AUCKLAND.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVIII, Issue 1892, 9 July 1863, Page 5

AUCKLAND.

We have our usual files of Auckland papers to 27th June. The following is a summary of the most important intelligence.

ANOTHER LARGE FIRE IN QUEENSTREET.—GREAT DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY.

Another fearfully destructive fire has occurred in Queen Street, almost equalling in destruction the great fire of January last. The actual amount of loss is now ascertained to be £1 6,000, although at first it was supposed to be mucfi greater. We glean the following particulars from the papers to hand.

The fire was first discovered about three o'clock on Suuday morning, the 14th ultimo, by police constable Murphy, at the rear of Denby's or Messrs. Powley and Johnson's stores. The first indication of the existence of fire appears to have been a body of flime shooting 1 upwards from behind Messrs. Denby's premises. Police constable Murphy, who wus the first to' discover it, at once gave the alarm of " fire," and ran to the Custom-house fire bell which he rang fov some time. This soon roused the inhabitaats within hearing ot it to the danger. The alarm bells in other portions of the city having been also rung, the streets were soon crowded with anxious spectators, and willing assistants to aid in the removal of goods from premises adjoining those which were by this time in a mass of flames. From the prompt and judicious measures taken by the owners of the stores contiguous, a vast quantity of goods arid 3 valuable stock was removed before the fire had seized upon their premises, and being conveyed to a save distance was either stored in the shops and dwelling houses of friends, or placed in the streets and guarded by the police, volunteers, and soldiers.

The goods yf Mr Williamson, green grocer, the stock of Mr Low, furniture warehouse, and those of several other merchants were partially saved.

Aboat a quarter of an hour after the alarm of fire was given an engine arrived, and was quickly followed by two others. They were, No. 1 under the command of Mr H. Keesing, and No. 2, and that belongiug to the Northern Insurance Company. Very valuable service was also rendered by the military engine stationed in High-street, which was manned by a portion of the band of the 65th Regt, and a few civilians. This assistance in a great measure prevented the flames from spreading past the the Duke of Marlborough Hotel. On the engine being first placed in the position indicated some little difficulty was experienced in getting a supply of water, but this was ultimately remedied by the provincial engine No. 2 being placed near the Custom-house well, and the hose being laid to a large tank near the military engine, a stream of water was soon obtained, and the engine then, did good service in aiding the engine No. 1 to check the extension of the flames nearer to Vulcan-lane. Seven valuable stores were thus saved from what at the outset must have appeared to all to have been inevitable destruction.

The Neio Zealander of the 16th iust., says : —

We append a list of the Insurances effected by owners evl occupiers in the block in the different Companies although, a large portion of the goods and several of the houses being saved, the actual loss will not exceed more than i' 16,000. The agents of the various Companies have applied to the Coroner .to hold an ing nest upon the fire, a usual proceeding in other places. New Zealand Insurances Company. £ Hendry Sotnerville, 4: shops .. 500 Misses Thick, stock . . 400 Mrß Edward's. " ..800 Powlev & Johnson, stock ... 500 " Duke.. of Marlborough " Inn . . 650 Low &''Motion, store and shop . . 700 Smith, Brothers, stock . . 800 Cromwell, 2 shops . . 400 Low & Motion, stock . . 600 Joseph Low, furniture „ 300 £5150 Northern. £ Short, stock . . 1000 Powley 6c Johnson, building . . 200 Denby, stock .. 500 Salmon, 2 houses . . 600 T. Marsh, stock . . 600 £2900 Liverpool and London. £ C. Petschler, stock and store . . 2000 " " and back store . . 1000 Short, stock . . 1000 Mrs Macready, " Duke of Marlborough" and furniture . . 400 Misses Thick, stock . . 600 £5000 Imperial. £ B. Newell, 2 shops . . 800 Powley & Johnson, stock . . 200 T. Short, stock . . 900 £1900 North British and Mercantile. £ C. Petachler, stock . . 1000 Powley & Johnson, stock . . 300 Marsh . stock ' . . 400 Mrs Edwards, stock . . 300 £2000 INQUEST ON THE FIRE. The Auckland journals are loud in condemning the lamentable apathy, which bas prevented precautionary measures being taken. The Southern Crois remarks. A fire iv Auckland is certainly not a thing to canse the most pleasant emotions. The rows of ricketty wooden buildings, which line the street?, and are in some cases as easily ignited as a train of gunpowder, are fine food for the " devouring element;" and without an efficient fire brigade, without the means of procuring a sufficient supply of water, without, in fact, any adequate appliances such as are possessed by every well regulated town, our only wonder it that Auckland city has not long ago been a Leap of ruins. As a rule "to be forewarned is to be forearmed," but there is a singular exception to the rule apparent here. Five months ago Auckland was visited by an alarming fire, which threatened the destruction of half the town ; fortunately it was extinguished, but not however, before b large amount of property was destroyed. This, one would have thought would have been a warning; but not so. The fire brigade, which bad been disbanded just betore, from want of adequate assistance from the Insurance companies and the Government has not been reorganised, no inducement having been held out to bring the membeis of it together again. We have now been twice warned, and it is to be hoped that we shall be better prepared for the future. An inquest was held on the 19th June, at the Auckland Hotel, on the recent tire in Queen- j street. -The enquiry lasted four hours, and the jury after balf-an-hour's deliberation, returned the following verdict: — "Tnat the fire broke out in Mr Denby's shop, and that there is no evidence to show that the cause of it was otherwise than accidental."— Southern Cross.

400 600

£ 800 200 900

following particulars of the frightful occurrence, i but we cannot vouch for their strict accuracy in every detail, although we believe they will be fuund substantially correct. The deceased ii i appears was about 32 years of age, bad two young childien, one only eight mouths old, and she had been separated from her husband several times on the ground of incompatibility of temper; She was last separated from him :ibout six months ago, and was living at the time this shocking affair took plnceat the house of Mr Baker, at the top of E<l ward- street, where she had hired two front rooms, her husband al'owing her one pound a week and payiug her lodging expenses. He used to go and see her during the week, and was there on Sunday last, when he and the deceased quarrelled. Tha latter expressed her belief that her husband intended to murder her, and she s.iid he had shown her a knife and said he would do so.' Being apprehensive of such a catastrophe, she called in a neighbour and a policeman, who stopped with, her until one o'clock on the fol lowing morning. The deceased being frightened j that her husband would come in during the night through the window, was then induced to go and lodge with one of the persons who had stopped to protect her. On the Monday morning, being still apptehensive that her husband I would visit her with the idea of killing her, she had her duor barred, and prevailed on Mrs Baker to allow the partition doors, which separated the two front rooms which she occupied from the two buck rooms, to remain open so j that she might hare an opportunity ef escaping in case ■of an emergency. During the day, (Monday) her husband did come, knocked at the door, and uot getting admission, got through the window. The deceased rau away into the yard, and he followed her, when onsome neigh bours taking her part and remonstrating with her husband for bis conduct, he disappeared. About half-past four o'clock yesterday, the deceased, receiving an intimation that her husband was coming, ran into the yard and her husband ran after her. Mrs Baker, the landlady of the house, who was washing in the back premises, then heard the deceased cry " Oh, { ' and saw her fall into her husband's arms. She (Mrs Baker), fearing violence to herself, ran away and cried " murder." Harper was then seen to sit down against the palings, lay the deceased on his knees, and kiss her, A neighbour who saw the occurrence, called for assistance, and another who just came up went for a medical man. Harper still continued sitting with deceased on his lap until several persons arrived — the neighbour who had culled assis tance in the first place having until then feared to go near, dreading further violence. When three or four persons had assembled, he went up to Harper and touched him on the shoulder; when the latter told him to go away and mind his own busiuess. Shortly after this, however, Harper got up and carried the deceased half way round to the front door, when he was assisted by one of the neighbours, and she wat carried into her own apartment. Her husband placed her on the floor, putting a stool under her head, and he sat down beside her. He said it was no use running for the police, as he was there and he bad done it. Shortly afterwards Sergeant Evers arrived and look him into custody, and Dr Hubault, who had been sent for, examined the deceased and found that she had received a deep cut extending downwards from the left shoulder and penetrating the heart, and that death must have been instantaneous. The wound, it would appear, was inflicted with a butcher's knife which was fonnd in the yard afterwards, and was, as well as the prisoner's dress, covered with blood. He was at once taken in custody to the police office, and an inquest will probably be held to-day on the body of the uufortunate woman.

We have been further informed that the deceased tookout a summons against her husband, on Monday, for constantly using abusive and threatening language to her, more especially on Sunday last, and setting forth that in consequence of his violent conduct to her, she feared he would do her some grievous bodily harm if he were not restrained. This summons, which required the prisoner to appear at the Police Court to-day, was served on him yesterday, and it may be surmised that it had some thing to do with his visit to his wife yesterday. The deceased had the reputation of being a highly respectable and intelligent woman.

Acoroner's inquest was held on the 17th June, but nothing differing from the above account was elicited.

At the close of the enquiry which lasted for five hours, the jury after about about fifteen minutes consultation, returned a verdict as follows: — " v rhat Richard Harper is guilty of the wilful murder of deceased, Jane Alice Har per, on the l6th day of June one thousand eight hundred and sixty three, by stabbing her near the heart with a butcher's knife."

On the 21st June the prisoner was again brought up before the Resident Magistrate, when after a lengthened investigation he was committed for trial at the next sitting of the Supreme Court.