INQUEST OK THE LATE FIRE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 544, 20 September 1872, Page 3

INQUEST OK THE LATE FIRE.

Au inquest was held in the Clyde Court House on Friday last the 13th. instant, before E, H. Carew, Esq., Coroner, on the fire th-it took place on the Sunday morning previous. A. Christopher*, Esq. was appointed Chairman. Wm. Duffy, charged by the Police on suspicion of having set firs to-the' building, was present, attended by Mr- F. J. Wilson, who watched the investigation for the accused.

The Jury having visited the scene of the fire, returned, when the investigation was opened-

Alexander Joss, Saddler, sworn, deposed. 1 red lei" Sun lerlanl-street, Clyde, next to the house dama ed by fire ; there is an op niog of abca twenty-five feet between the two buil ings. I know the accused ; he his be ;u living apart from his wife for some men hs ; bis wife - has been living in ♦he house dama el by fir<; the accused lives in a hj mse higher up Sun ler’and-stroet on the opposite side. Ire nember the m ornin o? Sunday the 3th instant; about % a.m wis in m ’ shop, and was disturbed by the amns-c 1 creatin',' a di t ir' awe by kicking at ths backdoor of tin building damaged by Hr■•, he ani l, if he was not a I init el, he would sent some’) nly or something to 1 fell. Ido not know what he

uiea.it by that ctpressmn I went outside, au't"H accused to go awav, or I would have Mm sent to the Camp ; he mud- use of abusive lan • age towards me, and said he

w s not amnyin ■ mo. I ‘old him again to go awav, or T would lend; him ''own ; accu ed then wmitin front of the building, wlvm hn pulled off bis coat and threatened to fit-ht me. I went c 1 ■ ssc up to him and to'd him to go home, hereupon he took np Irs coat as if to go awav ; I w- nt into my house, and from a side window watched, and saw him return to the back of th® bu : ldm r , wh"n he re-commenoe 1 he d'stnrbancc by kiek’ng at the door. I then wen' int i my shoo, aul whi'st there, hearl the moused pas to the front of the house dam imd by fire. I heard a knocking a‘ th" front door, the knocking soon ceas 'd, so I in'errslhe‘ml got inside, and very soon afterwards heard a voice, b lie'’e it to have been that of ao o used. The wa'la of my shop a"e zin®. and from the inride it is eas ■to evr anythin; occurring outside. In a few mom "its I heard footsteps pass the front of my shop going up the street in the direction of accused’s home. There then follow© 1 silence In about a minute or so, my wife rushed into the shoo and said, Dntfy’s house was on fire. I immediately went outside, and saw the flames issuing from the front door and window of the building ; the front door was open ; did not see anyone in the street. I went into the middle of the street and gave the alarm A number of people soon gathered, an I assists lin extiagixishin' the (lines. Among those who assiste I were two mm named Coomber an 1 Holloway ; these men were viug in the same house with accused.

From the outbreak of the fire to the last spark being extinguished was about half an hour. 1 did not see accuse lat the fir®, and Ido not believe ho was there. Have often heard accused and M rs. Duffy quarreling: never heard him hold out any threat towards her or the house.

By the Jury—Accused was the worse of drink when 1 told him to go away. I did not see any light in the building at the time. I did not se : Mrs. Duffy until the fire was o t. I cannot say whether she was the worse of drink. I was principally eugagrl ia thra.vi ig water on to the side of th) b til Hu; next mv own house.

By Mr. P, J. Wda m— 1 cannot speak of thi charade: of M.-s. Duffy ; canu it say if sh) is eorntrio. I went into the building aftie" the !i -o was extin ;uish id, o'hers were th ire bef u-e ra •, When I we it inside, 1 sa .v a r indies rick on the 11 nr, it was picked un i • my presence.

Willia-n i Bindley, Butcher, sworn, said—fl vs kn i.vn ace ise If >r the past six or eight vei-s ; he has u it lived with his wife h>' )u ■ n i itas past. Ha lives on the “ist sib of d mbrlaal ’-treat. I k >ow Mo difr sh; Uv it v\ tha .v xt sis of Su ide-’a il-strest. On the mor ting of Mini lay the 8 hj instant, about 2, a.m , I was arutil by th) ala an of fire, I wiat to my door and saw the building occupied by Mrs Ihiffv in flames, dre-sed myself puickly, and went nut to assist in quoding them. The two lfat'ie ! , fariivr and sor, were the-e. likevyia: Mr. Toss. There was not Saffiiieat wa’er in the channel running immo li.ately in front of the bouse ; I went to die main r.ue to turn more water on. Whilst returning, I saw the accused sending about forty yards from the fie, heappea el to have jost made a halt; he was pissing in the direction of his home and away from ‘he (ire ; he was muttering to himself I heard him say, “ You b , you are blazing away now, I made you blaze.” I,said no hng to him, and rush 'd hurriedly passed him, went to the fire and assisted in extinguishing the flames. Did not see accuse I again undl the following morning. Accused di I not assist to put out the 3-e From the time of my first hearing the alarm to when I saw accused, would be from to six to eight minutes. Accuse I appeared to be under the influence of j drink. On going np the street to turn on the water, did not see accused, t’was when returning. *

By the Jury-I did not notice if accused was carrying anything when I met him.

By Mr. J. W, Wilson—The morning was calm ; have no hesitation in saying it was accused I met, and the words 1 deposed him to have taken are the same, or to that effect. 1 inferred from the observation, ftathe had set the place on fire, I consider Mrs. Duffy a very eccentric sort of character.

John Holloway. Miner, residing in Clyde, sworn, said—Know the accused ; have lived in fhe same house with him for the past b.ven rnmlLi. Accused and his wife have

not lived together during that time, they live separate, . On Sunday morning the Bth instant about two minutes to two, a.m., was awoke by something falling on the floor ; I lit a candle and saw accused with a clock in his hand. About five minutes after, I hoard the alarm of fire, 1 jumped out of bed and went to the door, and saw flames issuin'; from a building same distance down the street on the opposite side of the way, I afterwards disc ivererl it to be the building occupied by Mrs. Duffy. I said, there is a fire down the street, I think it is at Mrs. Duffv’s. Accused appeared so far gone in drink that be took no notice. I dress n d myself, and accompanied by Coomber my mate, who lives in the same bouse with accused, and me, helped to put it out. Did not sec accused at the fire ; know nothing of the private relations between accused and bis wife.

By the Jury—When I left the house, accused was trying to hang the clock on the wall Did not sen Mrs. Duffy at the fire. Accused made no attempt to go out to the fire ; on my return home, accused was in bel an 1 a wren 1y as'eep.

Bv Mr. E. J. Wilson—.Accused has been frequently drunk since ave have lived together ; neither when sober or drunk, ha'e [ known him to shew a revengeful spirit. John David Coomber, Miner, sworn, gave evidence corroborative of the former witness, avith the addition—That on the first a'arm of fire, jumped out of bed and went to the front door, whilst there, said it is Mrs. Duffy’s place on fire ; accused, who wns at my shoulder, said, it was not Mrs. Dnffr’s, but that it was Mr. Joss’s, the Saddler’s, 1 handed to Serjeant Shurey th" cl 'ck accused brought home with him ; the (dock produced, is the same.

The evidence of Jacob Thormahlen and William Auckland was taken, but being of no importance, we do not publish it. William Edward Shurey, Sergeant of Police, sworn, said—On Sunday morning 'he Bth instant, received information of Mrs. Dnffv’s house having been damaged bv fire during the night. After making in qniries, I arrested f h®. accused on suspicion of having caused the five. I received from witness Coambar. the Clock accuse 1 took to his borne the night before. On examining it. I discovered Ann Duffle written on the back. On tak ngnvisoncr to the lock-up, I sewchc 1 him an I found a silver watch, a tobacco pipe and some wax matches. By the Jury—lt is usual tor nine men out of ten to carry matches in their pockets; it is nothing unusual to carry matches

This closed the evidence. Mr. F. J. Wilson said—He did not intend making a long speech, he would remark that no evidence had been produced to connect his cheat with the fire. With regard to a man carrying matches, every smoker carried them, therefore it was nothing unusual. The latest statistics shew that in Melbourne alone, 10,000/. of property is lost by matches igniting, and that the Insurance Offices lose 400,000/. per annum from the same cause.

The jury, after short deliberation, returned the following verdict- “ There is no evidence to connect the accused, William Duffy, with the fire.”