The Recent Fire in Fergusson Street.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 194, 15 February 1895, Page 2

The Recent Fire in Fergusson Street.

The following evidence was taken in the enquiry into the cause of the recent fire in Fergusson street after we went to press yesterday : — David P. Barrett : To the jury— His book debts amounted to about £230 ; he could have been insured when he first came to Feilding as he had been asked to ; Mr Howell was going to shift because wituess asked him to ; no agent had refused to insure his stock in Feilding ; Mr Ratliff asked witness to insure,--but he (witness) refuged as he had promised another agent. >. J. W. F. Halcombe deposed : Was agent for the Palatine Insurance Company for this district ; insured the last witness' stock, which was destroyed in the recent fire ; witness produced a lettor from R. Anderson, Manager of A. Clark and Son's Wanganui branch, who are greatly interested in D. Barrett's estate, in reply to a letter from the firm of Halcombe and Son, which read as follows : — " Sir, — Re -your enquiry as to the amount of stock Barrett took from Wanganui to Feilding. From my ownobservation and the opinion of the juniors previous to his leaving here we feel sure he could not have had much less than £900 worth of goods. Since then he has purchased £100 additional goods from us. Our experience since he started business with us, on Ist May, 1891, is satisfactory, having found him honest and straightforward. He is well known here and I have heard nothing against him. — R. Anderson, Manager for Clark and Son's, Wanganui." Mr Barrett purchased goods since he arrived in Feilding to the amount of £276 3s 2d ; examined the stock when he insured it and was perfectly satisfied with the risk ; the first he heard of the fire was on . the Sunday and on the Monday following, hearing rumours that Mr Barrett had had other fires witness requested Constable Tuohy to make enquiries, which he did and the rumours proved to be groundless ; from a careful estimate made up by making deductions for sale and other causes he calculated there was a total value of between £950 and £1000 in the shop when witness accepted the risk. E. Goodbehere deposed: The buildings, were insured in January 1891, in the Commercial Union Fire Office for which he was agent — ,£2OO being on the building occupied by Mr Barrett, .£IOO on that occupied by Mr Prior, £130 on the butcher's shop and £70 on the stables and outbuildings ; the block of buildings could not be re-erected for the insurance | money. John Prior deposed to the premises he occupied being destroyed by fire on the morning of the 3rd inst., his offiLce furniture and effects most of which were saved were insured in the London, Liverpool and Globe Office for £80. W. D. Nicholas deposed : Owned the buildings destroyed by fire on the morning of the 3rd inst. ; the insnrance already sworn to was correct ; estimated his loss over the insurance at £200 ; had arranged with Mr Barrett, about a week before the fire, to erect two additional rooms at the rear of the shop. This was all the evidence and the Coroner remarked that it pointed to nothing mysterious. As to Mr Barett's evidence, it was very straightforward and there need be. no suspicion in this case about the fire. The jury returned the following verdict : — " That there is no evidence to show how the fire originated which destroyed the premises occupied by Messrs Prior and Barrett on February 3rd." The enquiry then closed.