KAIAPOI FIRE AND BURGLARY

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11480, 13 January 1903, Page 2

KAIAPOI FIRE AND BURGLARY

THE ENQUIRY. Yesterday. lefore Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M.. and jury consisting of Meeem C. Hansen (forcntan), R. Coup, E. FeMwick. V. R. Laithhead, T. Cajx<tick. and W. Midgeky, an tnquiry as to the incendiary tire at Egon's Brewery, on January 3rd, Has opened. TLa Coroner said the police bad asked for tiit' enquiry, as 'they considered tliat there v>-ei»3 such circumstances as rendered it ne-cc.-!siry. It would be necessary to visit the. p.ace. At the brewery the jurymen were shown u:a oitico and strong-rooui, «tnd condition of uio cash bouk, UuiK. duckets, and other papers partly burned. The condition of aiiairs was as described at the time of the burglary and attempted arson. lu'tiiiK G. Htiiipitaiiui, employed as c.erk to tiiM brewery, and whom i)etective Herbert said was tiio last to ltuve the premises l>t lor to tiie lire, w-as called, but did not appear. VVildermotb. suited that inn witiityj JiaJ not returned from the bifwiry. Alter waiting swine time, Detectivo Herbert su:d iie in\ud that, witness was about the Court, and was supposed to have followed the jury to the scene of the tile. As the winu'.'vi did not appear Detectives Ward, Hubert, and Constable Wildennofch went in s<. , arch,'and the witness was brought into Court.. On being sworn he said he was in the finpJoy of -Mr Egan on January 3rd, keeping hU book.-., aiid in his spare time woikiug in thu br«w*M-y. He had been in Egan's umpioy since May, 1900. It was his duty, and lus only, to "receive money in the business, and account to Mr Egan. He had instructions to bank the money on the first opportunity. H* had last banked money on 22nd, but did not remember the amount, though it was, he thought, ali cheques. A cash book, kept by him, was :uu vT.!i'i-id up the day of the tire, but was tntvied up about a month before the fire, Jiul tlii.' other books, ledger, and delivery ixnik and customs book were posted. He li.ul knocked olf woik on Friday, January 'A:;d, at 5 p-m., and locked the office and strong-room, and kept the keys. There weiM then in the strong-room all the books and the cash-box, the latter, which was locked, containing about £80. Ho had forgotten how much there was in cheques. There was about £50 in cheques, the usst bdng notes for £40, and silver to the value of £8. There was a postal note for 5s in<i.u<kd in the cheques. They were all locked in the cash-box, and the key was in his possession. There was, besides the ca.sh-box in the strong-room, £17 10s belonging to the local Druids' lodge, of which he was treasurer. The lodyo had had its quarterly meeting on December 30th, and | ho received £5 10is, not included in the £1? 10s. It was his duty to pay these moneys into the bank at the flistt opportunity. So far as he knew the £17 10s wae destroyed in the fire or stolen. Altogether he had £23 of the Druids' money, which had not been lodged, as he had been too busy to lodge it. He lived a mile and an eighth from the brewery, and went to dinner every day. but did not pass the bank during office | hours as a rule. . He could not give a date, j at which he had no brewery money unbank- j cd. The money in the cash-box* had been! accumulating for some time, but he could r.ot say for how long. (Witness was then shown a cash-box, which he said he believed to be the brewery cash-box, of which the lock appeared intact.) Witness had left the office at 5 p.m. on January 2nd, and did not return again that night. He went from the brewery to the Working Men's Club, and niiet 'Sir Go\|gh, borough engineer, and stayed till 5.30, and then went home. At about 8 p-m. went to his mother's residence vith two brothers, Frederick and Otto, and arrived home at 8.30. His wife was at home, and also two girls, who stayed for the night. Their names were Trephena Giles and Emma Gnier, aged eleven and seven years. He remained at home till ho went to bed at 9.10 p.m., and his wife retired 10 or 15 minutes later. H* "was disturbed by the nightman 'between 11 and 12 p.m., but did not get up. Half an hour after he heard a sound out-

s'de, and the dogs were barking. The noise sounded like footsteps along the Hide of the house. He remained awake about a quarter of an hour, and then went to sleep. At 12.30 a.m. he was disturbed by their child of ten months "waking -up, and his wife asked him to ligiht a candle. As soon as he struck the light they both thought they heard a rustle outside the window. For a quarter of &n hourhhre r remained awake, and heard no more sounds, and did not get up. Just before going to sleep the dog barked a good deal again. At about 2 a.m. he had occasion to go outside. *' He went by the back door. which was locked. When dressing, he thought there was a slight noiee at the door, which lie opened quickly, but could see no one. Walking outside, when six or eight feet from the door, he was struck on the left side of the head with a fist, and almost fell, and as he was falling was struck on the right side with a fist. He fell to the ground and grabbed a stick, which he noticed on the ground, to hit one of the assailant*. It was wrenched from his hands and he was struck on the right arm with it. During thie lime he wu half dazed, but could remember being hit on the forehead and acme the leg with the etick, and could remember getting several blows on the side of the head cc he lay on the concrete. He only saw the first two Wows struck. They ciuno from two men. The man who struck first on the left was a tall medium-built man, but witness could not see his fuce. He wae dressed in dark clothes, and, he thought, had a slouch hat. The other was a shorter man, but witness did not notice.-his appearance, age, or complexion. The men did not speak to him at all. He could not say if he had called out, but believed he did the first time. It was the short man who etruck him with the stick, and the skin of his forehead was broken. The doctor said the blows were not severe. Something was said by the men about "keye" and "daylight." He had six keys on one ring, and four or five keys on another ring, and the two rings formed one buueh. The safe and caeh-box keys were on the bunch, and the office keys were loose. He lay on the ground unconscious for an hour, and when he awoke the two dogs were lying beside him. It was just after 3 a.m. when he got in and told his wife he had been knocked about. While telling her, he remembered what had been said about keys, and felt in this pocket and missed all the keys. He told hie wife to send for Mr Stanton to send for the police. Constable Wildermoth came~about ■3.30 a.m., and witness made a statement, and also told a similar story to Detective Herbert. It was strange for hia dogs to allow strangers oh the premises at night, Aβ they objected to hawkers. Witness's outward wounds weie a discoloured eye and marks on his anne and legs and blows on the brad. (A liet of lodgments to Mr Egan's credit in the Bank of New Zealand by witness was here put in his hend for examination.) He said the bank's statement appeared to be i correct account of the takings for the cix month*, and they were all for cheques, ami in no instance did they include cash. His explanation of this was that sometimes they were ehorfc of" cash, and the cmsh wae used to pay wages. H© paid in the cheques and looked out to get rid of them as soon as possible, and could

give no other reason for keeping back otih. Witness admitted that Mr Egan had Ute Mm to task for withholding money. ■ Mt Egan had written that the oaeh book M not been made up for six months. WitMM admitted getting instructions on May l&M, and writing in the diary that he murt taaalc all moneys, and that if vague and pittf j cash, were exhausted, to wait until cMh Wf provided. The cash and delivery booka,«'j seen by the jury, were open in the Ml* ' To his knowledge there was no keromt« the premises. Witness had been Jnliwil«■' by Mr Egan a little time before ti» !»?, that he intended to hare the books a«dit*L The foreman asked the reason for kHf>. ing the Druids' money from December VUk , to 30th without attempting to bank it, «jh witnesa admitted that it wa* and an omission on his part. ~^ The police then asked for an adjTOseMfe'l. to enable an audit of the book to be Mfc When this was done they hoped to b* IUI, to chow how the fire occurred. ' 'J The Coroner; 'Then the impUoatJMl )Jithat the witness was connected with it?*! <" Detective Herbert said that that tntUt police theory. It would not be the ripllf burglar who would take time to spill - eene and do other acts. It w«» nMMiliy to adjourn also for Dr. Murray* erktewt/:, Hβ would return from Auckland is » S night. The enquiry was adjourned till MaMI»7» > Februarj' 2nd, and the jury entered imtoKj bond of £25 each to appear. T-hejMttM*;! Hempleman was aleo bound over to~tJ|Mt|] >l