FIRE TRAGEDY

Hokitika Guardian, 23 April 1928, Page 3

FIRE TRAGEDY

brother and sister burnt TO DEATH. (By Telegraph—Per Press Association.! WATMATE, April 23. A brother and sister were burned to death early on Sunday morning when their home situated at 111111111110 was demolshed by fire, another brother minowly escaping a similar fate. The tie-eased are Francis .John O'Brien a single man aged 60. and Freda Bertha O’Brien, single aged 59. The man who escaped just before the roof lei I in. b> climbing through a window, was Ernest •lame.-. O'Brien, single, aged ul>. I he hi,use which was a laud mark having liven erected for over 50 years was reduced to nothing hut cinders an.! twisted iron. One chimney is a 11 that i emains stalling. The- survivor Ernest O'Brien awoke about (i a.m to find his room full of smoke. Realising tmposition instantly lie got out of »eil and rushed to warn the other two occupants of the house Imt the way to their rooms was Mocked by llames He shouted to awaken his brother hut received no reply. He rushed hack in(n his bedroom, grabbed a tew clothes and jumped out of a window and rushing round the house shouted to lus sister at her window and just as he received a reply the red hot root tell ni. The charred remains of Mother and sister were later i.-covered. As his watch and braces were found on O’Brien’s remains it is surmised that

he returned home tired and very late on Saturday night and lay down on the bed fuil.v clothed and fell asleep on the bed fully clothed and 101 l asleep leaving a burning kerosene lamp of caudle, and this may have been the agent responsible for the fire.