THE LATE FIRE.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2601, 19 June 1871, Page 2

THE LATE FIRE.

The Coroner's inquiry was resumed at the Mayor’s Court to-day. William Noonan recalled: I took stock myself about six mouths ago. I knew the prices myself ; Reicholt never gave me any. He gave me the wholesale cost prices of the ten cases of goods received since. They were certainly worth not less than L 1,009. He made pretty extensive purchases in Dunedin, but I can’t say to what extent. By the Coroner : A kerosene lamp was kept in the shop, but only used on rare occasions, when there was no gas. Luciue was never used in it to my knowledge.. By Mr Barton : 1 found the bottle produced at the pear of the burnt premises (adjoining Mr Raymond's premises). I have seen a bottle similar to it in the office. Reichelt was in the habit of using this medicine. German bitters, I call it. (Mr Barton suggested that such medicine was the most likely kiud a man bad with dysentry and doctoring himself would use ; it was very much prized by the Gerina. a, who used it when anything was wrong with their heads, tails or middles. (Laughter.) Sergt. Jas. Baxter deposed that be had a conversation with Reichelt in the watchhouse at 4.20 a.m. outlie I3th. He stated that he went down to his shop to get some medicine ; he had a small kerosene lamp in his hand, which had burst as he was going through the shop, burning his hands and coat. He did not know what ho was doing, and ran out and gave the alarm to the man on the tower, Re also said he would protest

in the public pripts ‘' against; using these lamps, for carrying them about his hands,"' He afterwards skated, that a tin of oil*—he did not say what kind—had accidentally exploded in the shop. (Witness on being further interrogated ■by Mr Jas. Smith, said Reichelt’s statement was "that he would “ protest against persons using these lamps, because they burnt his coat off his back.) By a juror Witness was positive he said the lamp had exploded in the first instance.

Mrs C. Howard : Reichelt lived at my house. He had been out to dinner on Sunday, and ou coming homo complained of being very poorly, having made a rich dinner that day. The next day he complained of diarrhoea, and 1 noticed he appeared very ill. I advised him to take some laudanum ; but he did not like our medicines. After much persuasion he took ten drops from me. He then appeared in yro?>t terror, thinking I had poisoned him. My nephew brought up some brandy Reichelt sent for in the early part of the evening, and he took some. I noticed he went out twice afterwards. He had not left the house at half-past one. I was awoke by the.ringing of the fire-bell. I rushed to Mr Roichelt’s room, and finding he was not there, I considered be had heard the bell before me, and had gone away. The last ! saw of him was that he was sitting up and was smoking a cigar. I tried to persuade him to go to bed being afraid of fire. By Mr Barton: Reichelt has been living with us for six mouths. I have been in his shop. I- never observed a bottle there similar to the one produced; but I have heard him speak of some medicines, which he considered a panacea for every ill. He called everything hitter quinine, and I afterwards corrected him for it. His English was very incorrect. On Monday evening he was particularly merry considering that he was ill; ho was always so, and kept up our spirits in our troub'es. I believe he is an old Prussian soldier; he h.v seen a good deal of service in the Danish war and received several wounds, some In the head. My husband was in a very pre carious state that night, and the doctor told me any sudden fright would be death to him. I made everyone in the house wear slippers. Reichelt wore slippers. Cautioned every One against alarming my .husband in any way. Reiehc-lt knew his state so well, that he.would have come to me first. He often went out in slippers in bad weather 1 , and I have frequently blamed him for it. He has worn slippers such as a lady would wear. Some of them were stout enough to be worn such a night as Monday. About a fortnight ago he told me he would mike improvements in Miss Cane's premises, because he considered her a good tenant. By a Juror : .Ho was of sober habits ; lout was very excitable. My impression was that ho had laid down in his bed ; but it is of a character that it was hard to tell whether or not it had bsen used. It is a German bed, and always looks untidy. (Laughter.) Lydia Perkins, servant to Mrs Howard, stated that when Detective Farrell came to the house on Tuesday morning for Reichelt’s clothes, she went up to his bedroom and brought down the coat and vest produced, which she found lying on his bed. The bed was a little “ tumble 1,” as if he had been lying ou it. I saw the slippers produced at the foot of the stairs, where he sometimes .placed them. He had three pairs of strong elastic-side hoots, some of which were in his room and aoifle in the kitchen. The key produced was taken from a cqat pocket, but 1 can’t say whether from the coat produced. 1 jWas present in the sitting-roem, after the police had gone, when the key was taken out. Mrs Howard and some one belonging to the house were the only persons who saw the key taken out. lam certain the key was not taken out of the pocket of the coat produced. Mrs Howard was in such a confused state when the police came that she scarcely knew what she did. Reichelt came home at six o’clock that evening, and never left the house, except to go outside, before I went to bed at eleven. In erder to allow of the •witnesses for the accused to leave, David Miller, of Port ‘jhalmers, was examined, who stated that on the 31st May, or the Friday following, he went to Reichelt’a to purchase a small lamp and the oil for it, which he was recommended to get there. He was shown a lamp, but he was told there was no oil in the shop. Reichelt promised to get him a bottle of oil, for which he said he would call. He came up to town last Friday for it and found.the premises burnt out After describing the lamp he sa : d it was one of these that “ burnt seven hours for a farthing.” It was three weeks on Wednesday or Friday last that he came up for the lamp. Detective Farrell’s evidence was mainly a repetition of that given by Sergt. O’Keefe, The only new feature was that in narrating his conversiations with Reichelt, ho said his office window was up on the night of the fire, he believing his man Noonan had lifted it up for the purpose of drawing fresh air. The kerosene tin produced (which was minus the mouth) was found under the office window by Noonan oh the morning of the 13th. [No other evidence of importance had been given up to the hour of our going to press.] -