INQUESTS.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 617, 10 June 1876, Page 3

INQUESTS.

M'BLBOY. _ Ar ihqtlisfc Vas hSi' ! alr^iilß’s v Southbridge vtMf.mi&e bod / Henry M'Blroy, before Bridge, Bsq, J-P Coroner, and a jatjj 'hf whom Mr Henry MdJiiw r. Ator I£ e to tad proceeded to vie withe body, fte first Called, who deposed that the deceased had been in hia employ far the.last eight m.oflths. He, remembered the night of the 6th uiftt. given deceaSed a lift" im his trap up to, Southbridge, where ha left him. On going discove sg A^^^ed^:h^^ f inking | and upon taxing him with it, he confessed; that he bad a glass tooniuch. Upon arriving! at the house, deceased aisiited him to un-, to come hold him;Mike was dead (that was the name deceased always went by.) Upon proceeding to the cottage where deceased dlbpt. f dbcgM«a hanging and arms 4dsid<i,lifid window fallen down on the—back of his neck. He felt deceased, and foundrUiat he'was gniterdqtjd T Hfi thgn despatchKThis sgn(Lfgr often fonnd it most to J hß en - a Juror—He of noiie after SiSaeSSiS on thesids farthest from the cottage. None bf <3' his f bad Ifea cries daring the night. G, W. Willis deposed—l am a son of 'Captain R. B. Willis, and work on his farm, I remember the morning of the 7th—inst. I went to call deceased at about eight o’clock, and saw him hap'gihg ButTbf the wrridow.: ((torfehed Hie face and fonnd he was dead. I then went and balled my> fithetjlhhd fold him, By &Jbr< T Did not think deceased, if.be were sober, eoßld fafTY ai' iSf'Was a very small one, and high off the ground. Had ! Uwa^s r found .the handle offfhfe dpor difficult to turn. Henry Hugh Chapman deposed—?ir£Bil Ja> duly T qualified medical practitioner. 1 have seen the body of the dedßMtdilntbtf afie anCiternal eiiminatibnV tho-back and -cheat .severely bruised. I have doubt that death was caused byCußtocanon,"caused by pressure on the badk midcfaest'. After'a few minntes’ consultation, thej’urijßeturned a verdict in accordance witk the evidence of "Accidental death, caused by suffocation.’ ... 'forJj J.-.v. cyrnil --A\ ;A £ > mwi« «

vjdio vo« is&di tvi&rth >jo uwoi An enquiry into the ■ cause .of the - recent bash fires at Oxford was opened in the Resident Magistrate’s^ before wmimmli, Mi f WtenOf/'irada fury,('of whl6fi Mr Diloot Sladden was chosen fore■wr-: Inspector Barsham conducted the ®sqfry:«ffl'jhe]p>ft oMhe police.' xe i 3 oiH Wilhelm Guzabitcb acted as interpreter. The coroner stated Jte*t in ordinary cases tlffe^t^^OTght^’inspect the scene of she fitc t r btf t TO .’all were fully acquaibiedWHhHW’fcfegHtV, Iftiid he simply hoped they Would «m6Ve from 'their minds any itopiessiOne made regarding the origin oi tfrei 1 alfld Vyerdict only' in aodrtdsbcethe c ‘, Jrrr[-... Yan BauTliOfi, ! deposed—l am ft bushman; and workedJlfil Dr Weld’s; bdsh| Where I resided in a wluufe, f hep th,e 0 fire broke out jp: Eat Oxford, the, Jay of , fire. My attetftibn wss called tPthVfch? tar, bdys at' H a. mV 'em' 13ih M»y. It was : teep lM9'j9MPMr(»Bd»yMbarb ifif the flames Qtffi.V/Ilhon tshk ray bundle and ran away; i Machalich’s s family was the only one Bring - in the - bush near me. Their .Lt'Kojnw) yytVhfl (WO! ohaiK) > from mine. The fire was rery small when my attention wapj drawn toi'ifc It was not more tbaujfdwoli ft(yard:. square": in underwood on tberground.' /fht .fire. wm two fftd a half; chains teojn-Macbali ch’s.l had. no fire on firfJS?!# lightened to light one. jMichalich’f wife was at home that day. The fire began to barn in Qnndry’s bash and spread ' l had beep liVjiig id' this whmd three and teas employed by Mr Sad cote! hotting firewood bn laudv Frans Peter would say that I hadho fire that day. My chimney was not 12ft high. The last fire in f ifcwep ft dinner, timoontfce prefiqua; ,'Thp fHan of the bush was shown to witness, who showed the spot where .the fire started.}-The. fire was on the windward of .Maphaliflb’s and nit' WaHS/} *TKeYfto 'wmntetWitenl^J ß a&'Xbnig’sJM&t /(Sergeant' ,Mbhc| ,obferent statement to that given to bi%'M these people were afraid when they earn? to .fSi"«xf6rd. Mayf I ,was'«tabdihg my brother’s house o p‘tlJe W#itchifa| ;the when ! iilb IWW Oxford put near; BHttlMr hone' I>»d ’my 1 »fid 'iyy' Jbrothfer w wOnt te get them. ThOtfWOfe dppositellachalich’B,,The fire was,’ hSf a hhaffftem: ; Madh£^ firtfiadhiltchairis tfOnT Hamilton’s" Mil? I saw the fire between Machalich’s and the hotter f#h'otrl jbtjhdre abdut'a quarter ofr fire, there was 'a' dfeal of loose scrub and tops, Wt.the ISttd rcfttdd the wind #as Terr'strong frOmthehTW. (Machalich’s ’chimney was built of sods. Last wiidess* cbiteney was about ‘ four feet high, and coVered with boards. I did not See a - sonde# in’ the latter chiinney, but there was smoke cotoing from Machalich’s chimney at twelvdio’clbck,' at Which time, thb fire was burning. Afire starting Whefe it did, and the wind blowing from-that quarter which it did, would causntbe destreptepaaf Nitas house and Hamilton!*; wU 8 - When I got there Machalich’s, hoy was getting water fromilhecreek, and I asked, “Who lighted tpSte-l: He ieplied, " Nobody had lighted the "fire; it came out pf the chimney. MabhaKohibffiin'ney w^'df ! »od- ■ . Carl CieselOr deposit am a bushman. Ob the' I«th; May I. Warhwkuig at a fite at

We went *tfoiib6it6pullifcCut,but on'imvIng at Machalich’s and Bauvlich’s whares found it (too |{rOn®;T The fire WM 6ppdf< site the wind, three or four chains from the lower wbare. The fire was going on fcT'tEer wbare; it was burning in the scrub and loose tops. The wind might a, a&sr ISM alich’s boy who lit the fire. The boy said fft&i'caWg chimney.” He did not say there Wittf a'fffe fl ip .toft/RfeSl?. jbjrtr.f" npmingr from Machalich’s .jThere .nof work going on to windward on the day of the tort (| rav'| trf\ f\ ff Y Joseph Machalich, a boy twelve years old,‘ deposed—On the day of the fire I jyjw at. 'horile with mother wherTit Broke but near our house; -1 was InridF-'at*'tߥTiine7~WHeh I; first saw it it> was one, and Ij tried to extinguish it with ,watec,when,the previous witness bathe nB l . J T did ' not say anything to pat it oat also. We Lad no-fire in the house. I WIBBPRJ? fibipgßbgiifhm» ;.MyiathJsciwasiat cmpe;tor.onifionae »#y«ao; i' -a • -fcbiid aa»-S f IU , tw.d; ,jn house, jiyr. #wP ■ Hans" Hamilton, deposed—l am with Sny I lich’s Br' -Weld’a bush. It was ftbqpt[ «r!9llATt^K!jt9)b|b«e& ! and self were_goiqg .tbroughuthe bush when we came to where a part of about two yards ' gqqare'Tyas biuming;! iWe'wient for'assiatahce to endeavor to estißgpiqhdla n -Itrwas;haltA chain from Bauvlich’s,-- The fire in its progress destroyed >fi£>,miU]ofiHamilton Bros. The engine. insured, but not the mill. The whares wefe the'property of Machalich and BatfvfiCh, wlih -wew'lCTt deafftute. J saw the bOy Machalicb bat did not speaWfb him. Did not notice “inhere" warur'flre in "’ WilkiegaVe evidence corroborating that of his brother William Wilkie, stating" the? boy Machalich' '.said startedTfroim the chimney. Witness-saw smoke issuing from Miachhlichls chimney;" Annsf ■Machalich, wife of John Machalich, deposed— fete first at' 11 o’clock on the 13th May. The boy Joaephcamfc and told h& there was a fire in the btfsh. i? l3he took pf water- and tried to extinguish it. The fame's were tjvo chainsrfrom thmhofise. 3 I had no irejak(ast : that "day, only apiece of bread and milk.';’(Hafing been cautioned By the coroner that witnesses had stated there was a fire in 1 .her. House) 7 she had no fire in the; chimney;lhat morning or: that day. Did ; not knbw if BauvliCh had a'fire that day. The fire was about two track. Our house was burnt: down first; then Bauv.libh’s, Banvllch’s wife had'breakfast in onr house that day, as 7 she was afraid to light a fire in his chimney. She the breakfast in oar houqe arid took it 1 home. The hojv was the breakfast boiled without a fife"? 1 '' l ‘ ' 1

Witness—We had a fire at six o'clock on that mprning.. , - / 3 fboqqO) J, Machalich called forward. The Coroner—You' told ‘ hfc there was no 'fire, in your house.; now she, says .therd Was a fire.' 1 ‘Why did’ you tell us there was no fire ?• ; 'NoW did you tell'Wilkie rind Gieseler ahhutf the fire lrtbld^ham r SiPthitig,' ■ You Bauvlich, called ■fbfWttidi waS i:fttformed that Mrs Machalioh had stated that {there wiir itr fiie in the hotttefbii that day, 'and he Watt askld hid reason fof saying thdfe Was'no fire; .Bißrr/'yodJKl wm*rtd>) m wmsi ’ Witness sail^ho did net know of it. The Coroner—Where Were yocrr : Witneser-I w»? in'the bush. . r - j The Coroner—At jrhat time did you gp to thebush,' ■ , -ioi'io . him daet't ’ ■^TvtnMf^-Aftet, . .v-iuiiu- 1.-i ! ,TUe coroner—Thpn why did you say there. ; mwon ni» - J- a IsboO Witness-rMy wif e told me there was a fire The Coroner—Why did yod not tell ns SO? rr nr> f~ r-M - . :

f Witness—lfotgot it. 1 ' 111; s The'/Coroner, fo .Joseph .Maphalioh— Where werbyo£all that ? i JTT77TTj r Witness—At home all day. I The evidence given t>y Bauvlich and the boy was unsatisfactory, md he should take steps tp deal with thenrfoip ikVing cb#e Herfe prepared ,’ip d'ecmve ihe ary. 1 Although thesb twb w'ere/fbreigneri, ihacqttaftittfd 1 Mlh r *Bh : not allow 6£ theiricoihihg'hetc mpd preyaricatiiag in the man nerl n whictrtliey hadqone, ' had no doubt the fire wad caused by a spark front' 'Maphalich’S 'chimnpy, but you , will 1 have that'to Consider. The evidence or the Wilkies, Gieseler, and Hamilton, was Sufficiently clears while that of; the ’ lad could pot,&;|^en;jht^o r |MJCOdiik».hi^l>geo™®'|W®»’' Sidied to story, which his mother wa» t i .‘jhgyfj. corroborated, but iwas found tripsi vi I nbl ‘0 HA - ih flfil’lA l‘i f The jury, after a shprt.deUbmtion,’ »o; turned a verdict —‘‘ That, the houses of Iffchallch and Bauvlich, engine Hamilton Brothers, w#e destroyed by the fire of May 13th, and ifi the opinion of the jury the said fire originated accidentallyin-a spark from Machalich’s chimney.” The coroner,* - addressing witness Bauvlich, asked biul what to say'regarding his Conduct in having wilfully tried :to mislead the jury and coroner in the evidence which he had given, before he punished him as he f Witness—l have nothing to say. The Coroner—Then I fine you $6, or m default of payment thereof, you are Sentenced to one week’s imprisonment,,wrth labour. . i. ■■■■ -sM * * WEST OXFORD FIRE. J During the afternoon of Friday an inquiry was held in the same building before 0. Whitefoord, Esq, Coroner, and the same jury as in the previous inquest, Mr Sladdon being re-elected foreman. fl[ i h Thomas Ousden deposed—l am a saw-mill Siroprietor at West Oxford. On May 13th I aw a fire about 9 30 aim. at the top end of iur trash. I produce plan of the country nearr 1 saw the fire 4 chains from our tramway, on section ,160$ I also »aw,A fire towards Woodfield and Leurs’ mill. It was 40 Chains from my mill;— There were several inen trying to put it out, - I returned to my mill to get the engine btit, during which time I found Jopes’r house was on fire. My premises Were burbCd; and were not insured. We only got the engine put and some of the saws, About 30,000 ft of sawn timber was burnt. My loss was fully AIOOO. The wind Was blowing hard from N.W. I know nothing of the prigiß ; pf the fire, 1 know there yrsm a fire lit in the bush n week pre*

vioua on 1 Youngmanfi fiebtioripbut as the ground was damp I did not take further nbfibb.T I (Mrißlßfibt oorinbri/ 1 that flite with the one on the 13th.

“Joseph Hall, deposed—l am a bushman ; lam employed-by Leurs and Woodfield. On the" day of -the) fire I and a mate went to work, a chain and a half -from .the road and two or thfee chains from toil mill. I had was a fire rising up in the scrub. I -paw it raboUt- tWo' chains fMtyi uirf /When I sawjtstajt.l .did fiotthitflc fhefe. to be any harm, although the wind- was strong; but I werit/to get my hprseputof the bush. Davie lit a small bit or fire two day4before in fi .bit of small green scrub. There Weicln'odeaiJ . tees jwhere .we lit -the fire to 'my knowing, but there' were such .tMfeS atbund..! /ffiefbiliad bceiisST.bitdK®ee on fire for severiri/ r to May |3th. We have instructions from opr employers to cut down and bqfnlafcftißlOWe were engaged clearing scrub on May 13 fch bftfcngt; bprning day before. The y bijek' jteb ,siKWf on fire tto d^y 6 obpf9re. ; Tlie . r .^ch-, f ;&efP waß P)f6urtp c hye pbgjfts/ we saw i fire start. We fiqA haye jijqd fiypiy vPrpqaqtioni'ljqfe this treejyps sp p}4fiue, ? arjd tbelipypicjaught fire in the top from a spark. There was fire on this tree, on the night' of thp j 12th.. We had, fid'bfdfers t 6,/ fire. My dpinibn IS'that Was alight, and no fire had been lit it is pibbable the’fire might comePjrromit; but I cannpt/sfly., Weltbpk...the scrub to cat it anfibrinot/briiii no instruction to put trees that might 'catch fife. T.do not know if there were other fires. Davie and I had to cut theficrfib by j the piece over ten acres. This old %ee V'was" in the ten acres. In going down for my horse 1 saw.a lot of smoke :frqm" aho,ther fife yrtrich ifugP he in Ybungmams ouish. ' I'cbuld not say if there was any .connexion, between the two fires. When 1 1'gw t’b tb Lerirfc and Woodfield’s mill the .fire had spread, and we altufned'ont!\b extingnisn* it. v ffHe fire/was near Mr* Simmond’a house. My opinion is that the fire originated .'from the fire in the old birch tree. JohnTßionfiop'db deposed—l am irianager for Leurs and Woodfield. On May 13th I recollect a; fire taking .place. IhadM conversation with B. Youngman regarding it. He said “ I Ijaye ,b?en ,tryingitp set fire'to the scrub near my house, and it would not burn.” His house was near the bush. Between 11 and 12 o’clock on the previous evefaing Isriw one or twO WSb-tbps on’fife in Youngman’s bush. We had a fire in our brisk clearing derub on the day or two before, and the embers remaining were alight on the 13th. Hall."land 7 Davie had the contract for clearing the scrub, and would have lit. , the fires. It is usual to clear the land in' this way, and May, June, and July are the best months to do it. There would have 1 been no danger it the wind had not been so very high. My opinion is that the fires on Leqrs aqd Wopdfield’s section and 6b Wungman’s 'sMtiqnl mec.‘ “’/ John Davie, deposed—l am a brishiriari working, jWith. JJall At a cpntrspt clearing, scrub for Lews an^,Woodfield, I saw .the fire break .out' bn between 9 aqd JQ; o!olb,ck on May .‘"J had lightedfi day in the scrub. The fire on Saturday; seemed to come from, an old birch tree which had been on fire fpr pome time. ,Thif tree fitpod in the of the wta4v; ;; , •,,> Harry,youngman,“ the fire bn. (May 18thr#^ i; pb fibibg to W 7 bush saw . springiiugg up in Leurs find, Woodfield’s section. ‘We bad a man named Cashel putting up firewood I said to Cashel, ln r»o. Are?’/ He replied—"dPes, I saw it this mprmngi^ (li j[ then said—” us go to if. We I found the fire about Three chains from Luera and Woodfield’s mill. I also met-Orfynal, one of their men; 'He said—“ Is the* fibrin your bush!” I said— I 'f. ¥e|s’’l He By Hod, then nothing will stop it,” There had been fires for some days in Leurs and Woodfield’s -bush,/ r Ti®fß fife °bl way's pfbcautibbk iakfen. to prevent the' firms ’ spreading. We had fi 1 fire On’Otif-section 1 tb' clear 'bft fi few - green lawyers r 6tf lhe D obtside :i bf our bush db the 1 previous evening, but it quite out, -j ' The cbrbbbf explained ip the jury the facts bf the evidence, Which tebded to show that jbhe fire had been started by the tree referred « jaiy T io decide ,pnjitp ■ JBoasibly jit, ight be advisable tb add a rider that some lactment should be made providing the onths during which l ! bosh ' 'nrteS should ‘be ;hted. It was nwesiffy thittheiß inquiries ould be held, for unless some inquiries sre made the insurance be th .rtadbSnffl- propefty- Ibi this district, or the; pjpjqiujnfr of insurancentO! high rate.' * r , ~, . After some deliberation among the juryen, as ,it was their ppiziion theare .iverej her ‘fifes' besides ’the'' One traced to the rch tree, .they applied for ■an adjbufnmeut Hll Wednesday, June 21st, at 2 p.m, for other witnesses to be/called, the names -being handed in by one of the jurors, j The Coroner stated the jurymen were bound in their own recognizances to, APPPfit on the'dafte named, e'ach^;ib|th'e win of £2O.