shop. Mr Fairbrother was a nearer neighbor to me and that caused mo to go to him. On the 20th January at the time of the fire there should have been L 327 8s Od in stock including book debts ; when stock was taken after the fire it showed selling price Lllß 17s 9d in stock and 112 book debts, showing a deficiency of L 65 13s 4d ; the cost price of the stock would amount to L 99 19s 9d, my instructions to Mrs ( Jorgensen was to enter all cash sales as

booked. Dnriag the month o< December the amount remitted to me was L 42 16s 6d. In January, 1887, Ll4 16s 9J, but the amount showu in her books daring the same period amounts to L 24 18s, up till after the fire I considered she was keeping her books well. My books have beeu in my possession since the fire. I did not tell Mrs Jorgensen that she was L3O short in January 1886, though through a miscalculation of figures I thought so. I afterwards told her 1 was satisfied re the L3O. I last visited the shop to inspect stock in Hay last. 1 showed Mrs Jorgensen the books the night before she went to Wei. lington. I made no suggestion as to bow she was to pay the difflcioncy. I spoke to her busband about making no the amount. 1 made errors on two occasions in my balances, but corrected them.

F. C. Jorgensen gave evidence at considerable length, corroborating that of his wife. W. G. Alloway, A. L. Webster, J. li. Hebley, and li. Kimberley also gave evidence as to the discovery and extinguishing the fire.

Mr Kimberley, asked the coronet how it was that Mr F. H. Wood, one of the witnesses, was excused from attendance. He thought bis time and that of the other witnesses was as valuable as that of Mr Wood's. The Coroner said that Mr Wood bad an important sale and besides his evidence was not very material.

Mr Kimberley had no objection to Mr Wood being absent, but be considered that bis (witnesses's) time wasef just as as much value.

Mr Gray addressed the Benoh in an able manner. His remarks we will give in our next as space prents today The Coroner summed up the avideuoe and bis remarks will also appear on Friday. The jury retired for a few minutes and returned with the verdict that a fire.occurred on the 20th January at the premises in Greytown, but as to its origin there is no evidence to show.