Burned To Death Following Drinking Party

Chronicle (Levin), 19 October 1949, Page 5

Burned To Death Following Drinking Party

Press Association)

(Per

ItUTUJiUA, Utu J.O. Au inquest inm the deatbs of David William Padlie, aged 25, timber worker, of Kaikohe, and Sarah Sima, aged 26, married, of Minginui, were concluded before a eoroner's jury at hlinginui yesterdav. The bodies of both deceased were found iu a hut at Prentice 's mill, Minginui, after it had been riestroyed by hre in the early hours of the morning of Sunday, October 2. One witness said 15 dozen bottles of i heer had been consumed at a party at the two houses that night. The two deceased joined the party at the second house about 10 p.111. and left early on Sunday morning. Pa llie was then very drunk' and Mrs. Sima was under the influence of* liquor but was not in a's bad a state as Padlie. Both deceased vent to Padlie 's hut. Evidence that a police party discovered the bodies of a man and woman in the remains of the burned hut, was given by constable L. Bidois, of To Whaiti. Both bodies were badly burned. He said he knew that large quantities oi liquor were consumed at Minginui. From his own observations he knew that the eonsumption of liquor was the principal pastime there. The verdict was that both deceased died at Minginui on October 2 and the cause of death was asphyxia due to smoke and heat. The jury added a rider: "This jury . considers that this tragedy was contributed to largely by the exeessive eonsumption of liquor and that some meas1 ure of control in the sale and eonsumption of intoxicating liquor in Minginui, should be exereised to prevent further tragedies such as this taking piace."