MAN BURNED TO DEATH

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 42, 12 November 1937, Page 6

MAN BURNED TO DEATH

•Press Association.)

Fatal Fire in Two-Roomed Whare NEIGHBOUR'S DISCOVERY

(By TelegraDh—

AUCKLAND, Last Night. Apparently overcome by smoke and fumes while asleep, Robert Poston Ritchie, aged 64, was incinerated in a two-roomed wooden whare in which he Jived alone at Brigham's Creek, near Kumeu, when it was burned to the ground some time before dawn. The tragedy was discovered by a neighbour, and it is the theory of the poJHce that the fire waa oaused by embers failing from an open' fireplace on to a heap of kindling wood customarily kept by the fireplace. After being engaged in his garden on Wediiesday, Mr. Ritchie Was seen to enter his hut about six o'clock that evening, according to the evidence given at the inquest by Alexander Ralston, who lives in another whare about 50 yards away. Mr. Kltchie's hut was again observed to be safe when Mr. ltfilston retired about midnight, but when the latter left his whare in the morning he saw smouldering ruins. On making an examination of. the scene, Mr. Ralston found the remains of Mr. Ritchie on a wire mattress, and immediateiy summoned his empJoyer, Mr. Alexander Robert Sinton, a wellknown farmer, wh0 informed the police. Jleither Mr. Ralston nor Mr. Sinton saw anything during the night to raise their suspicions that the fire had hap pened. t The stai cment was made at the inquest by Mr. Ralston that inK the five years he had known Mr. Ritchie he had often warned him about being careless.with logs failing from the fireplace where he did his cooking. It was a liabit of Mr. Ritchie to place logs on the fire that were too large for the grate, .and Mr. Ralston said he had frequently seen the burning ends fall out on to the floor °f the whare. The coroner. Mr. F. K. Hunt, said it, was a sad and unfortunate tragedy. He gave a verdict that Mr. Ritchie was accidentally burned to death.