A MAN BURNED TO DEATH.

Auckland Star, Volume I, Issue 299, 24 December 1870, Page 2

A MAN BURNED TO DEATH.

An inquest was held yesterday at Comeo Flat, near Riverhead, before Henry Richmond b'ayce, Esq., J.P., arid v. jury of fourteen, upon the body of Denis MeManus. It appears that the deceased was a gum-digger, who worked near Eiverhead. He resided in a small whare upon Comeo Flat, and on Wednesday night he retired lo bed, it is supposed, leaving the candle burning. After fulling asleep, the candle must have caught some part of the whare, which Vas in the morning found to be burnt down, and the body of MoManua was found to have been much burned and charred. After hearing the evidence, the jury returned the following verdict : — " That tho said Dennis MeManus, on the night of the 21st of December, being asleep in a whare near the dwelling bnown as Jackson's Store, it so happened that, in consequence of a caudle having been left burning after he retired to rest, tho whare accidently took fire, by means of which the deceased was suffocated and burned to death. The deceased was a single man, and belonged to Panmure, where his parents resided. On receipt of the news in town, Sergeant Egan was dispatched to tho scene, for the purpose of seeing that an inquest was held ; and it is to the police that we aro indebted for the above particulars.