INQUEST.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10817, 6 December 1902, Page 6

INQUEST.

The adjpur^ed' inquest, into' the circumstances attending the death of John Walker was held at the Courthouse this morn--, *ng>"- T&fore MrC C. Kettle; rand' Coroner, and v the following, jury :— Messrs W. Aitken (foreman); J.-F. Foster, G. D. Joues, R; Baddeley, D. R. Stewart, and 7. McFarlane. Inspector Eiely conducted the inquiry, and called — . Joseph n Wallace, who 'stated that "he passed down \the River, Bank road on Saturday, tho 29th, about 6* p.m., and saw deceased in the front of his house, pulling out some dry pieces of furze. Bade him ■jgoo'd evening. Presumed that he was" picking up the furze to light 'the fire '"'in, the morning. It was a ,bit cnUly, and there was a sharp, breeze blowing ~st 'the 'time. > John Notma'ri, agent for tke*Commercial ; Union Assurance Company, stated that the' house $ba.t .the, l»te _Mf,.,\yalker ' occupied. , and' which was dpst^oyeaby. nre, was, insured, in his - office 'f,q,r £l6o'4vi. the name of the Wanganui "Loan, Finance, and Investment .Company, the mortgagees. Mr J. T. Walker, son of deceased, was the mortgager. Considered the" value of the bnilding' was £200. The furniture. was 7 insured in -£he name of Charlotte Ha'ndley (a daughter of- the deceased, who - lived with Mm) for.J7s, and at the time it was insured it was valued at <£100w There was some to rniture in the house belonging to deceased uninsured. - John T. Wadker, ton of deceased, stated- 1 that lor tfte last twenty-two years Jhis father had 'been living: in >his (witness's) house. His mother thad been 'dead about ' six years.- Mr^.Handley (his. sister) always lived with her mother, who waa'a'tt- invalid, and also attended to Tier fathot.'^ .During the last wcek_ or two .deceased,? got: -his \meals at and had liis last meal on i -Saturday. /last,,, when v he.;. left, .about- 6 o'clcick-vto >".gb "to his house,,, which ,w^s about 200 yards distant. Deceased "was in his usual good health and' spirits' when he le£t... andrmerely- complained of 'rheumtt- • tisnt. 'Was awakened about 4^ o'clpck,.on Sunday morning by Mr Kendal, who informed, him that his, father's house was on% fire. ' Wfte'h witness got' to the fire fhe house was buEtfed-.to; tbe* tS ground ; there was nothing standing, the place being a % iuas.s-of- ; flames.- The "deceased slejjt inrth'e irpnt room, in which there was a faroplace. Waited -tarf he- fireV'burneJib'ut a little, and discovered the cliarrcd remains' of 'his lather at the exaefc spot the- bed was. The portion of the» mattress under the body-waß"not thiTncS. All the extremities of, the body were 'burned off, the ' trunk and skull alone remaining. The deceased, was a, non-smoker,- .ana- was Very earqful with lights, and fires,; Candles were iiseOoi- lighting, the house! There' were" no,,9vapirigs. around 'the .deceased's v oed. The kitchen: fireplace' was oh the^tbp of 'a Colonial oven, and there x w»s. no fender. Tlie 5 kitchen, was the only place, that deceased, lit a fire; he never had one in his bedroom. When he left witness's Iwuse, he expressed his. indention of going home to b',ed. -It "was a very windy and. cold aff«rrjobn. ' HU<J not tlict^sJi^htest idea how the dire originated^ Deceased was 82 years of a (J^j .'••'•> ' --■ , r Charlotte .Handley, daughter of deceased and wife of Joseph Handley,- stated that tljey liyed vith dccoasedl Left on' the Timrsclay .before tjie electioa to £tay wjtli lior j,daughfer at Aramoho, who was ill. Wejit bacic^pn the following Tuesday td Hie ,house' ' about' '4 a.m.-, and met her father going out to x get .a horse. Saw him again afiout 2., p.m. the safaie day, when they went 'and vAtcd. That was the last time witness saw him. Witness's 1 usband was living ,with her father up till' the ' Tnos,d'ay, when he came down to the daughter's '"to stayl" 'Tlie deceased ialwayf kept his own room locked', and was a bit careless with th> candle. For that reason she did not. put curtains, in the room. . „ Jo'sepli Handley, husband of the last witness 1 , stated- J tha* he ' ; left" home^ on eledtlbn day, in the morning,- and- did not go ba^S* again.' Had no ]j'ar,tienlar reason f6r Vi6t?>oing'liack' to tlys house, and had i- prcvloiMy left 'for "days at. Ac time.- Knew tHat- liis wife would send food to the dc- . ceased, and hacThech away so often that he didiiot cons'icler it necessary, to Bttiy with- him. Saw deceased just inside >the gate nil ' Saturday, the- 29th'. He was with Mr Wallace. "'Deceased' appeared to be all right, .Said "Good evening*' to -him. Alfred H. ! ?endall. Sariitar'y Inspoctor,', who- lived "a .couple, of hundred, ya J rds" from * deceased's' residence, tj'tatcd' that he, wa? aroitfied 'by" his wife, about 3.50 a.m. on the Sunday, her attention having been attractScl'b.ythe glare of the &re ,oh' sh'a windrfw 'HHnds: 1 'H^ eferVo'boi'at'*^ tue evidence of "M^-JV T.- Wa'ltdi-., and added that he §roriapd"'-Sfa" Majatf, who lived^ in- the house ' adjoining' deceased's. From \vhat he saw lie Woilight'-it "probable that the deceased ~ liad lifi' 1 a-iire in the- evening. . ' - ■ ' Alexander said .^hat he*' lived - ahoiit lpO yards from, deceased's house, mid Ttte'* deceased frequently " visited, him. On the Saturday evening witness went to deceaseds'-hoiißE»about?'B o'clock,' and caw nothing.- of 'liim: . The". house was all in darkness. r - •- ■ .- > - „ John Patriclc Mejody stated ' that he passed deceffscd'B house at 8 o'clock "and , 10.30 on the -. evening" of the 29th; going ai»d Teliirning from town. Noticed' a strong smell-«f' something smoulderirfg when returning home. rlt appeared to be like some* woollen material burning. Witness's wife- ,atid another young lady in the trap also noltecd 'it. ; , t The Coroner briefly summed ur. CQminenting adversely on the • afction of Mr . ' Handley. 1 ' H«- stated iha't the s.on had provided a house j for "his.' J"at her, .land Mr Han<H*y Jived in .-it rent free.j: His duty was to' remain' in tho house and look after the old man", and ho ,had failed trt do so. Thb'fury.'returned a-A'erdict to tlie effect tiiat'ih'efc'a was -no^ evidence to show how, the fire originated. . ' - y