THE FATAL FIRE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2441, 1 February 1882, Page 3

THE FATAL FIRE.

INQUEST AT WEST EYRETON.

On Tuesday an inquest was opened at the house of Mr John Erizzell, West Eyreton, touching the death of Mrs Simpson and her family of six children, said to have been burned in their dwelling house on Monday morning, before C. Whitefoord, Esq., ooroner, and the following jury—Messrs W. E. Leach (foreman), H. Free, W. J. McCutchen, A. D. Hassal, J. Page, E. Cooper, T. McDonald, G. Nankerville, G. Chappeil, G. Biddle, W. Cromio, E. Thompson, J. Page, and W. MoLean.

The coroner and jury inspected the ruins of the house and the remains of the bodies found in the ashes. The following evidenoe was then adduced:— '■'■

Henry Simpson, who was ullowed to sit, deposed—l am a farmer, living at West Eyreton. I lived at the place whioh the jury have visited. I was the husband of Margaret Simpson. Yesterday morning I left between five and Biz o'olook to go reaping with some other men to a paddock belonging to Mr Kobert Dailey, at Swannanoa. When I left home I left my wife's brother, Thomas Hanna (thirteen), my wife, and all my ohildren. (Here the feelings of witness gave way). There were six children. The family were, Margaret Simpson, aged about twentysix ; Matilda, seven years; Thomas John, five and a half ; Sarah, four; Ann Jane, two and a half ; William James, one and a half, and Henry, a baby, three months. When I left my wife was up out of bed. The ohildren were not out of bed. My wife's brother was up when I left. The house was built of wood, with shingle roof. I had breakfast before leaving, and the fire was lit for tea. There were two rooms in the house downstairs and two rooms upstairs. The fireplace was in the room downstairs, used as a kitchen, and the other room was used as our own bedroom. All the ohildren slept upstairs except the infant and the one next youngest, namely, William James (one and a half years old), who slept in our room. The fireplace in the kitchen was a gra>.e of two standards, with four bars acioss it, was an open fireplace. We used manuka wood as fuel, and old stakes ; at all events it was always wood. There was not a bij»h wind blowing when I left home. The wind came from the east. The baok door would be faoing norhwards. The kitchen room was lined with matched boardsj the ceiling was of wood. When I left home my wife had tbree cows to milk and the children to dress. The field in which I was working was about seven miles from my own house. Mr Sellars, one of the permanent way men on the line, told me about the fire about nine o'olook. He said he feared my house was burned, and in consequence of I hat I put the mare in the cart and started for home direotly. There were neighbors there. On the way Mr Frizz ill's son told me the house was down. Arrived at the house I found the house down, and the fire was still burning. Had never observed that when the wind blaw into the kitohen sparks were blown about it; in fact a passage from north to south in the house would prevent the wind going into the kitchen. The house was a comparatively new one, having been ereoted about two years ago. There was an insurance of £IOO on the house and £25 upon the contents. I could not give the value of the house, as it was put up at different times. It was worth considerably over £IOO. By Foreman —The ohildren slept in the room above our bedroom. The staircase to the children's room led out of the passage. Our bedroom door led out of the front door. My brother-in-law assisted me with the horses. I went away, knowing my little brother-in-law was going away by the train to Kaiapoi school.

Thomas Hanna, deposed—l am thirteen years of age, son of Mrs Hanna, and live at Kaiapoi with my sisters. I had been stopping at Mr Simpson's, my brother-in-law, a little over a week. I left the house yesterday on the day of the fire, about seven o'clock in the morning to go by the Oxford train from West Eyreton station to Kaiapoi. I got up thut morning before five o'clock. I saw my brother-in-law, Mr Simpson, who was going to S wannanoa to out corn. Mrs Simpson, my sister, got up to get breakfast and my brother-in-law left first in a trap About an hour after he had gone away, I left the house ; my sister came a part of the road to the station with me. When we left the house the children were in bed. Some of them were awake arid some of them still sleeping. My sister said nothing about what she was going to do or whether Bhe wculd go to bed again. She did not suy what she was going to do. The fire in the kitohen when I left was nearly out. Did not see the fire from the train when it passed. By Foreman—l looked but did not see my sister or anyone about. By Coroner—My sister was quite well, in her usual spirits, laughing and joking with me. I was doing nothing when my brother-in-law went reaping. Andrew Frizzel deposed —I am a farmer residing at West Eyreton. Yesterday morning I went to my paddook for a load of wheat, when I taw a heavy emoko coming from near Simpson's chimney. I said that must be his house or the stable on fire to the lad who was I on the lo.id, and we then ran in the direotion | of Simpson's house. I met my brother-in-law, and we went to the fire. We found the

1 house burnt down except a small piece near the ohimney. The flames were bursting out at this portion, The flames were all round it._ I tried to save a small ehurn near the obimney but could not do it. There was ro one about, nor could I see or hear of anyone. We tried when we could do nothing to save the house to tare the crop by stopping the fire with water from a porse fence and in the grass. We kept at the work till more men came. I knew nothing about anyone being in the house, esoept I expected they had gone with Simpson to Bwannanoa that morning. I knew he was to be reaping at Swannanoa as he had been there on Saturday. Sergeant McDonald said the brother-in-law could give corroborative evidence, which the coroner and jury soarcely considered necessary.

Alexander McDonald, sergeant of armed police, deposed—l am stationed at Oxford. In consequence of a report made to me at 11 a.m. yesterday I prooeeded to the scene of firo visited to-day by the jury, and found a house and furniture had been burned down, judging by the remains. I turned over the debris, and found six bodies, or portions of human remains. Two of the bodies were close to the remains of a double iron bedstead, about eighteen inches away—one at the head and the other at the foot. About two yards from the bed I found another body, the largest of those recovered. I found two other bodies about three yards from the bed, and af'er futher scaroh found a small body, which appeared to be that of an infant, amongst the chaff near the bedstead. I brought them out where the jury has to-day seen them. I went to make inquiries, and left constable Johnston searching the ruins of the fire. When I returned I found a seventh body had been recovered. There were several persons present when I arrived. I do not think by the appearances that any search had been made before I came.

James Johnston, constable armed police, deposed—l am stationed at Kaiapoi. Yesterday morning, in consequence of information, I came to West Eyreton, hearing of a fire at Simpson's house. I arrived at ten minutes or a quarter past one. I assisted the sergeant in recovering the human bodies. We obtained six bodies with little difficulty, and while the sergeant had gone to Simpson to make enquiries, I found the seventh close to where the largest body, which we oonoluded to have been that of Mrs Simpson, was found. I placed it with the bodies which the jury have inspected. It was quite impossible to reoognise any of them.

William Major deposed—l am a farmer at West Eyreton. I was assisting Erizzell yesterday in carting grain. I had to pass near Simpson's house about a ohain away. The last time I passed before the fire was about 7.30. Everything then seemed to be all right. I saw no one about. Half an hour or three-quarters after this, Frizzell called my attention to Simpson'* house being on fire. The house was then standing, and thick smoke coming out of the ohimney. The roof and walls were then perfeot. I ran then towards it. A minute after I saw smoke ; the flames burst out at the roof, close to the chimney. I bad about a mile to go. When we got there the house was in a ruin, and only the piece near the ohimney, at which the wind was blowing, remained. The roof fell in after we got there. We saw no one about, and went to work to save the orop. We remained till help came. The walls were all burnt, and only a few rafters left when we got there. I could not see through the fire to see the fireplace, or if there had been any cooking. William Henry Ovenden deposed—l am a legally qualified medical practitioner, residing at Kaiapoi. I have examined the human remains shown to me at the seene of a fire where Simpson's house stood. They were the remains of a female adult and six children. The remains were so muoh calcined as to render it impossible to say whether any violence had been committed upon them before burning. The heat to which they had been subjected had been very intense, judging by the charred condition of the bones. The infant body was not so muoh burned as the others, which I attribute to the baby possibly being in its damp napkin at that time of the morning.

The Coroner said this was all the evidence whioh could be given in this heartrending oase. It was unfortunate the boy and father had to go away, and the cause of tho fire could never be quite cleared up. Whether the fire started from a spark on the roof near the ohimney, or in the kitchen, had not been determined, but it seemed to have, so far as they could see, been a case of acoident. There appeared no doubt but that the remains viewed were those of Mrs Simpson and her unfortunate children, and he, as well as the jury, must deeply commiserate with Mr Simpson in his affliction. The jury brought in a verdiot—" That Mrs Simpson and her ohildren met- their deaths through the burning of their house, but that there is no evidence to show in what manner the fire originated."