THE LATE FIRE.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 522, 19 February 1876, Page 2

THE LATE FIRE.

An inquiry into the origin of the late fire in the Triangle, was held yesterday afternoon, at three o’clock, before Dr Coward, coroner, and a jury, of whom Mr A. Duncan was chosen foreman.

Inspector Feast appeared on the part of police, Mr Wynn Williams on the pa” 4- ~f the South British lusurauce Company, Mr G. Harper for the Standard, and Mr Thomas appeared to watch the case. on the part of Mr Almao.

Detective Bettington, examined by Inspector Feast, deposed—l recollect 30th January last; I was in the High street about 1.10 a m, on that day ; I knew a shop then in the occupation of Almao the hatter ; I passed it on the same side of the street about the time I have mentioned ; I did not notice anything unusual about the shop ; I wont down Hereford street and over Lane’s bridge, and shortly afterwards turning round, I saw a glare in the direction of the Triangle, and I then ran back, and when I reached Almao’s shop I saw that it was on fire ; the back part of the shop was on fire; the place was afterwards destroyed ; afterwards I saw Almao, and had a conversation with him; I asked him if he could account for the fire in any way ? he said, “No I said “ what time did you go home that night ?” he replied, “ Twenty minutes to twelvel said, “ How much are you insured for he said, “ £750 I said, “ How much have you lost ?” he replied, “ The damage done to my property will be over £2OOO ; I shall lose over £I3OO by the fire.” By the Jury—l did not go up the right of way when I discovered the fire in the back ; I was close to the front of the premises and could see that it was at the back.

Vincenzo Almao, examined by Inspector Feast, deposed—l recently carried on business in High street as a hatter; I recollect the night of the 30th January last; I closed my shop that night between twenty minutes and a quartet to twelve ; I left the shop then. There were two rooms—the shop and a leanto—on the ground floor ; all the doors were locked when I left and the lights put out; my man left work at 10.30 p.m., and the fire he had been using was then out; ’ I threw some water in the fireplace when 1 loft, the fire was then out; the fire had been kindled in a hatter’s kiln ; we always used gas ; there was a burner in the workshop ; I am sure 1 turned all the lights off before I left; lam quite su'e that I turned the gas off at the meter ; I live in St Asaph street; after I got home I went to bed, and was asleep, when I heard some one tapping at the window ; the person told me that there was a fire ; I dressed and went to it, and found that the back of my shop was all on fire ; on the mantel-piece of the back shop there was generally a box of safety matches ; I have not the slightest idea how the fire occurred ; my shop and stock were totally destroyed ; the stock consisted of hats, caps, hosiery, hat material, trimmings, shell-lac, a small quantity of methylated spirits, kc ; the value when I last took stock, in August, was £ISOO, including plant; the stock then had neither increased nor decreased; I was insured for £SOO before I took stock; I afterwards insured for £3OO in the Transatlantic; that was.either in August or September; witness was insured for £7OO in all; a young gentleman who had been in the employment of the South British Insurance Company helped me to take stock; he assisted at my instance; not at the instance of the Insurance Company; the value of the stock on the premises would be about £I2OO at the time of the fire; I had recently received goods from Wellington, Auckland, and Otago; my stock was kept in the shop with the exception of a few things worth about £lso at the house,

By the jury—There were plenty of "rata about the premises. By Mr Wynn Williams—The rough estimate of goods in stock was made out by Mr Nichol; I named the goods to him, and he entered them in the inventory from my dictation. Nichol verified for himself the accuracy of the list of articles I gave him; Mr Nichol and I opened all the parcels containing goods; my purchases since the 14th August amounted to £7BB 14s; my takings average £4O a week; I employed Mr T. B. Craig to make up a statement for the Insurance Company; according to that my weekly sales are put down at £6O. I estimated them at £4O; Mr Craig said he had put down £6O to give satisfaction to the Insurance Company ; I gave Mr Craig the stock book, the Bank book, and then we telegraphed the creditors outside the province ; I begjDardon, I did not employ Mr Craig to makeup- my accounts, I employed Mr Frederick Fisher, the wine merchant, and Mr Craig helped him ; I did not exactly employ Mr Fisher, he obliged me by doing it; I used to keep a good quantity of matches in my shop ; when I opened business I had goods, money, and plant in the business ; I told a merchant in this town that I started in business with £SOO in cash ; I will swear tfcat I did not tel) Mr Aitken, of Edwards, Bennett and Co, that I started the business with £SOO in cash ; I did not lead him to believe that I had £SOO in cash ; a Mr Morris was in my employment when I took stock on 14th August; I employed him as a workman, a hatter; occasionally Mr Morris sold goods in the shop for me. By Mr Thomas—Since the fire Morris has left me and gone to Mr Halbert’s employmen ; there was no arrangement at the time of the fire for his leaving me ; he was dissatisfied because I forbade him to take beer into the workshop, and to cook his dinner there ; I told him before the fire that he had better leave unless he stopped drinking; I gave a correct account of the stock in my shop to Nichols, the articles were actually there in stock ; I employed Nichol because he told me that he had been employed by the South British, and had taken an inventory of goods after Hulbert’s fire ; the list when prepared I took to the office, and told the insurance agent that the goods were open to inspection at any moment; I left the list with the agent for three or four days ; after a short time Messrs Fowler, Fuhrman, and McPherson came to my shop, walked through it, and examined the stock and endorsed th« policy, So a's to enable me to obtain an extra insu(|oße for £2OO in the Transatlantic Company ; I am not aw««‘ whether they had the

list with them at the time ; my idea was that my takings were £4O a week ; Mr Fisher made out the amount at £6O weekly; by putting the takings at £6O, my loss would have been very much less than if my takings were £4O a week.

By the jury—There was a back yard to my premises ; a person could gain access to the yard by jumping over the gate ; when I got to my premises the whole were in flames ; several persons were at the fire when I got there.

By Mr Wynn Williams—l do not recollect when I removed £IOO worth of goods from the shop to my house ; it was about three or four months after taking stock ; they were not included In stock-taking ; some of them were never in the shop at all. Charles Morris, examined by Inspector Feast —I am a hatter ; I have been employed by Mr Almao ; I remember the night of the Are in the Triangle ; I left the premises (Mr Almao’s) that night about 10.30 ; I worked in the back part of the premises ; I had been using a fire that day ; I believe there was a little fire in the stove when I left ; there were cuttings which had been s wept up from the shop under the stairs close alongside the fire kiln when I left. The gas light was opposite to me when I was at work ; I did not see Mr Almao that night after I left; I had been in his employ about seven months ; I recollect a young man named Nichol taking stock some two or three months before the fire ; I occasionally served customers in the shop ; I saw part of the stock taking; I do not know whether they went through the whole of the things ; I do not believe Nichol looked over the whole of the things ; I may say that be did not ; I could see Mr Nichol sitting at the table entering at the time Mr Almao was calling out the goods ; I could see Nichol Bitting at the table through the door, which was open ; Mr Almao brought me in the paper, and I think they estimated the value of the goods at £I6OO or £I7OO ; I do not think Nichol saw the goods when they took stock, in fact I am sure he did not; I could not see Mr Almao at that time, although I saw Mr Nichol; I have been in business a good many years ; I know the value of stock ; I believe I told Mr Almao that I did not think the stock amounted to that; I told that to the man who was working; I should imagine the value of the stock to be from £7OO to £BOO ; the material was kept upstairs, and I did not see that ; material was taken away after stock taking to the value of £2OO ; that was about two months before the fire ; I have not the slightest idea how the fire occurred.

By Mr Wynn Williams —When Mr Nichol was sitting at the table, I heard Mr Almao calling out the goods and prices ; Mr Nichol did not get up and examine the articles called out; the first part of stock taking was commenced by the boy and Nichols, and after an interval of a day or two Mr Almao •ame on ; I believe at the time we were removing the things up to Almao’s house he said to me, that in case of a fire it would be safer if some of the goods were away from the shop. Ido not know whether that part of the stock taken by the boy George Evans was gone over twice ; I should think the stock taking occupied two days altogether. By Mr Thomas—When I was at work in the back shop, by turning my head I could see Mr Nichols sitting at the table; I could see Almao the greater portion of the time he was calling out the goods to Nichols. L cannot say that Almao did not show Nichols the goods ;lam a practical hatter I have no means of knowing the value of hosiery or haberdashery. Mr Almao dealt largely in those articles; taking the value of the hats and clothing, there might have been £ISOO worth of stock ; some .portion of the stock that was removed before the fire was brought back; I think there may have been half brought back before the fire took place ; the boys Evans was errand boy; he simply connted the goods and gave the numbers in without prices, Inspector Feast said that was all the evidence he had to offer at present. The inquiry had been held at the instance of the Insurance Companies, and he had only heard of it last night. He would ask for an adjournment of a few days, for although he had no more evidence at present something might turn up. The jury generally expressed an opinion that it was useless to go on with the inquiry. The room was then cleared, and after a lapse of a quarter of an hour the jury returned the following verdict;—"The fire that took place in the Triangle on the night of the BOth, or morning of the Blst January last, commenced in Vincenzo Almao’s premises, but no evidence was brought before the jury to enable them to say how such fire occurred,” The following rider was added “ The jury desire to state that in their opinion they are unnecessarily called together on the present occasion, and request the coroner to forward this opinion to the Minister of Justice." The Coroner—l will do so, gentlemen.