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Western Star, Issue 1574, 27 June 1891, Page 2

Latest Telegrams

[Press Association.]

Wel mxuton, Friday.

An impiest into the circumstances attending the fire a'; Island Bay Hotel began this morning. Charles Snow, officer of the Salvation Army, deposed to assisting to extinguish the fire, which he and others discovered in various rooms of which the doors were? locked. Hansen, the landlord, he said, appeared quite unconcerned and was suioki ig his pipe. Hansen swore at witness iiiid struck him several times. He also threatened to punch witness' head if he did not clear out. Witness accordingly got out of his way and called for assistance to extinguish the flames. The first fire was discovered in a bedroom downstair,-, ami after this was put out witness and others proceeded upstairs. ' Looking through the keyhole of room No. -1 witness saw lire and smoke coming from underlie tth the door. Hansen declared tkerj was no fire there, saying " it's all out now," and wanted them to go away. Witness insisted that there was fire, and broke open the door with an axe. The room was full of smoke, and a man named Howard rushed in with a bucket of water. They found a niatress, which was turned up on edge against the wall was on lire and the wall was also burning, in No. 3 rooom, which was not locked, th«y found the niatress turned against the wall, apparently uaving been set fire to, but it had not 'mrned. After th is they looked about upstairs for any other trace oP fire, iiid observed smoke corning from ur.lornoath the door nf room, No, 1, which was also locked. Bni'sHng if >■en the bedclothes were discovered to be on fire, which was suppressed.

Alex. Russell, a butcher, who assisted to extinguish the fire, corroborated. The inquest is not yet finished.