A DANNEVIRKE FIRE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 403, 12 January 1909, Page 8

A DANNEVIRKE FIRE.

CORONER'S INQUIRY. An inquiry into the surrounding tho outbreak of firo in Mr. J. J. Patterson's office at Dannevirko at 6 p.m. on Saturday, January 2, was held at Dannevirkeon Saturday last; January 9, before the District Coroner and a jury of six. Sergeant Cruicksbank 'represented the police, and Mr. Is. L. Gurr was present as D.0.A., and as the representative of: the State Fire Insurance Office, to watch the' proceedings on behalf of- the creditors in) the bankrupt; estate of J. J. Patterson, -and,jthe State Offico respectively. : .'7 -. - y The following account'/ of:' the. proceedings : is' taken from a repiort which appears .in. .the, •columns of the Dannevirke. " Advocateof January 9,. •••• ■ ■ The'.-coroner, 'in opening the proceedings, said the jury had been called, upon to inquiro, into the origin of a fire .which, had occurred on January 2J4u a building situate in High Stroet, and owned by Mrs. Livinia Patterson,, wife of Mr. J. J.-Patterson. So far as they, had been; ablo to ascertain,, the .firo had originated in the;office of -Mr. J. J. Patterson; and.after.perusing.the police; report'on the j subject he.. (the.-, coroner),; had- deemed jit. .to' be in .the interest of all' 'coricerhed\ihat' al' full investigation Bh'ould: ; be held.'intp the : cixf; cumstances, sq that the ' public l might' be: made aware of the facts. * ; V- : > • The of. J. J. Patterson'set . forth that ho was last in. the. ;office.'for.. a few minutes between' Gaud 7 a.m. on .the .'day.' of the.fire.,; His'; purpose in going therfe,was to obtain :a';certainvdooument; he-locked all the doors;wh'eri leaving, and. used no light.of-any.. , description:. while.'; thereVV He.- subsequently.! visited the''office,-:-after,the fire,-on. Sunday;, when he.'did, not- go into the office,; which'had been barricaded, and on Monday! in-: oompaiiy- (With. Sergeant ;Cruicksharik,. he-in'spec-; ted the damage.'. 'Ho,did not form any :opinion as to ;the:origin of, the fire; certain"-.per-, sons; expressed: , opinions; .' and ,he agreed TOth .theni.:. "The gas' was, seldom', used; .when: witness' ,a flight; he. mostly used '.. a', candle; there was a candle in' the candlestick -.on; the shelf above : the desk.-/: DicLiipt remember Seeing ■ it there on tho la§t. visit; to the office, - but supposed 'it ..wps there,'as'it; was:.. usually kept- there. ; -.Ifcvwajild ,he almost impossible' .to . . estimate:?■:' the. Loss r '.in, :J books. • <'.To ':. buy i all•'• the : books' new''it wpuld . cost £100,".perhaps/more.' The' insurances: on - tho. building, Were) '-r-ffyi /lie and Co.'s building; £400 . in. the - Queensland, Insurance; Company, : -and £200 in: the Guardian office; the three offices; It. .- G. Patersou's,' tho room behind it,'and J;; J. Patterson's office,' were insured for £200 m, the office'; ■thu.:amirani',^v!inifdr-. : ' ande"'' had■ beeii :''on:. thfe,'building: for• some' years, and; had not been increased:'- - ' Wylie and 1 Co.'s building: had .-.been" .'gutted ,by: fire, on March 15,'? 1906.. -The*- buildings, ■ which belonged to, Mrs. . ; ;Pattersbn,v,were put "in , thorough order '.after -'the : ! fire, the buildings being' materially increased. Brick walls had been,,'built,:,andV a-; hew istoryvat, the /back the' building; could "not ;be put. up-'/againVfor - £1200 or £1300.;; It .' would .po st JBiOO to; re-; placet the :damage ''done:' to the•• offices,the .contents of- which- wore "uninsured;, - dobr , between Wylio and' Col's officeand.:Mr.Pat-terson's-.'.'office''hadibeen;,locked' by: 'witness',: and '-'had'-been: 'barricaded..;by ; '-sbmeonoyelse, from Wylio-and- Co.'s-side. •; ■■ .The, evidence of William Patterson., (soil of the 'previous witness) and Carl E: Woicel -,went ,-to ;sliow tliat in company; jln'd ;.with the sanction: of'■ the previous witness, tho);/visited ■ the ;office'.about -l - p^m.;/for .'the;, purpose-' of : proou'ring a' desk-top 'which was.: in. ;a; cup-; ippard': iinder ; >the''staircase. .';:As-:it Iwasi.very.-, '-(lark -junder. .'the.' stairs .they...: took acandle : ;froni : Vthesecretary'sv desk.;.. Weigel; lit;;tb:e. and,.uSed:/it.^ ) the : cindle;': Ws' putf out, Vbut - was'; pretty, -'siire. .Weigel/.had / done' so; \'.there'were; no \ signs' 1 of, smoke' or. fire in > the ■ office 'when' they. left.-; :Th'e'y -'locked'the. doors;and''took-thG -'keys home. Weigel depdsediithat' ho 'had 'an absolute" clear remembrance of putting.; 'the light out ; put it out, first, then : put : it-. down" and took the wibk between Jhis fingers. 'There, were no. signs of. smoke or fire in the office Iwhen they left.- - ' ... ;• : • Norman L. Gurry.^goneral. ,agent,.-, and. Deputy' Official > deposed -.that tho, estate of JJ.' Patterson • was in his; hands. He also carried;on the.store bumnossiknown -as-Wylio and Co. Hc.was.m this, store-a few ftnnutes beftfre the .alarm of firo was given •„ noticed ■ no" indication; did not hear, smell, j /or see Made iaii :ofi! theipremise^;after.'the, fire; .accompanied-,hy Sergeant 'Cruickshanki. - It:' seemed- -to, him that-tho fire had taken rplace near,the roller;top desk, and seemed-to-have .been, <v.qry. strong;on-'tofl"of the' strongroom; it seemed to witness tliat there had :been- two fires',' one; at teach of these places. That, washis opinion at tho timo. Arrived at the.conclu-, sio'n' by.: the.: appearance, of 'the walls,','etc. The fire appeared to have started low down behind the desk,: and: worked '"upwards. The 'fiercest, fire seetiied to/have'been, on. the. top of th6| strongroom: Had lus. attention, dran n ib'':thiß* by' .storeinan. .- There had : been', a laTge quantity ,of papbrs, otc., on top of tho strongroom- Thero were no suspicious e;ricumstances: that. cou,ld see. ■ ■ Had. anyone entered, the back door of-the' office.. any- ; . one in the Ladies' Club at the back comd have seen -them. ' Taking the .circumstances into • consideration,. ho could not 'form : a theory as to how the fire occurred. " v The Coroner:: Have l you at any time asked Mr.' Patterson'for any 'documents in conuec- : tiori':'with v bankrupt estate,and;' what - answer did you receive P.. ' WitnessV YeSj I. have written;, five;.-.letters asking for:cer,faih' , docume'nte. Yesterday r l received-a letter from Mr. Patterson, rGply-.-ing that: owing'to the fire: which had occurred... in .his office, many of. his books' and papers' had-been destroyed,: and the' information: roquired Vi'ould be delayed, but would be ready for the examination in February.,; ,•' * < After other } had beori taken, the, Corpneir.'summed' and; the; jury,,'after ; ;i'&- ■ tiring- for... about" 15 ..minutes,;, bi'pughti-.Hd.wii' the; ipllowing l verdict The' jury; are;. unpiH inpiisly 'of the-'opinion. .that; the .-fire 'started-, in Mr. -J. J.- Patterson's' office, but, from, the evidence it is impossible to say how,; unless from'; the candle. left ; on. the secretary's desk.: