THE LATE FIRE AT THE STATE SCHOOL.

West Coast Times, Issue 6119, 21 January 1886, Page 2

THE LATE FIRE AT THE STATE SCHOOL.

CORONER'S INQUEST.

(Before J. Giles, Esq., Coroner.) The enquiry into the late fire at the State School took place yesterday morning at tbe gymnasium connected with the late school. The following jury were sworn : — J. Bevan, J. Chesney, Q. W. Virtue. W Duncan, H. K. Raa, M. W. Jack. Mr D. W. Virtue was chosen, foreman. j Inspector Emerson conducted the enquiry. James Ryaa, swore, said — I am a carpenter and was inpector of the school building when it was built, in 1876. I have been employed since that time ia doing work in connection with the school. The plan produced is to all appearances correct. There was never any partition in the western wing; there was no ODeoing in any part of the floor ; a person could get under tae building at the plint, where there waa a trap-door ; this waa at the western wing. The floor was about 3ft Gin above the ground. You could not set into the school through the trap-door from the outside ; I do not remember any other part where access could be got to the building. The lining of the building waa quite safe from the fire-places ; there was no scrim used in lining the building. If the trap door was not locked in the plint anyone could gain acceas under the build, ing. There were no shavings under the school ; I believe I cleared them all away alter the building was completed, Annie Batten, female assistant teacher at the State School, sworn, said— l have lately been teaching in the infants' room, at tho western wing of the building. As nearly as possible the plan shows the position of the fixings, &c, in the room. I do not know of any trap-door in the weHtern wing. I have never seen children under the scDool ; Ido not mow if anyone could get under the building. To the foreman : I do not know of anything inflammable about the school ; Ido uot think there was any fire in the school for about six weeks before it broke up for the Christmas holidays. John Eobert Hudson, sworn, said— l am Chairman of the School Committee ; I recollect the State School being destroyed by fire on the morning of the 7th inst. When I reached the scene of the fire, it was confined to the western wing; I have been under tho building on several occasions. Thero was only one way of getting under, and that was by the trap-door, at the western wing; sit that part the building was i'ully 4. feet from the ground. Thero wore no shavings under the building. I havo never heard of children getting under the school and lighting fires. Mr Blair was not careLaker of the school at the time of the fire ; the committee had previously dispensed with his services, as the they did not know, at that time, whether they would be able to pay for his services, or what amount the Board was going to allow the committee for the year. Mr Blair has been care-taker of tho school nearly since the building was built. Some few years ago Mr Blair's j services were dispensed with, but the building was so much damaged that the Board found it to their advantage to reappoint him. Mr Blair has a claim against former committees for about £52, for which he has made a claim to the committee. There were nine tanks at the school ; I gave Mr Blair instructions to empty and clean them during the holidays ; that was the usual practice ; there was water in some of the tanks at the time of the fire. Mr Blair gave general satisfaction as care-taker. When he got notice to leave he did not give up possession of the keys ; no one else had keys of the building. The windows at the school were large ones ; they had no fastenings ; they could not be reached from the ground on tho outside ; they could be opened on either side. Thomas Cabill, aworn, paid — I am a I draper's a^astaut, residiug at Hokitika ; J recollect the morning of the 6r<j at the State ochool ; oa hearing the firel-ell, I weut to the scene of the fire with Peter Wilson. ; we jumped the fence, and could fee the tire through the windows of the western wing; the fire seemed to be burning from ibe floor ; I di 1 not not cc any sigos of fire under the school. Tho front gate, lea iing to the school, was locked. I arrived at tho febo >1 betweeu two and balf-past two o'clock ; I did not, notice anyone about the school ; I thiok Wi^on and I were the first at the fire. I live near tbo so'iool; 1 have never heard of children getting und^.r the building, or lighting (ires in the ground. To the jury : I am satisfied tho firs was inside tbo building, not underneath. There were no doors or windows open, or auythinsj io attract attention.

fctar Wilson, sworn, said — 1 am a piintor, icsidins; in Brittan street- I renumber thfi morniDg of the fire at the State School- I was one of tbe first ou the ground ; 1 went there with the h-t witness ; the fire was not very extensive nt the time ; I did not notice a:,y fire uutler tbe buildinp at the time. I did not Eec any door or window open. Wiliim Gooßb, carpenter, swim, said — I roco.leet the morning c f tbe lire at iho S-ate School; I went to the fire with Mater Virtue ,• we bur^t the fro at gate - open, and then went round the back iff the building, and burst open ihe door at the wttt^m wiujr, aud removed anything we could find. 1 djd not notice 'any fire at that time, but tteie was a dense volume of smoke iv the room ; b 3i ! ore ' leaving botiie X noticed fire through the window* of the building. I did not see

anyoae on the ground at the time when I reached it.

To the jury ; L tmuk tbe fire was caused through some inflamcnable substance ; the smoke bad a very peculiar taste. There was no doors or winlo-vs opsu at the time when I reacbe i, the building ; the lining boards of th.it part of the building were varnished; I thiok the peculiar smell arose from the varaisb. William Smith, sworn, said— I live in Sale street; I recollect the morning of the fire at tbe State School ; on hearing tbe firebeil I proceeded to the school ; Virtue, Qooch and myeelf were the first on the ground ; the fire was in the western wing; we broke tho door op sn and got some things out of the room. I could not see any fire under t*Je building ; my house is further away from the school than Blair's. The inquest was here adjourned until three o'clock, at the Court House, when John Jolly, blacksmith, sworn, said— l was at the fire at the Stute school on the morning of the 7th inst. ; I reached there shortly after three o'clock; I met Mr Blair; we both got to the front gate of the grounds at ihe same time; the gate was locked; he had no hit or coat on ; 1 noticed fire iv the infants' room, at the west end of the building ; it had not, at tbat time, broken out of tbe building ; I did not see any fire under tbe building. I followed Blair, and he unlocked the froni; entrance door ; we had no conversation ; I remarked tbat it was a suspicious looking affair. Blair went to the library and I followed him ; we then took out as many bo>ks as we could cany ; the room waa quite light and we could see plainly, ; William Blair, sworn, said— l am a laborer residing ia Hampden street ; I was lately caretaker of the Sta-e School. Before the fire took place I received notice that my tervices would be dispensed with; I received notice on tbe 18th of December last; I did not hand over charge of the school to anyone; tbe keys were left in my possession ; the last time I W4S in the bui'ding was on the 4th January. I went into the school to get the keys of an out. buiMinar, as tbere were some tools in the ou bu Iding which belonged to the gis(vork'-; I required them as I was miking a barrow ; I did not pas 3 through the infants' roim when I was in the school ; We Inesday, before New V ar's Day, I cleaned the school out ; I then left the keys of the outbuildings in tbe fourth-class room. The windows were not fastened in the buildiog; there ware no windowfastenings. There was no door or anything by which you could get under tbe building. Tbere was no inflammable matter under the school ; I have frequently been under the building by the base door; I always kept this door 1 -cktcl The nine tanks were cleaned after the <chool broke up for the Christmas bo'idays ; six of tbe tanks were full on the 4th of January; that was tho last time I saw them ; tbere wa-3 no kerosene or iofhmmable matter kept in tbe school building, or matting on the floor of an 7of the rooms. I have, on various occasions, found children under the buiidina ; there was a place under the steps leading to the infants' room where small children could get under the building ; I found no children there since the holidays commenced, nor have I ever seen them lighting fires under or near the achool. There was no fire used in the building when I cleaned it. Nobody had access to the keys of the building but myself ; Ido not think anybody had the keys of tbe building, but myself, aftsr the 4th of January ; I was not in the school grounds since that date ; I did not see anyone about tbe grounds on the 6th January ; I was at the Kanieri picnic tbat day. Mr M'Millnn hai a cow on the school grounds; I could not say if the cow was on the grounds on the 6th ; I returned from tbe picnic about half-past six p.m. ; I did not 1 look over the grounds after I returned ; I did not ace any children about the grounds that evening ; after returning, I ; went to a prayer meeting at the Preaby- ; terisn Church ; I sleep in the front part of ; my house ; the school could not be seen : from that room ; I did not tell my wife to . look after the cow ; I tbl >k all tbe family were in bed before me; ihe keys of tho i school gate were hanging up in my kitchen ; the first I knew of the fire wsb ; by Mr Wilson calling m° ; I then got out ; of bed and put part of my clothes on ; I only beard ouo person calling me ; I did not light a lamp or candle ; the person tbat called me said, " Blair, get up, the Stulc School ia on fire ;" I saw the glare of the fire through the windows ot the building at tbe west end ; the flames bad not burnt through tbe roof of the build. ing ; I could not tell if there waa any fire under tte building ; I met Mr Jolly when I was going to the firc tf - I took the keya of the ecbool with me ; I opened the front door of tbe building ; tbat was the nearest way to the tire, because the tower door was locked on the inai.-le. 1 did not use coaltar to clean the tanks ; tbere waa uo tar about the building ; John Shine assisted me to clean the tanks ; Ido not know if there were any pailingw' ofl' the fence near my garden, "i got notice ou a previ'ua occasion, some fesv years back, that my services aa care-taker would be dispensed with ; the building then got a little damaged, aud I was engaged again. I do not kaow of any damage to the acuool before the fire. To the jury : I was well Rware that the notice I got from the committee was only fo protect lb>'niselve3; I knew, iv all probability, tbat I would bo agaiu engaged, Christina Blair, wife of William Blair, sworn, said—l recollect tho fire at the State School on the 7th insf. • the first 1 knew of the fire was bearing the firebeil and someone calling to Blair to get up -; I could see the fire plainly from our baok door ; it appeared to be in the third class and infanta' rooms ; I thtn ptrack a light and took the keya of the gites out, but found thegates brokonopen. I did not hear more than one voice calling my husband ; I was at home all day before the fire ; about five o'clock in the evening I wont all round the achool, but did not see anything ; I did not give the keys of the school to anyone that day; the key belonging to, the front door qf the school was in our house at the time the alarm of the fire was given ; the fire was in the third class and infants' rooms when I aaw it. I cannot form any opinion sfl to how the fire originafced, hn?hV»! lej ' lry! Therew ere cupboards Jn both the rooms, r Peter Wilson, manager of the gasworks. said—l recollect the morning of the 7th ipt. ; there was a fireaf the State School ; t way not there. I went up Brittan street to mnke sure if it waa a fire ; I beard the firebeil ring and called my brother, and afterwards Mr Blair.' - . George rn«Millan, swora, uaid— l live in Sale street ; my father is a gas man. I recollect the fire at the <&ate School on the 7th inst. ; I was on tl.o school ground on the Wednesday even-'n^ before the fire ; I went for my father's cow, which waß grazing on the ground; I did not see anyone about the grounds at the time. On Tuesday night I saw some boys on the ppbool fence, I have never seen boya lighting fires near the school. Walter Ramsay, saddler, sworn, said— I recollect the morning of the 7th inst., when the State School was burnt; J passed the school about 2 a.m. on the morning of the fire ; I noticed the build*

ing on passing ; 'there was no light or fire to be seen. The Coroner did not think it was necessary for him to say very much. The evidence of the witnesses hangs pretty much together. A slight discrepancy occurred in the evidence as to the exact position of the fire, but that cannot be taken for very much, as any person may make a mistake in the excitement of the moment. Another discrepancy occurred as to who arrived at the fire first ; hut that is very easily explained away by the fact ihat some were at the front and others at the back of the building; and while Mr Jolly and Mr Blair were entering at the front door of the building, tho others were, most probably, engaged at the back door, as we have taken evidence that goes to show that the back door was broken open. The evidence shows very little ; but there was one point tbe witnesses were pretty well agreed on, and that was that the fire was inside and not under the building. There was no direct evidence to fix a case of arson on anyone. The Court was then cleared to allow the jury to consider their verdict. After a short interval, the following verdict waa returned; — "That the late fire at the State School is a case ot arson against some person or persons unknown." A recommendation wus added by the jury that Government be asked to offer a ! substantial reward for the discovery of the onginator, or originators, of the late fire at the State School. The Coroner then shanked those gentlemen who h>id so kindly devoted so much of their time to this case, especially those who were on the roll of J.P.s for the colony of New Zealand, and were exempt from serving on juries, bat who bad, in this case, kindly waived that right.