FIRE AT THE RAILWAY STATION.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2019, 13 August 1880, Page 3

FIRE AT THE RAILWAY STATION.

A coroner’s enquiry before Dr. Coward and a jury, of whom Mr Edward Pavitt was foreman, was held at the Terminus Hotel yesterday afternoon into the, circumstances connected with the fire at the Christchurch Kailway Station on Sunday, the Bth instant. Inspector O’Donnell watched the proceedings for the police. After the jury had reviewed the scene of the fire, evidence was taken. Frederick Back, traffic manager of the Kailway Department, said that he first heard of the fire at noon on Sunday last. Mr Graham told him that there was a fire at his office. He walked down and found that the Eire Brigade with the assistance of others had put it out, and saved all the books and papers. He last left the premises on Saturday evening at a quarter to six, when there was a small coal fir© burning in tbo stove, a wire screen being in front of it. He remembered it distinctly, because about five o’clock a gentleman and lady called to see him, and he placed a chair for her at the fireside. _ It was the duty of the watchman after officials had left the offices to see that there was no danger from fires, he having keys to all the rooms. It was for him to see that all offices were properly scoured, that no one had access to them, and to visit them occasionally and see that everything was safe. By the Jury—He could not say whether all the doors were looked when he left. The woman was cleaning the passage when he left, and she would have access to the rooms. He never made any effort to secure the door unless at night, when he had a pass-key. On Sunday the offices were supposed to be closed altogether, except any of them were at work. By Inspector O’Donnell —When he returned to the office on Sunday he found the panelling round his room and the floor near the fireplace most injured —considerably burned, there being a large hole in the floor, and there waa also a large hole in the ceiling near the hearth of the upstairs room; so it was doubtful where the fire originated. The hearth and more than a yard of the upstairs room had fallen through. The principal beam in

; the floor of the lower room was much charred i on its upper surface, which caused a doubt in i his mind whether the. fire commenced in the upstairs or downstairs room. The lower grate had had a new back within the last month. The extent of the damage done was from £l6O to £2OO. Had the fire been on the other side of the passage it would hare destroyed all the records and books. After six in the morning the watchman handed over his charge to the porter. By the Jury—He did not think it eould have originated from the gas, Catherine Morrell, employed at the railway station to clean the offices, left them at twenty minutes to seven on Saturday night last, having cleaned the fireplace in Mr Back’s room, the one in the adjoining room, and that in the Engineer’s room, over Mr Back’s. She was positive that there was no fire in any of them when she left. By Inspector O’Donnell—She set a fire ready for lighting in the upper room, opposite Mr Back’s. There was a screen to the top fireplace, and no flaw in the hearth. John Loftus Campbell, night watchman at the railway station, went on from eight in the evening until six in the morning, and on Sunday from 10 p.m, till 6 a.m. His duties were to take a general supervision over the whole premises, to see that all,'fires were extinguished and the doors locked. He went through Mr Back’s and adjoining rooms, both down-stairs and up-stairs, at half-psst eight on Saturday evening, when everything was safe, no fires existing in any of them. He next visited them between twelve and one and at a quarter past four on Sunday morning, when everything was safe. He had a closed lamp. He went through them by himself, and did not stay in any of the rooms longer than to see all was right. By Mr Back—Witness was perfectly sober on the night in question. Since the fire on Monday night he had allowed a stranger to go into Mr Back’s office. Between two and half-past two on Sunday morning he was near Mr Back’s office. He had never allowed a stranger in the office since the fire. He was aware it had come to Mr Back’s knowledge that a stranger was allowed in on Monday night, and admitted it to that gentleman when challenged. The person admitted was Mr Bain. It was his duty to prevent persons going in the offices. He was paid to prevent persons going into them at unseasonable hours. He did not make any report of this person haying been in before Mr Back taxed him with it. It was his duty to report anything unusual which occurred during the time he was on duty. When it was discovered by the detective that he had admitted Mr Bain, he could not remember whether he asked him not to say anything about it. He knew Mr Back was in the habit of leaving papers on his office table. He had never read any of them. (Witness here prevaricated, and the Coroner threatened to commit him for contempt if he did not answer the questions.) This Mr Bain was not on the premises on the night previous to the fire. He had been often in the

station-master's office. Witness might have come to the Terminus Hotel at times whilst on duty for drink. He was once employed as constable on the railway, and received notice that his services would be dispensed with. He appealed to Mr Back to find him something, and several changes had to be made to get him a berth. Charles Bishop, night porter at Christchurch railway station, went on duty at eleven o’clock on Saturday night, his duty being to clean the station and carriages. He was on until eight [o’clock on Sunday morning. He saw the last witness about five minutes to two coming from the direction of the manager’s office or porter’s room, and he again saw him a little before five. By Mr Back—Witness never knew Campbell to go into the porter’s room. The watchman might admit persons to the manager’s office by the front without witness’s knowledge. Witness had seen the watchman at times when he appeared to have been drinking. Campbell was not on the station from half-past two until five o’clock on Sunday morning. He did not believe Campbell was in the manager’s office about four o’clock that morning. John Q-reenhough, shunter, was working at the station at half-past twelve on Sunday, when a boy in the refreshment room told him the manager’s office was on fire. He saw a blaze through the back windows. No one was there, and he began to get the buckets down and throw water on the fire. A number of persons came up and burst open the iron gates. Witness got the manager’s key, and some persons obtained an entrance by the front door. The room was filled with smoke, and witness ran and rang the bell. William Pickford, a boy employed in the railway refreshment room, deposed to seeing smoke issuing out of the chimney of the manager’s office at six o’clock on Sunday morning, and afterwards till twelve o’clock, when he noticed it escaping from the front windows, and gave an alarm of fire to last witness. They both ran to the manager’s office, and saw that the interior was in flames.

Horatio Jones, a private detective employed by the railway department, found the front door of the station wide open between one and two o’clock in the morning a few weeks ago. He called the attention of the night watchman to it, and he explained that the engineers were at work. Detective Thomas Neil made an examination of the scene of the fire on Sunday. The greatest damage was done on the south-west corner of Mr Back’s room, where the floor and joists were burned and the mantlepieoe on the south side. The floor in the upper room was burned corresponding with the part below. His belief was that the fire had burned from below upwards. There were no traces of ashes about the fire-place in Mr Back’s room, but in the grate of the upper room there was some coal partially burned. By Mr Back—About half-past one on Tuesday morning a man named Bain accosted witness and said that another attempt had been made to burn the station, and eleven matches had been found on the floor. He asked witness to go, and they went together. On knocking at the door Campbell said he did not know if he should let them in, but if they would take the responsibility he would. Witness said he would take the responsibility, and they went in, another detective joining them. They went into Mr Back’s room, where the supposed attempt had been made, and witness said, “ Now, where was the_ attempt made ? ” He pointed to the wainscoting, and witness noticed that the boards were somewhat discolored, but on looking closely saw that it was either paint or varnish, and told them so. He looked, but could see no matches. They examined where the fire was and left. Bain called at witness' house to get him to go down. Ho could not say that either Campbell or Bain were drunk, but he thought they had a little. This was the whole of the evidence, and the coroner directed that it was to be determined whether the fire was caused accidentally, or by some person whose intention it was to destroy the place. The jury retired, and brought in the following verdict :■ —“ The opinion of the jury is that the place has been wilfully set on fire by some person or persons unknown, but there is no evidence to show by whom.” The following rider was attached —“ The jury regrets that the premises were not left as they were after the fire.”