SHOCKING FATALITY AT RAETIHI.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2885, 19 May 1925, Page 3

SHOCKING FATALITY AT RAETIHI.

MOTHER AND SON BURNED TO DEATH. A shocking fatality occurred at Raetihi early on Sunday morning when Mrs W. Piric and her nine-year-old son, lan Walter, were burned to ‘death. The deceased lady was the wife of Mr William Piric, who is a member of the Wanganui Hospital Board. Mr Pirie had resided up to the lime of the tragedy on tlie Pipiriki road, some ten miles from Raetihi. The shocking tragedy has cast a gloom all over the district where Mr Pirie and his family have been well and popularly known for some years. Details of the tragedy are somewhat meagre hut it lias been gleaned Hint after retiring on Saturday evening Airs Piric, as was her custom, read a newspaper for some time. At 5 a.ni. yesterday Air Pirie was awakened by being all hut suffocated by smoke. Hje dti/scovered tlniL the house, which was a fourroomed structure, and which ho owned, was ablaze. Mr Pirie, who was sleeping in an attached, room, at once made efforts to rescue his wife and son. The Ilames had ob-i.-lined such a hold, however, that his every endeavour was baulked. Air Pirie, all but frantic still persisted in his efforts, but tlie unfortunate man was powerless. Eventually neighbours arrived —Alessrs William Bell, Thomas Workman and Vile —only to find that Air Pivie’s home was razed to the ground. Later, Constable AlcCowan, of Raetihi, recovered the charred remains of the mother and son. No concrete theory can be advanced as to how the lire started, but it is surmised that whilst Mrs Piric, who was 43 years of age, was engaged reading tlie newspaper, it caught alight from a caudle standing on a table close to her bed. There were no other occupants in the house at the time with the exception of Air Pirie, for fortunately three other children were away with friends. Raetihi iias not for many years experienced so threat a shock us is associated with the terrible deaths of Airs Pirie and her infant. The building was insured for £4OO and the furniture and stores for £SO. At the time of the fatality the eldest daughter, Miss Beryl Pirie, was spending a holiday with her aunt, JAB's J. Elliott, of Palmerston North. The deceased lady was well known in this district, being the daughter of Captain Foster, a highly respected Salvation Army officer, who was in charge of the Salvation Army citadel at Palmerston North some 30 years ago, and who is now living in retirement at Raetihi. Air W. J. Foster, of the Palmerston North postal staff, is a brother of the deceased lady, and Alesdames H. Jackson of Palmerston North, and A. Koehler, of Kelvin Grove, are sisters, another of whom is Airs Dearn, of Goulbourii, N.SAV. Additional sorrow is lent to the tragedy by reason of the fact that Captain Foster has lost his wife *(who passed away last Wednesday) and his daughter and grandson within a week.