RACING CLUB FIRE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2121, 29 April 1920, Page 2

RACING CLUB FIRE.

CORONER’S INQUIRY,

NO EVIDENCE AS TO ORIGIN. An inquiry into the.origin of the fire on March 2tkh, which destroyed the Foxton Racing Club's office, was held before Mr A. Fraser, district coroner, this morning. Detective Quivke conducted the inquiry on behalf of the police* and called evidence ns follows: —

John Wyeth, nightwalchman employed by the New Zealand Shipping Co., Ltd., stated that on the morning of March 26th last, at about -1 o’clock, he noticed smoke arising near the north end of Main Street. He went to the scene, and found the Foxton Racing Club’s premises were on fire. The fire then seemed about the centre of the interior of the building, and bad a good bold. There was no one else about at the tidilk He went to ring the tire-bell, buMRmUI not find the rope’," and then and informed Constable Woods, afterwards going to (he railway station and gelling the cleaner to blow the engine, whistle to give the alarm. The doors and windows of the Racing ('lug office were closed, lie afterwards returned to bis work. The fire had not broken through, the building when lie arrived on the scene.

Constable Woods said ho was a-

wakened by Mr Wyeth about 4 o’clock oq the morning of March 261 li. He proceeded at once to the lire. There was no other person present when' witness arrived. The tiro wqs in the rent re of the building, and was just about breaking through the eaves. He went round to I lie back of the building, and returning to the front, tried to open the door and window, and found them locked. The tire brigade arrived shortly afterwards. At about 7.30 a.m, he was present with Air. Wanklyn and Mr John Ross when the office safe was examined. He look the books (produced) from the safe. The books were all old •ones, dated 1914 to 15)17, except one with nominations for 1920 races, a rough balance for 1020, and current cheque book. The hooks were charred at the edges, but the contents were legible. He did not see any money m the safe. The live undoubtedly originated inside the building. He last saw liie building prior to the tire about 11.30 o’clock the previous night.- s ■ Frank Daniel Whihley stak'd that he arrived at the scene of the (ire about 4.30 a.m., and remained-1111111 about 7.30. lie saw the safe when the lire died down. The door of the safe qjjjs open about two inches. He was present with Messrs Bryant, Robinson, and others, when the safe was opened. There were hooks in the safe. These were blackened at the edges, but apparently not otherwise damaged. Witness did not see anv cash in the safe. The safe was afterwards closed, and witness was not present when it was opened again by Constable Woods and others.

Robert Bryant, a steward of the Foxton Racing Club, slated lie arrived on the scene of the lire at about 0 o’clock, lie left shortly after, and returned about 7 o’clock. There was still a lot of burning debris about the safe, in order to examine the safe it was pushed over. Prior to that it was lying on an angle, and the doin' was two or three inches open. The safe was opened in'witness’ presence. !t was about half full of hooks, and contained also a cash'box. The hooks were not touched. Witness lifted up the lid of the cash box, and it appeared to be empty. Witness then closed the door of the safe, and put a sheet of iron over it. He wa.s not present when Constable Woods and others examined the safe later. Frederick Alfred Williams said he was a commission agent, residing at Foxton, and lately in partnership with Mr Wanklyn, secretary of the Racing Club. Their office was situate in the Racing Club premises, lie was last in the office about 7.55 o’clock on the night, before the lire. Witness on leaving (hen locked the window and door, and left the premises secure. Witness did not have the key of the safe, and did not know what the safe contained. He first heard of the lire about 8.30 a.m. on March 20th. Witness did not know anything about Mr Wanklyn’s financial position. Frederick Spencer Easton stated he was treasurer of the Foxton Racing Club. Mr Ended Wanklyn was secretary of the Club, and occupied the premises destroyed by fire. Some time prior to the fire witness instructed Air Wanklyn to prepare a balance-sheet of the ra.ee meeting held on January 22nd and 23rd last. The date was fixed for March 15th. but the books were not then ready. Some few days before the fire a meeting of stewards of the Club wa.s held, and a balance-sheet from secretary was expected at that meeting. Air "Wanklyn was ’present at the meeting, but the balancesheet was not forthcoming, and the meeting was adjourned until Alurcii 20th. Wanklyn had promised to have the hooks ready for audit on Alarch 22nd, and Air Davis, of Palmerston North, came to Foxton to conduct the audit. He was down on a. previous occasion on the 15th. The books were not ready for the auditor on- the 22nd, and witness then instructed Air Freeman to convene an urgent meeting for Aldrch 26th, at 8 p.m., to go into the matter. # On the 23rd witness rang up Air Wanklyn and informed him of what had been done. Air AVanklyn therefore knew that the books were to be audited and a meeting was to be held on Alarch 26th, at 8 p.m. That was his last chance, anti witness impressed that upon his mind. On the morning of. the 26th the pre-

mises were destroyed by fire. Witness saw Mr Wanklyn a I a meeting held a few days later, and he was then examined as to tlie'contenis of the rash box at the lime of the lire. No definite information could he obtained from him. The cash received by Mr Wanklyn for the Club in connection with the recent race meeting should have been banked prior to the lire, the instructions from the stewards being that lie should not 'keep more than £2 in hand. The deficiency in the Racing Club's funds is about \£l2o. Mr Wanklyn is not now secretary of the Club. The building was the property of the Club, and was insured for £75. Fauloll Wanklyn said be waA a land and commission agent, residing at Foxlon, and late secretary of the Foxton Racing Club, and occupied as an office the laic building of the Racing Club. He bad been secretary'of the Club for the past seven years, and was in the office on the the fire from about a quarter to nine until II o'clock. He was overlooking the Racing Club and insurance books. He was about half an hour on die insurance books, and the balance of the .time on the Racing Chib books. When witness left the building he had not completed the Racing Chib balance-sheet. He had been very busy for a month previous, and couldn't find time to do it. He had been requested a couple of limes to prepare a bal-ance-sheet, and knew that same was to be ready for the meeting of stewards to be held (be next night. Witness expected to have it ready in about a week's time. When Mr Easton made inquiries about it witness told him it was not ready, but expected to have it ready in about a week from then (March 23rd). There was no difficulty about preparing a balance-sheet, only (hat witness said he was pushed for time. The Club's .race meeting was held two months- previously. Mr Easton’s -statement in evidence of a shortage of £l2O was approximately correct. t.T'hat shortage referred to cash. The deficiency was not the reason for the delay in making up a balance-sheet. On March 251 h there was £l2O odd in cash in the cash box in the. safe, the property of the Racing Club. It was all in notes, except about £lO or £ll in cheques, and a little silver in the bottom of the cash box. This money was for members' subscriptions, training fees, a few nominations, ami rent. Most of (he members' fees were paid between January Ist and the race mooting. Mr Procter, caretaker at (he course, paid in about £2O (raining fees a few days before the lire occurred. Between £4O and £SO of the money in the sale was for members' subscriptions. The money in the safe, with the exception of that paid in by Mr Procter, had been in witness’ possession for probably four months. Witness knew that the instructions from the Club were (hat lie was not supposed to keep more than £2 on the premises. The Racing Club account is kept with the Bank of New Zealand . at Foxlon. Witness’ last hanking dale before the lire was some time in February. Witness did not hank the whole amount in Ids possession becaimo he had not arrived at the petty cash balance. Witness had been seven years secretary of (lie Club, and bad a fairly good idea of the amount of nelly cash required for the conduct of tin 1 race meeting. This would he aboul £l-1 or £ls. Witness kept the cash in the safe through dilatoriness. As far as witness knew no one except himself knew how much money was in the safe. On the nigh! of March 25th, after finishing his work, witness locked the door and went home. He was perfectly sober. He had a fair memory. He wouldn’t be sure if he locked the safe before going home that night. No one else except himself had a key of the sale. He had heard (lie evidence that the door of the safe was ajar after the. fire, and was present with Constable Woods when the safe was opened without (he key. The safe did not bear any evidence as if it had been tampered with. Witness did not remember definitely whether he left the safe open ms whether hcgjidn’L but was under the, impression that he had locked it. He could no! give any reason how the five occurred. He was under the impression that the rough cash hook and journal were left in the safe. These would show the. financial position of the Foxlon Racing Club after (he recent meeting. There was some silver, less than £l, in the safe before the fire. It was a peculiar fad that the Club premises were destroyed by lire on the date he was to have a statement of the recent race meeting ready. The books referring to (bat race meeting were destroyed in the tire. Witness’ financial position on March 25th last was sound. There was about £l3 of bis own money in the safe, being insurance money collected.

The Coroner’s verdict was as follows ;—That the office of the Foxton Racing Club was destroyed by fire on the morning of March 2(ith; that the lire originated from within the building, but that there is not sufficient evidence to prove how or by whom the fire was caused.