FIRE AT CARRICKTON.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 197, 19 August 1873, Page 5

FIRE AT CARRICKTON.

An official inquiry into the circumstances attending the fire which happened at Carriekton on Friday evening, the Bth inst., was made by the District Coroner, Dr Corse, on Tuesday, 12th inst. The inquiry was held at Mr Thomas Horrigan's Star ot the West Hotel. Seven or eight witnesses in all were examined ; and the close scrutiny to which all the circumstances in connection with the case was subjected may be inferred from the fact that the Coroner and jury were engaged upon the matter from 1 p.m. till 12 at midnight. Our space precludes us from giving any detailed account of the inquiry, but amongst the facts elicited may be mentioned the following. It appears that" Mr Alfred Short (who was to have taken possession tho next day) took a look round the premises a very short time before they were discovered to be in flames. He, in company with a few others, had been passing the time in Mr Horrigan's Hotel, but had been disturbed by the persistent barking of a dog which Mr Horrigan keeps at the rear of his building. Finding no one about the place, Mr Short returned to Mr Horrigan's Hotel, but had not been there many minutes till the alarm of fire was given. Mr Short, aided by several living in the neighbourhood, rushed to the building with a view of extinguishing the flames or of saving something from destruction, but it was at once seen that all efforts in that direction would be entirely useless. As there was a general impression that the fire was the work of an incendiary, a number of those present commenced a search up and down the adjoining gullies, but as may easily be imagined, with no successful result. It was also stated at the inquest that on a search being made next day, several fresh and unused matches were found in an outhouse very closely adjoining the part of the. premise which was first discovered to be on tire. It, was also proven that one of the sheets o£ iron had been bent up in a such a way as to make a small entrance into the house. This hole had been noticed before the fire took phoe, but no notice had been taken of it ■ other than the remark that some of the I children had been doing it. The verdict returned was that " the jury ."s of opinion that the said house was.wil.ully, feloniously, ar.d maliciously dcsuio>ed bv arc by sotno person or persons at present unknown." We are sure that no effort will" be spa'->d on the part of the police +o di« over the guilty person or | persons, and we trust that the slightest cine [ to his or their thscoverv which may be found Jby those living in tho neighbourhood, of |-Carriekton will be at once co.uu in; ~J.'jd to ' fee proper quarter.