The Enquiry.

Manawatu Herald, 31 August 1895, Page 2

The Enquiry.

On Thursday the Coroner, Mr E. S. Thynne, heid an enquiry into the tire which totally destroyed the Tram-sheds on Monday night. Messrs England (Foreman), W. Robin3on, Jenks, Oaborne and Harrison were the jury. The following evidence was taken : — Henry Bradcock, being sworn, said — I am a billiard marker living at Fuxton ; I was occupying a portion of the building on the Main street, Foxion, that was destroyed by fire on Monday night a3 a billiard room ; I was renting it from Mr Alf. Fraser as agent for the owner, at five shillings per week ; I was in my billiard room on Monday night up to about a quarter past ten, when I closed up and left for home ; I put all the lights out, and had no fire in the building ; I left by the front door and locked it after me ; I went straight home ; when I heard the firebell I got out of bed and went down to the fire ; it was then about II o'clock ; the whole of the build ings were on fire when I got down there; I had my billiard table and fittings in the room, chairs, looking glas3, rifle and a box of clothes belonging to a young man living at the heada ; I put the value ac £SO or £90; the billiard table and fittings were insured fo.i £60 in the Standard Insurance Company ; I have not the slightest idea how the fire started ; I had no liabilities upon the property destroyed. By the Constable — Jonson, the coo.k.of the Queen of the South was one of the last in the room on Monday night and Jack Lee ; I came out of the billiard room with Jonson and went to Procter's for a drink at about a quarter to ten ; we then went to the Queen of the South for some oysters and then I returned back to the billiard room ; this would be soon alter ten and no one was present ; I blew the lamps out ; I stood at the front door and walked with W. Cook; this wonid be immediately after I returned from the" Queen of the South ; the room next mine was unoccupied ; the last occupant left on Sunday ; 1 had not charge of the room but I had the key of the room ; no one could get in withont breaking in ; I bought two billiard balls extra from what I bought with the table ; I paid 17s 6d from them ; I have not bought anything else; I paid £40 for the table and fittings in March 1894 ; I insured it for £60 in the following April ; I think I went into occupation of the room last April ; there was no kerosene spilt about the floors ; I had half a tin of kerosene in the front room ; I bought the last tin from either Westwood or Rhodes a month ago ; I use a tin every five w^eks now ; I have bought one tin and some bottles from Mr Rhodes during the last three mon'h* ; I have bought about 20 bottles from EJeunessy and the same quantity from Westwood during the past three months ; also about 80 bottles from Joe Tos in the same time ; I spoke to Mrs Imrie on Monday night at the back of the premises about half past nine, before I went to the steamer, that is between the Sheds and fchePost Office ; she was going

towards the street | 1 wetit Out by the back door } I was just making a living with the table ; I was speaking of shifting ; Ido not think flax stored would take fire of its own accord. Be-examined— The mortgage upon the billiard table has been paid off but I obtained ft new advance and Mr Perreau retains the old mortgage as a security for the same j this is for an amount of £14. Patrick Skellan, being sworn, said — I am a laborer living at Foxton ; I was engaged at work on the wharf on the night of the fire, the Queen of the South was just leaving ; I looked at the time when I went on board it was then ten to twelve minutes to 11; she left 6 minutes after ; I was shifting the lines of the steamer and noticed a light in the window and under the door in the room next to the billiard room, unoccupied then ; I ran up the railway siding leading to the buildings and came upon the Main street and looked in at Bradcock's door and tried the knob and noticed the flames appeared to be coming through the roof by the partition on the north side of Bradcock's billiard room ; I ran up and rang the firebell ; T noticed no fire on the north end of the building ; as I came up from the wharf I noticed no fire on the left of the buildings from the unoccupied room on the north of Bradcock's ; I believe the fire started in the building where I first noticed it ; I passed the buildings with Captain Harvey in going to the wharf about twenty minutes before the fire broke out ; I noticed a light in Bradcock's front rooms, it went out and I heard the door shut and 1 saw somebody in dark clothes standing in the footpath ; we saw no one else. By the Foreman -When the light was extinguished by whoever came out of the billiard room I noticed no other light about premises. By the Constable — As I went to the wharf my back would be to the buildings and I therefore did not notice any lights and I did not turn round to look. Albert Shadbolt being sworn, said— l am a butcher living in Foxton ; 1 live about 25 or JX) yards away from the scene of the fire, at the back ; I was in bed when I heard the alarm of fire, I looked out and saw the fire roaring through the two windows, one in Bradcock's billiard room and one in the adjoining room to the north ; I did not see fire anywhere else then ; I passed the front of the building about a quarter to ten; I .saw no one about ; I then commenced to move my goods after 1 first saw the fire ; I could not pee the furthest end of the building from my window ; Bradcock's billiard room \va3 lighted up when I went by at a quarter to ten. Jane Imrie being sworn, said — I am the wife of J.<hn Imrie, Stationmaster at Foxton, I know the building that was destroyed by fire ; our house is 30 or 40 yards from (he north end and back of the building ; about 20 minutea to 11 I went to the Post Office from my house by the back of the building that was , burnt ; wh^n I got home I looked at the time ; I saw only Mr Bradcock, he came round from his front door and met me at the S-mth-west end of the building ; we spoke to each other; he turned and went back the same way he came ; it was , when I was going home that 1 met Bradcock ; I went straight to bed ; . I heard a cracking noise and I got up and looked out of the front door ; it could not be more than a quarter of an hour after I returned; I just saw a light in Bradcock's billiard room building ; it was the only light I saw ; I saw no light elsewhere nor about the tank ; somebody ran past calling out fire as I was standing at the door ; I woke my little girl and sent her for her father ; the fire seemed to develope most in the billiard room ; the sparks were blowing more towards Shadbolt's house ; some time afterwards I noticed smoke coming from the unoccupied room north of Bradcock's ; shortly afterwards I noticed fire coming from the roof of the building were the fibre was stored. By the Foreman— Mr Bradcock came out of his front door. Jessie Shadbolt being sworn, said — I am the wife of Albert Shadbolt ; on the first alarm of fire on Monday night I looked through my bedroom window which has a view of the back of the buildings burnt ; through the windows of Bradcock's billiard room I saw the flames which appeared to be burning on the wall on the north of the room ; I noticed no fire elsewhere ; the glare was very large, it appeared to light all of a minute. John Imrie being sworn, said— l am stationmaster at Foxton ; the Railway Department owned the premises destroyed ; they were leased to Mrs Reeves for a term oi 7 years at £40 a year ; about 5 years of the lease had expired ; they were insured f>r either £150 or £250; a few minutes before 11 I saw the fire ; lifter the fire had broken out I passed the front and I noticed the fire breaking out through the doors of I the fibre shed at the north-west corner of ihe building ; I went to my house ; on my verandah I noticed a light in the billiard room ; the flames in the fibre shed wei'e burning rounfl I the open-lattice work on the top of

the doors; the wind was westerly; the roof had not caught then nor tot westerly rill ; my view was some minutes after Mrs Imrie's ; my impression at time was there were two fires ; I fix the time by my daughter meeting me in front of Gray's house. James Smith being sworn, said— lam a carter living at Foxton ; I stored some flax in the building destroyed by fire, on Monday evening at 5, some 5 bales belonging to George Coley ; the shed was not quite fall ; some bales were stored on the platform on end, and others were stacked crossway on the ground, 8 tiers high, being within 4 feet of the roof ; the doors were left closed, but not locked ; there was no sign of fire then. Thomas Proctor being sworn, sail —I am a hotel keeper living at Foxton, which hotel is just across the street of the premises destroyed by fire ; I heard some one call out about 5 minutes to 11 ; I had just prei viously asked the time off McClosky ; I went over to the tramsheds ; Tote Barber came with me and McClosky followed ; I noticed smoke at the back of the room adjoining Bradcock's ; I burst open the front door of the billiard room and saw the ceiling of the room was on fire and fire on the wall to the north ; the two end lamps in the chandelier over the table were alight and blazing up ; l went out and shut door; I went then into the next room to the north ; the back part of the floor in front portion of the building was smouldering on the left hand side, and in the back room of the same division there was a big body of fire ; when I came out I went along the footpath and did not see any fire at the north end ; the body of the fire was in the back of the room adjoining the billiard room, and more towards the billiard room partition than towards the fibre partition. George Coley being sworn, said — I am a flaxmiller living at Foxton ; I had three tons twelve cwt of fibre stored in the premises destroyed by fire, uninsured ; I had also stored 97 bales of fibre for Patterson; the value of my fibre was from 4585 to £40; there was an insurance on Patterson's ; it is not likely the fibre would take fire spontaneously; 1 know nothing about the fire. William Barnard Bhodes being sworn, said— l am a storekeeper living at Foxton ; I am agent for the Standard Insurance Co. in Foxton ; Bradcock had an insurance of £60 on the table and the fittings *f the billiard room ; he has given notice of a claim ; there has been no amount booked to Bradcock for kerosene or anything else since I have been in business on my own account ; I should sny it is nearer four months ago since I sold him a tin of kerosene for cash ; I have seen his childrtn in now and again for bottles of kerosene ; the insurance on the billiard table was in Bradcock's unme. Thfjury after due consideration bflievo t lie fire to have originated in u n unoepiipiYd room in the centre of the building, but how or from what cause there is no evidence to prove. We consider the enquiry quite justified by the evidence.