Inquest on Fire.

Manawatu Herald, 5 September 1896, Page 2

Inquest on Fire.

Yesterday afternoon Mr E. 8. Thynne, Coroner, held an inquiry into the origin of the fire which de* stroyed the two cottages the pro* perty of Mr Lane, at Foxton, situated on Stewart street.

The following were the jury :— C. England (foreman), J. F. Orerand, J. Bradley, 0. T Austin, and R. fi. Barber.

The following evidence was taken :—

Samuel OollinaLane, being sworn, said— l am storeman at the U.F.A. Palmerston North. I know the premises destroyed by fire owned by my pod, who is thirteen years of age. The property was left as a legacy by his grandfather, William Atkins, about five and a half years ago. I am married to a daughter of William Atkins. My mother-in-law, Mrs Atkins, has no interest in the property. The first intimation I had of the fire was seeing the fact stated in the Manawatu Timet. I came down to Foxton on the following Sunday. The buildings were insured in .the New Zealand Insurance Office for £75. They have been insured for the last 20 years for the same amount and in the same office. One building had six rooms, one building had three rooms. I draw the rents from these cottages. I have arranged with Mr Hankins to draw the rents and hand (hem over to Mrs Atkins.

I have not been in Foxton for five years. Ido not know whether they were occupied or not. Made a claim through Mr Hanking the day before yesterday for the insurance. The insurance would come to me for my son. The will says I have to provide for Mrs Atkins out of the estate. I will have to "find money for Mrs Atkins the rents failing. Mrs Atkins has no means of her own. The rents have failed. Hates and tales and insurance have had to be paid. Have had conversation since the fire. Mrs Grammer has told me the con* stable had sent to the Ashiirst golitieman to inquire about the Are. That w&s all she said. Mrs Grammer said she had been in Foxton on the day of the fire. She did not say where she went. I think Bhe Baid she was at Mrs Collins and at Mrs Cook's*

By the Coroner—No other members of the family are helping to keep my raother.in«law. The rents have been barely sufficient to keep her. I have had to subsidise them. She lives by herself. By the Oonstable^-Thq policy of insurance on the table is that on the property destroyed by fire.

Henry Lyall, being a worn, said — T am pupil teacher at the State School, Fox ton. I was on the river on Thursday. 20th August, when I noticed a fire on the river bank. This would be between twenty minutes past seven to half-past seven. Went to the fire which ttas at the back of Austin's mill. Mr Hird and myself were the first at the fire. There were two buildings, and the fire was burning in the centre of the larger building, both ends were intact. Some boys came running over just as we arrived. There was no one about when I got there. By the Coroner— The fire was coming through the centre of the roof. I noticed no chimney. The building was a two-storied one. I heard the fire bell ring soon after I got to the fire. I stayed at the fire till the smaller building caught. This would be about half»an-hour. I saw some bundles of tow in the smaller house in two room?, as though they had been used for beds. 1 noticed no signs of fire in the fireplace. I went round the larger building directly I got there. The outer doors were Shut, the windows were shut. Ido not think the windows were boarded up.

Martha Atkins being sworn, said— I first heard the houses were destroyed on the Monday following the fire. I went to the cottages nine or ten day3 before the fire. I saw two boys who were living there, they were in the small building. I went round it. I got one of the two boys to drive a nail into some boards into the side of the building. There were 12 or 13 panes of glass broken in the little building. There wero four rooms in the small building. I have an interest in the place, from old associations. There is no understanding between my son-in-law and myself about the rents. I do not know the cause oi tbe fire. I have heard no one say anything about the fire before or after it. Oa the Sunday after the fire Mrs Qrammer said when she was in Fox ton she had been round the old place. The small building was added to and improved about 15 years ago. The larger building was built after the •mailer one was enlarged.

By the Coroner— l live sometimes with Mrs Lane and Bometiraes with Mrs Grammer, and sometimes by myself. Mrs Grammer he)p3 me as far as lays in her power. If I did not get the rents the children would help me all the same.

John Herbert Hankins, being sworn, said— l am a legally qualified practitioner residing at Palmerston and am solicitor for the witness Lane, who acta as Trustee under the will of Atkins deceased, some years past, for these cottages that have been destroyed. I have been receiving the rents and paying them over to the last witness and to Mrs Grammer, recently to Mrs Grammer. The rents of late have been merely nominal owing to the property not having been occupied by tenants. I knew the policy of £75 in the New Zealand Insurance existed. The present policy covering the two cottages has been in force for the I last five years. In June last Mr Gibson my agent in Foxton, not having any rents in * hand wired on the Bth " Shall I renew Lane's policy past due." I had no funds of any kind in hand at that time. 1 thought I had paid it, and on the 9th wrote to Mr Gibson sanding him the premium, 11s Bd. The premium is still owing to me. As a matter of fact I am sure that at the time the cottages were destroyed neither of the witnesses who were called knew that the insurance had been kept up. Louisa Martha Grammer, being B worn, said — I live at Ashurst, and the witness Lane is married to my sister, and Mrs Atkins i 6 my mother. The buildings destroyed by fire I know well as I lived there as a girl. My mother sometimes lives with me, j sometimes at her own little place. I have been receiving the rents from Mr Hankins for my mother. I do not know how much I have received during the last six months. I heard of the fire the Monday after the fire. I came down from Aehurst to Foxton on Thursday 20th August by the 1,90 train. I walked along

the river bank urj to the old places paei the n*axmills 4 then td Mrg Collins, t went up the road a HttU past the houses and then came back. They were all right then. I had a look round and everything was in the same place. It is not long since I was down. I was in Foxton three months ago. Ido not know if anyone was living in the cottages when I was last there. I do not know how long the little building has been up, I was married in it, that was 22 years ago. I looked through the window of the larger building. I know many people have been living in the houses. I pasted the little building and went and looked in the window in the baok of the big building. I never entered the buildings. I have never been to Foxton without visiting the bouses. On the last occaseion I was at Foxton after visiting the houses I went to Mrs Collins and Mrs Cook. A Mrs Small was living in one of the cottages the visit six months ago* I saw some men's clothing lying on the floor in front of the fireplace in the big building the last time I wai down. I saw the clothing by looking through the back of the building. After I went back I told Lane I had been to Fozton to the old buildings and to Mrs Collins. I said I had tried to find a man named William Andrews. I asked Mrs Collins, Mrs Cook, and Border where Andrews lived. I went to the train from Mr Border's hotel. I told the constable at Ashurst that I went to Mrs Collins for money she owed me, she did owe the money. If Mrs Collins says she has not seen me for years it would be a mistake. About three months ago I visited Foxton and met Mr Bray. When I was at the old buildings the last time I noticed no one near. There were some people on the river bank.

Theodore John Mitchell, being sworn, said— l am a botanic chemist living at Foxton ; I know the two cottages destroyed by fire on 20th August ; I passed the cottages about two o'clock that day and went up Stewart-street into Austin's house ; I do not think anyone was living in the cottages ; saw no swaggers about them that day ; as I was going to Austin's I stood talking with Charles Austin in the cutting in the road just before coming to Austin's mill, a woman passed us ; I enquired who it was, but Austin did not know ; we saw her go as far as the cottages and then turn round and look at us ; she then went up Stewart-street ; I then went to Austin's house, and when in Stewart-street I noticed that this woman had passed Austin's house and was just turning to come back ; I met her, and sba went on to Rntherford's old bale shed and stood looking at it ; when she got as far as the cottages she stopped and looked towards the river and then towards ihe cottages, and then towards the them ; on returning from Austin's to Purcell-Bti\et would be a lapse of time of five or six minutes ; I looked down tho street towards the cottages and I noticed this woman on the side of the large house facing Aus* tin's, and I walked on down John* ston ?lreet; from the first time I first saw tbe woman to the last time I saw her it must have been twenty minutes; Mrs Grammer is tbe woman I saw.

Robert Small, being sworn, said - I am a labourer living at Foxton. I lived in the large building destroyed by fire for four years and a half. I left about eighteen months ago. I am now living in a house in Purcellstreefc, about 150 yards away. The houses were burnt on the 20th August. I passed the houses on that day about half past two. "When I passed the buildings were all right. I saw a woman coming up 'the road from Austin's gate, she tftrned the corner and went into thff big house. She went in by the do# 'facing Auatin'*. There is no do&r facing the other way. I saw no more of her. I remained about five minutes afterwards. I saw no other woman. I went home. When I saw the woman I was standing by the bale shed, and sa w her enter the premises. I saw the door shut after the woman entered.

By the Coroner— I know the last witness, Mitchell. Did not see him about the place that afternoon. Saw the woman before she got to Buth«rford's bale shed. The woman was a biggish woman with a black dresa and black hat on and black feather. Ido not think I should know the woman again, but I looked at her across the road. This would be about two or about half-past two. When I got home it waa about ten minutes to three. I told my wife about the woman as I thought she was going to take the house. I could not be certain about recognising Mrs G rammer, but the woman I saw in Stewart-street opposite Rutherford's bale shed is the same woman who 1 saw enter the big building.

Lillian Austin, being sworn, said —I know the cottages destroyed by fire on 20th last month. I live olose there. I saw a woman of medium height, in dark dress, dark hat, in the cutting in Johnston-street by Purcell-street. The woman was in front of me. I saw smoke coming out of the eaves of the large building. Told my sister-in-law I bad seen the smoke, this would be between a quarter to three and half* past three. I left home about halfpast two, went as far as Guerin'f.

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and then to my brother's in Purcellstreet. My sister-in-law was with me. The last 1 saw of the woman was in the paddock the river side of Johnston-street.

Ann Louisa Small, being sworn, said— l am the wife of Robert Small, and reside in a house in Pa reel I street, about three minutes walk away from the scene of the fire. I was coming home about a quarter to five, from town, and saw smoke com ing up the side of the chimney of the large building. I saw the smoke When I was between the two cuttings In Johnston-street. When I got home 1 mentioned t had seen the •moke, both to my children and a young man named Stagg. When I got through the cutting I looked at the house and the sun setting I did not notice the smoke. I smelt something burning very strong. In the evening the building was destroyed I have lived in the building 4} years. The walls were good, but the floors up and down wanted renewing. The chimnies were faulty. The small building was in a very delapidated state. It was very old. I did not raise the alarm as I thought I was deceived.

Louisa Martha 6 rammer, recalled, said — I have heard the description of the dress of the woman mentioned by witnesses, and I was dressed similarly to the description. I met no woman that day. The jury, on the evidence being completed, immediately brought in a verdict that no evidence of the origin of the eaid fire doth appear to the said jury. ,