The Tredenham Fire.

Manawatu Herald, 3 June 1893, Page 2

The Tredenham Fire.

At the Hutt Courthouse on Thurs. day before Mr J, Ashcroft. Coroner, and a jury of six, an inquiry was held into the origin of the fire. at a house called Tredenham, iq the Lower Hutt, Mr T. Wilford appeared for the Sun Insurance Company. Mr Skerrett for the Misses Webb, and Inspeotor Pender for the police. The jury having inspected the remains of the house which had . been completely burned to the , ground, only the chimneys being still standing, the first witness called was Richard Apps, a labourer living at the foot of the bridge, Lower Hutt, who deposed that he had charge of the building known as Tredenham House. He was employed by Captain Baldwin to look after the house at night. He always slept there, but was never there during the day, he had been in charge since the sth April, and his instructions from Cap tain Baldwin were to open the win dows and doors in the daytime and olose them at night. To his knowledge the building was over 19 years old, it was of wood and contained 10 rooms downstairs and two rooms above. Witness last saw the building on the morning of Wednesday, May 24, at about a. quarter to six, when he left to go to work. Wit ness left the two side windows open and the back door just drawn to. All the other doors were locked. Witness first saw the fire at about fifteen minutes past 6 o'clock in the evening while he was having his tea. He met Mr Scales, who accompanied him into the grounds. The fire was in the old dairy at the back of the house, behind the kitchen chimney. When witnes3 arrived the fire was breaking through the roof. He rushed in and secured his blanktts and mattrass. He did not call for any assistance ; there was an artesian well at the back of the house, but there were no buckets. Witness could not account for the fire. Captain Baldwin had not called to see him about it. Alfred de Bathe Brandon, solicitor, deposed that the Misses Webb were the owners of the property, subject to a mortgage for £1850 to Mrs Kelham. —To Inspector Pender : Captain Baldwin had an interest in I the property at one time, but not latterly. Mr Baldwin was liable on the mortgage as one of the mortgagors. Robert Cleland deposed that he

I saw Captain Baldwin on the afterI noon of May 23rd crossing the bridge and going towards Tredenham House. Witness was positive that it was Captain Baldwin he had seen on the day before the fire. — To Mr Wilford : Witness had known Baldwin, by sight for three-or-fow years, and thought that on the day mentioned he was wearing a yellow over' coat. John. Apps, 10 years old, deposed he passed Tredenham House a little after 5 o'clock. Three other boys were with witness, but none cf them went inside the grounds. Witness saw no appearance of fire nor any persons in the grounds. Andrew Nesbitt Burns deposed that coming from Wainui he passed McNab's gardens at about 6.15 p.m. on the Queen's Birthday, and noticed the fire at Tredenham House. There was no one there when he arrived. Witness then rode rapidly to the police station. !He walked back a portion of the way with the constable and rode the rest. He was absent about five minutes. On his arrival at the scene of the fire the second time, witness saw by his watch that it was 25 minutes to seven. William Gough, a guard on the railway, deposed that he was in charge of the train that left Wellington at 2.28 on the Queen s Birthday. Just before leaving Kaiwarra he saw Captain Baldwin in one of the second clays carriages in the act of folding up a yellow oilcloth coat. He asked witness for a return ticket to Petqne, which f was,supplied. Captain Baldwin/gotbut-afc-OPetone, and asked witness what 'time the next train would come back, but he did not travel by it. Alice Elizabeth Hill, living at Lower: Hutt Racecourse, deposed that on the Queen's Birthday afternoon, about half-past 4, she noticed a man with a yellow overcoat coining across the paddocks and walking towards Petone. George Waddington deposed that he saw i aptain Baldwin at his hotel about half-past 7 on the night 6f the 24th May. Noticed nothing unsual in Captain Baldwin's demeanour. He stayed at tea, and left übout a quarter past 8. v Arthur Downes, licensee of the Club Hotel in Wellington, deposed that he recollected Captain Baldwin staying at his house on the night of the 28 rd of May, and leaving after lunch on the 24th. He returned about half-past 9 on the same night. He was very wet when he returned, and brought his things down ; to,' the fire. Alexander Oruickshank, constable in charge at Lower Hiiltt, deposed that at 6.20 on the evening of May 24th he went, with Mr^Burnslto Tredenham. On going to/the Jtack of the house he saw' ttie dairy on fire. ' The' fire ; the'ri had a firm hold on the building. Witness entered the house terid found the front and , kitphen ■, windows open. He saw no "iftid not see Captain Batdwiri on the 24th, but, in company with Detective Ede, met, Captain Baldwin,!; about half past 10 o'clock on the 25liA^Iay in the Waiwstu road near' 'frede'nhani, Captain Baldwin said,/ (xogd gracious.! the papers are fill Wrong ; they show me as ; haying., % large, intoi'flst, whereas I have ho' at all. 1 He then made some,^n* coherent remark which witness * did not catoh, after which he said^ 1 1 have orily got a : quarfeV^{^M" %^ share. 1 Detective Ede asked him for particulars. ; Baldwin .said, [ I cannot wait now, I have" to return by the next train to „see the insurance agent,' and continued to walk ahead of witness and Detective Ede towards Tredenham. His manner was very «xcitedtfc.*<He seemed to be very* much troubled. He entered the grounds' and » tftayed at the scene of the fire for several minutes, and then *walk&Tibff{ towards- the station- • In* reply tola further request tor partiGulars,«Baldwin said that he had juat time, to catch the train, but that he would return to the Hutt byi- (then $ o-'ckfek train with the agent and give full particulars. It was then * twenty - five minutes to 11. Witness had not seen Captain Baldwin from that time until the afternoon of^tjbe inquiry \ John L. Bethune, insurance agent for the Sun office, deposed* that in March, 1890, he sold : Tredenham, with 7£ acres, to Captain Baldwin for £1800. Witness was ; 'then acting lor Mrs Kelham. The t&ihs of the sale were- one-fourth cash/tne balance to bo \>aid in-, two" years' time; interest at 6 per cent. - The fourth cash was paid, and ' the balance secured, to the best of witness 1 knowledge. On accptinfc of Mrs Kelham's illness no ,pyesß«?e was brought to bear on the. Oaptain at the expiration of the 12 mon^s. The place was insured in tha Sun Insurance Company. One policy was taken out for £600 on the' 25th March, 1890. Some months "ago' a new corrugated iron roof, which cost £100, was placed on the house, and Captain Baldwin took out a further policy for £100 on the 26,th/6f July, 1892. The policies were in the name of Mrs Kelham.. ;When Captain Baldwin bought the property it was insured for £700. Just previous to the fire, witness > had endeavoured to sell the -property, as agent for Captain ' * Baldwin, ~,ior £2050, but witness could not sell it.

Since the fire he had been offered £180 per acre for the property. Captain Baldwin called at witness 1 J office the day after the fire and told him that the place was burned down and Mrs Kelham would sign the' insurance papers. Witness replied that he could do nothing about the* insurance as the matter was in the hands pf the police. Captain Baldwin^aid to witness that he had been to Tredenham on the day of the fire, JkhaJb there were a number of boys ;ab6afc the place, he had driven them away and locked up the place. Witness saw Captain Baldwin again on* : Saturday, 27th May, about 10 o'clock. He then burst into tears and said he had not slept or eaten anything since the fire ; he said he had been in the house on the Queen's Birthday, smoking and throwing matches about. He had left about halt-past 4, and had not seen the fire. Detective Ede corroborated the evidence of Constable Cruickshank, and Mr Potter gave evidence as to valuation of the property, , ! 1 Constable McGill produced the depositions made by Captain Baldwin at the police station, which were in effect that he had intended visiting the football matches on the Queen's, Birthday afternoon, but had changed .his mind and gone to Tredenham. He saw several boys in the grounds and ordered them out. He then went into the house and sat smoking his pipe for some time, and admitted throwing matches about carelessly. After having finished his pipe, he 'locked the doors and started to walk to Ngahauranga. He stopped at the White Horse Hotel and had his tea,' and then decided to walk on into Wellington. After the depositions had been put in the entire evidence" was read, and as Captain Baldwin's cross-examination was expected to be a lengthy one, and the lawyers present expressed an intention to address the Coroner, it was decided to adjourn the Court at 9.40 until half-past 10 the next morning. — Abridged from N.Z. Times,