DOUBLE TRAGEDY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 January 1942, Page 4

DOUBLE TRAGEDY

MOTOR CAR FIRE. INQUEST ON VICTIMS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, January 26. An inquest was opened today into the deaths of Mrs Ona Travencore Kerr, aged 29, Newton, and Raymond Wallis Clark, aged 30, taxi-driver, Kingsland, who were fatally burnt when a car in which they were sitting burst into flames in a side road off Ivanhoe Road, Grey Lynn, on Saturday night. At an inquest today, Reggie Kenneth Kerr, motor-driver in the Post and Telegraph Department, gave evidence khat his wife left home early on Saturday evening intending to visit a friend, Miss McKinnon, in Ivanhoe Road, whom she often visited. Witness remained with the children and his [father. About 11.35 a constable called Stating that his wife had been admitted to hospital. Witness found his wife quite conscious at the hospital. SUe said that on arriving at Ivanhoe Road her friend, Phyllis McKinnon, was out, so she and a friend sat in the car awaiting her return. She did not say who her friend was. Witness did not question her. He tried to keep her mind off the incident. Witness had never met Clark, but his wife had ( mentioned his name several times. In a police report submitted to the coroner, it was stated that three empty benzine tins, two of which had ex-1 ploded, were subsequently found in the car. The police said that residents heard the sound of a dull explosion, and subsequently saw Clark and Mrs Kerr, with their clothing on fire. Tl|? inquest was adjourned!.