BRUCE'S HOTEL.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 644, 15 September 1882, Page 2

BRUCE'S HOTEL.

This inquest was held yesterday morning at the R.M. Court, Akaroa. Mr W. B. Tosswill was chosen foreman of the jury. Having viewed the building, Detective Tuohy conducted tlie case, and Mr J. D. Garwood appeared on bell df of the Union Insurance Company.

Thomas Grange licensee of Bruce's Hotel, sworn, said ; I have occupied the hotel two years and two months. There was a purchasing clause inserted in the lease. The rent was £180 a year. The lease is for 7 years. The purchase money is £2000 at the end of 4 years, and I can purchase for £2200 at the end of my lease or any lime after the four years to the end of my lease. Mrs Scarbrough, the former owner is deceased, and the property is in the hands of trustees. 1 know them personally. They are Henry Piper and F. W. Williams. I remember the morning of the 28th of August, from 2 a.m. to 2.30 a.m. James McNae, an invalid boarder, was sleeping in room No 3 upstairs, at north end of tho house. My attention was rou-ed by hearing bare feet patteringalong tlie verandah. It was MeN-ie, and he called out ' MiGrange, Mr Grange, there is a fire somewhere." I turned out as q lickiy as I could, p rtially dieted, and went to see the lire. I sleep in a runm off the kitch"ii, aud on opening the kitchen door and looking across theyar.l towards MrG irwood's, I saw a reflection of fire on the south end of that gentlem m's store. I t>aw after further looking that it was my own lean-to that was on fire. I then went at once to the inside of the room where I saw the fire was. On arriving in the room, which w s unoccupied, and used as a lumber room, I found the lire could not have originated there for it was all dark, and there was no sign of fire in the inside. [ then went to the outside, and after looking a few seconds and seeing the extent of the fire, gave up all hope of putting it out. The fire was principally about 3ft from the ground on N.E. side of the building. It looked as if sticks had been laid against the building to that height ami set fire to. The sticks conk) not have been laid underneath ; there was no room. The extent of the fire was 10ft in width to the full height of the. building. Tne (Linage done to the hotel, speaking as a tradesman, is about £50. McNae slept at th-end of the building where the fire occuivd With the assistance of my son, family and neighbors, I succeeded by unusual exertion, in extinguishing the fire. I saw several pieces of gorse taken out of the a-dus by the Rjsidont Magistrate, and others from the spot where the fire started. A piece of gorse on being broken smelt strongly of kerosene. 1 saw no one about when I saw the fire, and heard no noise before McNae called me. There were no strangers about the house th-'t night. The Bruce Hotel is insured to the extent of Jißoo in favor of the trustees in Scarborough's estate. lam insured for £200 myself—£lso for the billhrd table and £80 for a piano—in the Union Insurance Company. I produce the policy aud receipt tor premium for current year. None of my other property is insured. I value the stock in trade and furniture in the house (besides the billiard table and piano) at £1200. It is not insured at all. I value tho building at £1000. I cannot account for the fire in any way. I notice i at tl p.m., on the night before the firo. and saw all proper pecaution taken. Myself, Mrs Grange, three children, and the servant girl were the only persons in the hotei that night except McNae. I am not aware of any of my neigh.<ori who have a spite against me. By Juror: The £800 only covered tiie house. It was a bright night as ever God made. I refused to give a person about nine o'clock a pint of beeraiu! some orandy. I have informed the police \v.;o that person was. By Coroner : The gi-' went to bed at II p.m., when she cauio in, and the fire occurred three hour-j later. Ido not know if she slept iv the same room with some of the children that nighi. She is 10 years of age, and for all I know has no dislike to us at all. lam perfectly satisfied tho fire is tho act of an incendiary.

James McNae, sworn, said : I am in ill health, and have been staying some time at Bruce's Hotel. I sler-p iv No. 8 at the north end of ihe building, upstairs, I do not sleep very soundly. I remember the morning ot Monday, August 28th. About two that morning L awoke, and found the room full of smoke. I got up and opened the window at the end of Mie passige, and saw lire, which 1 took to be Mr Garwood's small store. I ran down aud called Mr Grange at once, and returned and dressed myself. There was only Beverly Buchanan Grange at the fire when I got there after

dressing. The flune j were then issuing from the roof of the lean to, and lipping the main building. I went to bed at h.iifpast. nine that night. I woke several times before 2 a.m. I heard no one moving, either in the yard or about the build ing. I have no reason to suspect anyone of causing the fire Oi the Saturd >y uigut before the fire a person asked nn at which end of the house I slept, and I pointed my bedroom window out to him. He also asked me if there were any other boarders beside myself in the house. On the Tues day morning after the fire, I spoke to the same person. He wis in a boat, and asked me if I were going over the harbour. That was all the conversation that passed.

By Jury.— The person who spoke to me about where I slept in the Hotel, was a stranger to me. I had never seen him before that day. He never asked me if the building were insured. The conversation I have related is all that passed between us. I have not heard any one express m dice against Mr Grange, but the person who asked me where I slept said lie was not on good terms with Mr Grange and never went to the House. He did not refer to any other hotels at tho same time. Beverly Buchanan Grange, sworn, said : lam sou of Thomas Grange. 1 remember being called by my father about two or half-past two on the morning of the fire, August 28th. When I got out I saw a reflection of fire in Girwood's yard. I went round ;is quick'y as I could, and set to to extinguish the fire. It wis principally by my exertions that the building was saved. My father, Mr McNae and the ladies of the family helped to extinguish the flames. Isnvno one about that night, it was a bright, clear night, At daylight after the. fire, when with Constable Scott, I found ihe pieces of gorse produced just where we supposed the fire started. I smelt kerosene on the gorse when the sticks were broken. I gave the sticks to Constable Scott.

By the Jury : I have heard noone express malice against my father. I never hoard the person McNae speaks of express any malice against my father.

James McNae, recalled, said that the person who spoke to him as to where he slent in the hotel was quite sober at the time. John Staples, storeman of Mr Garwood's, sworn, said : 1 reside in the premises adjoining Bruce's Hotel. I remember being called to the fire at Bruce's Hotel by Miss Grange. Tne lumber room in the lean-to was on fire outside, but tho main building had not caugnt. Tlie fire had a good hold, and was burning about Bft square of the roof and weather boards. The fire broke out again at four the same morning in the main building, after we had put the fire in the lean-to out. I helped to put the fire out on both occasions. I have no doubt the fire was the act of an incendiaiy, as I saw constable Scolt take gorse saturated with kerosene from the place where the fire started. I have no susp Lion of any person. James Daniel Garwood, merchant, of Akaroa, sworn, said : I am agent for the Union Insurance Company, of Caristebiiivh, New Zealand. Tne policy produced is issued from the head office, and the receipt pro Intel is issued by G.rwood & 01. aud iiiiti.iiled hy their clerk. Th£2oo policy covers a billiard table and pi in- in the hotel. I was at the (ire ; the fi lines were extinguished when I arrived, but the wood Wis smouldering. The fire broke out the second time where the root of the lean-to j lined the main building. I ordered the weath-.-rboanls to be stripped olf to get at tbe fire. I ostim de the damage done of uncut £50. The value ol the building is from £1.000 to £1200. I believe the lire was the wck of an incendiar). My buildings adjoin; they are in sure I for £1500, and the stock is insured for £3000 in the Union Company's office. I have heard nothing but vag'ie surmises regarding the origin of tho fire. lam sure tho whole of the buildings must have been burnt, had it not been for the promptness of Mr Grange's family and the others who helped.

Martin George Daly, sworn, said : My father is an agent for the Liverpool and London and Globe Insurance Company. Bruce's Hotel is insured in that office for £800 by the trustees of the Scarbrough estate. The policy was issued soiih years ago, and is still in force. There is no other

insurance on the buildidg,

Buchanan Scott, constable of police stationed at Akaroa, said : At 10 or 11 on the morning of the 28th August, I was at the scene of the fire at Btuces Hotel. The gorse produced was found close to the hotel near the lean-to where the fire originated. It smelt strongly of kerosene when found. There were seven pieces in all. I know nothing of the fire. There were only two strangers in the town that night to the best of my knowledge. Thoy were named O'Neill and Hart respectively. Ihey had been working ot French Farm and stopping at the Criterion Hotel.

By Jury.—l went off duty after I. a.m. on tne morning of the fires. Heard no hor.seuun ride through tho town after I retired. Two fires were burning at the same time the third had been just extin-

guished

This concluded the evidence, and after a short retirement the jury returned the following verdict : '• Tint the building known &i Bruces Hotel was wilfully and maliciously set fire to by some person or persons unknown, on the morning of August 28th with intent to injure Thomas

Grange