THE LORNE ST. FIRE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1742, 6 May 1913, Page 6

THE LORNE ST. FIRE.

CORONER'S INQUEST. DEATHS OF MR AND MRS. HALL. Saturday night's tragic occurrence in Lorno Street was sifted at a coroner's inquiry yesterday, when Mr. W. G. Kiddell, S.M., investigated tho circumstances attending tho deaths of Urban George Frederick Ilall and Phyllis Hall, who were found suffocated in their house (No. 28 Lome Street on tho night in question. Senior Sergeant Rntlcdgo watched proceedings on behalf of the police, and Mr. Becchey was present on behalf of t.ho City Council. Wm. Henry Barnes, restaurant-keeper, identified the bodies. Witness had known Mr. and Sirs. Hall in London, previous to their coming to Now Zealand. Deceased Ilall would be about 50 or 57 years of age, and his wife about 10 or f»6. Both were addicted to drink. They had resided in New Zealand since about 1007. They had no relatives in tho Dominion, but had a married daughter at Home. Hall was au ex-sergeant-major of the Imperial Army, and ho followed the occupation of an insurance agent in Wellington. ■ John O'Sullivan, ship's steward, stated that ho went to No. 28 Lome Street at 4.J10 p.m., on Saturday. At 7.30 (in com' l>any with two men named Lloyd and Stevenson) ho went out, returning again at nbout 8.30 p.m., with two bottles of beer and a flask of whisky. All of them (including Mr. and- Mrs. Hall) had drinks in the kitchen. _ Senior Sergeant Uutledge: What state Tore Mr. nnd Airs. Ilall in then ? Witness: They were both intoxicated. Senior Sergeant Rutledgo: What state were you and the others in ? Witness: I was not exactly drunk; neither were the others. Witness went on to say that Stevenson nnd he went to bed about 10 o'clock, and Mr. Hall and his wife were then sitting in tho kitchen. (Sometime later- witness was awakened nnd found the room in Haines. Ho at onco pulled. Lloyd and Stevenson out of bed, and then secured some clothing nnd ran downstairs, and out into the back yard. Ho noticed that there tfa.3 then a light in the kitchen. To Sergeant Rutledge: Tho lire appeared to have started iii his room. To his Worship: When lie (witness) went to bed Stevenson had extinguished the light. To Senior Sergeant-Rutledge: When lie made his escape lie wits nnder the impression that both deceased had got out of tho building. He hfid formed that opinion becauki he had left them sitting up, downstairs. , James Lloyd, clerk, was the next witness. He stated that he had resided at 28 Lorno Street since January last. Ho retired at 0..10 p.m., but was awakened some time later by O'Sullivan, and found the room ill flame's. The flames appeared to bo coming up from tho kitchen. When he emerged frojn his room he 'called out. "Mabut received 110 response.

To Sergeant Eutledge: He was not perfectly sober when lie was awakened. When ho got no response to his call, lie naturally concluded that Mr. Hall and his wifo were out of the building. Both deceased were addicted to drink.

The coroner: AVheu did you first know that they were in tho burning building? Witness: When I was at the Mount Cook Police Station on Saturday night. Harry Tait Superintendent of the Wellington Fire Brigade, gave evidence as to receiving an alarm, from tho corner of Tory and Vivian Streets. Tho alarm was received ct -11.33 p.m., syul two motors proceeded to Lorne Street. Tho fire was at tho rear of No. 28. There, was'a man outside the house scantily clothed, and witness asked him if there was anyone inside, niul 'tlio man replied in tho negative. , Witness then gave evidence as to the finding of the bodies. These were discovered in the front room upstairs. Tho coroner: In your opinion, where did tho fire originate?

Witness: In the centre,room upstairs. n Sergeant Trehey, stationed at Mount Cook, also gavo evidence as to the finding of tho bodies.

Tho coroneir remarked that the evidence disclosed that the two deceased had been living with, two other persons, and that tliero had bean drinking. Some time after Lloyd, O'Sulliyan, and Stevenson hail retired tho hcuso was discovered to be on fire. Lloyd, O'Sullivan, anil Stevens:)! set out of tho house, but apparently Mr. and Mrs. Hall were overcome, probably cither by the effect of drink or emoko. It seemed that the firo started upstairs, but how it originated was a mystery. It seemed, too, that tho tlireo men did not make any great effort to ascertain whether tlio other occupants of the house had got out safely or not.

A vcrdict was returned to the effect that I). O. F. Hall and Phyllis Hall met thei: - deaths through suffocation.