Inquest on the Town Hall Fire.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 65, 15 August 1885, Page 3

Inquest on the Town Hall Fire.

The above inquest was held at 3 p.m. yesterday before G. JtA. &iulboii, Esq., District Coroner, m the Court-house, Pahnerstoii North. The following jury were duly sworn m r—Miwirs Ferguson ( Foreman J, 111 Leavy, McDowell, Wray, Siminbnds, Bearen, Laicomb, C. M. Ross, A* S. Beutley, J. King, F. Mowlem, aiid Bo°n- .■- .:■ •• - ■''. . -.' : . *"" The! Coroner said that as all had soen the fir«j, it was not necessary to go ami examiue th« remains. ' r ' '; In regard to the evidence, the Coroner instructed the police, tp call. those who 'were last m the building and also' those who first saw the fire. ■ ' Koeller was the tirst witness called' Sub Librarian. Geo. E.,Wbloiner Koehler: I am Custodial) of the Public Hall. On Tuesday night, August 4th, 1 was at the Hall at tou minutes past seven. I lit up the Palmerston ttoading-rooni as usual, being 10 minute behiiivl time, and remained at the Hall m; the building ; until l(X30 p'.nkij'Wiieir j. left Had lit: » fiie m the j reading- r»om. . which I exti nguished -m the, usual way by pouring water on it. The lamps were all out. Fire Was com-;-" pletfely but 1 went into, the main building of the Public Hall after I had left, tipHtairaj eiitentd by th^wd^|dpor|i>ii^the Fit^herbort rdad side, tlieie was iibtaiiy light there. when I left, and .there was; nut any one about at that time. ■ ■ •■• ' .- f, [At this stage of the. prpce>»dingiß?the ; jiiry "asked to have three other witnesses sentior.j r ."' ■:''■■. ■r> 'y.v,'\' : ,. ■ • Examination continued, t -}■ ' ' ' ; • vFi»e ivisitorjj were, with rae,. 'MessrsReov«8 k Rawliilß, Pi-ppir, B«'rlhold, niidv v Marsh; The key : of ' tlie 1 pnhlic entrance idpoTifroni Jllitish^rbert-stTHet was lost. I' •oipseid^ the;.. door, after hie^ c The Vdppr l ieaditi'g' ; W -'the'' Hall f roih; th'e porch '; I I locfced'befdro leaving, the key watt kep"t' behiudthe dpopl&adinjr up the staircase. il-ain al<VHeriiy'thS fire -\tC ► " the extent of , £9lbr£lO. being- value- of kerosene iii.-j stock, .and, . «o,ine. rJuwKllery ; : nud 'sui'all' i RimU. I do not think anyone/ Jihewj wlieruitliis key wttg' kept- I h;ul ,'a>|iglit ' burning jn the. main Hall about a oji.ar-' ter to* eight till, 25 iciuutes past eiglit. I was going to shirt lamps and. tables ,tp. - tlte-GoiuicFl room, biit'ilid' not do so. I took the light into the Borough Council , room and extinguished it there. ; : •• \ By the Foreiriau : Left Hall at 10.30, went into t|ie large Hall at this times .-Do hot know if. the d(ior. at the roar i>f the Hall was, locked. I took keys of Library into the Council Chamber. The ■ front door was locked' at tbe earJy part : of the evening. The Fitzherberl-stroet 1 door ban- been bpeii fbr sioine tVo years.' .The fir« m the Library was. extinguished , by nif. I usually close up at..i'O o'clpck, ; aiid the public leave at this tjine alaov. I;- have remained when circum^t-awces .irequiiwT .till 10.30., v;.T|»e|e^^e|B ftvo cases of^MrOßelie feat, jjipptairy Han $he locked, ,;tfc? doors- Were closed ;:ariy':per- ?«". oiObU^ ctold^gaiiV^c^Sjitojjth^ bqul^lav^ o#P^m ? the' IL%Sry;'al <! ihere^jjUj;^ thing?" i took the keys to the Council. iooufev^jife 7 r^raiß|^pi«^H'^^^ vituesß, and possibly MuSto^vfereitlKiV . 4nly pel sons who knew about the key of fiie* Public Hja]L^^^|g^l^s^e^iAdi: . tpokeAaaihp^Mn^f s?lWW»%y 1. 1 All witnesses jlsn^lM^ OJSdefftEtoui'-O^ idourt by request of jiVry. *ta}n manager of the Bank of New Zear4f\i oF *uguiß^ was ,m» my sitting-room *u"pßtaira s> Ko^fid.^jt|jW^^^CsJl%ri mge^^wj^ I had to go Vftt, $aw a dun kind of <jto. elevep<U<;a;i».*^%uwaTW}ise?- Wnen i-i | noticed the. npiae increase JE-'oiideji*^ i'^ing to the ifin^^lspMtta^hTi^en*. M* ■ :< fii»^ Dr Maciutireiwa^4with me, he ,ytt>nt to the fiirebelJ iiid. r,angl.it, .and. I • ; ch*nfeM^y : slipprß%tf to : see what I could do; "The, firjp was abp^h^e^a^e^^ayvttp^Uibb on- the Fitzuerbert^ii^eif next river. -It appeaVed to Be*next .ttie" roof under ■Othq fabled "sirfblt6 'were (sßningk f rora 'thY gable:' >'Did tr not- 'sed ; auyone about at thißCtimei;;Do not know rtliiß construction of the building. Know whore the Library is. situatfe^ Certainly the; fire, when> I upticod it, was-not m 'tbe'Lfh'rary';' :„ "'-'y* ' \T.% y-^ - : t \- ■ ; ( By >the Forefaatf : Th'efe^as no ai>pearnhce of fire m the front part of the/ buiidiug atvhetiniel-siw^ it. •■' , • ' William Rawlins sworn; deposed :■■ I ; ajin \ ipliimbqrs ., Eenieniber Hlief ddte of fire, it wasijqn Jthe evening of day I 10.30 f,nal, thelj^hts.'a,^ fire, were/put out; be-, fare; £ left, the'ciistpdian!put them put.: He Jpoiired 1 Avatar ;bn 't)vs fire. Four 'visitprir camefiway : I* saw Eoeftler gp ; away . somewhere: in /the hall,' I; noticed no i lignts at this time. There were/iio lights ia % the Library when;! left ; taw no person^^ about. .. V , ; ; : ;. By Foreman : W* •. ?*>iM not see the Tbwn Sail WHo'n we cam? put ; ■ there) fmighj; Jiave 1 be'iari » lighttHe're' ahd : we not «cc: it. I am. gure the lights were put outicompletfely in r the Library. ,; ... . ';.-. J. -Vf..- Pepper ideposed ': lam s cpnv positor residing m Pailmerstdn North. , Remember the night bf' the fire ; I went to the Reading Room about 10 o'clock, andremairied there half an hour. I saw Jighti and fire put put by the cu^tpdian t bef ; pire We lef t, ' TKe custodian and the visitors i camo dpwn and left:togetb.er ;. I am positive there wait' no Kight.'-iit the J Hall after we lef#' V s'-^' • By Foreman^ IJonpVJinow where the clustodiaii weni^ ifter;lie left, the' Hall. ■ When 'we came stairs be went into -- the ■ Halli and when he came qiit wa -went f away together, r. ":■'-■ ;/ ' -' . >Thbmas v :deppsed '.J am Com. mission 'Agent^residing m Palmerstbn . $Tq"tth. |Re«nember\ the r.-4th \ ihst. .when the ' Town Hall wag burntj Qn that e^veninl It returned , tp the^ Club Hotel, abcut 11 'o'clookVlfomTertace EnS. The, barman; called. my attentioritC theyglare . of i fire thrpugh the ? wifldpwi , : X %r\»h£(&^ ■. put and; saw tKat tIW Tpwn HaU was on fire. , Thero was riot any brie abbut when I-^rriyedVat. the Hall ; knoW the co'ri- • gtructioh bf tbebuilding/ llNoticed-thfe fii^to be 'at the back of the bnilding tp•wards the ?ivet, ibe flnmei aud smoke 'were -coming through' : tHe" rnof. ' I am' positive tbe fire was riot m the Library. I remained at the fire and helped to re-cpver-proper^frpm the; Council Chamber * The frbh^ or the -building was net pn ;fire. ■:!''% ■■■;*■■■■■■--'■>■.■■■■> •■■ -,;■ - . By Foreman: ' I^ ' was, after .eleven about (10 minutes)^w"eriil first ripftced theifire ; there was no fire m the"Bbrough Council office nor ; in -itheißbad BoardOfficey:/-. '■ • .. ■.„;>■:■;■.'■ ' i- . ">-'- y v "- ■'■'-" E. Jchngton deposed : I im manager of .: the New Zealand Clothing Factory Remember the n|ght of the fire at the TownHaUi; wsfß outside the Cli^b, Hotel abpnt 11 ib^oidek. . J no^ced 1 a : tliick ; gmpke m iffia. aire.ctipn bf- ike Town HiU". : '. rw(Bqt,iip.*tairs and : looked' from one of the windows in- the hotel, and' saw the flames across the tppi o Jthe hpuses between th^ Club, and Jthe Town Hall. I went »9ut immediately and went to the Hall. /Mr T. King was also proceeding to the fire ; ; there was no other person about. Noticed the fire near the end of the Hall towards the river, the flames were issuing from the roof. There did not appear to be any fire m the Library. I know the* position of the building. I remained at 1 the fire and assisted to rescue

property. Did aot see any one about but Mr T. King. R. N. Keeling deposed : I am a resident of Palmerston, and the Town Clerk of the Borough.. I remember'' the night of the fire. The bnilding was insured m the New Zealuud Office for £1000. The contents of tlio Library were also insured for. a' further sum of £100. the Borough Council had an office on the ground . floor of the building m the front' of the building. I had charge of the building ex- v Qepting the office used by the Boad Board m. front, of the building on the ground floor, arid opposite the Council office. I left my -office- between five and: six o'clock m. the evening of the day of the fire;- I returned at eight for .a v few minutes and found a light burning m the Public Hall which I used to light me to the Council office. I replaced this w here I found it ; the custodian had access to my office during nuy absence m the evening. Know the door leading to Fitzherbert-street outside was not locked. The key of -the~door leading into the Public Hall from the porch on th« Fitzherbert street .side was kept behind a door at the foot of the stairs. The clerk "of the Highway Board, Mr Hoe, knew it Avaskopt- there, the sub-Librarian, and ; Haineß,, thepoundkeeper, and also Mr Thps. King khew ; of ihis fact. ■By the Foreman : I believe the door at the rear*of th« Hall was locked : on the ..inside. j Do not know that knew of where the_ keys were : kept' excepting those T have mentioned. I went to the Hall at eight o'clock to get a book of the Foresters. Evans was with irie. The r^te of the ingurance Was 17s 6d. By Mr West (agent of the National Insurance' Company) :.The original con-, fract entered, into for t;he. erection of the To; yh Hall was £900 besides considerable imprbvements, since m the hands of ■ itheF" Borough 'Council. '''Corild not say ; whajtthe Value of the improvements ire. imprpyements made corieisted 'of , swiicf floors erected : at the entrance, and rooms '.'■.. ''..'.. -'■i: 1 --- : ' . "• '.* r -'1 : >'"'-' : '* ; "Bjr- Coroner : The value of the. Library was; £200,' the fittings.ih tlie Borough iOffice t ab»ut £100, : Road Board: office £2o: . I)o not; know- thie vahie < df ' the building. . ■. „ ; , v '■ . Frederick Meyrick,' carpenter, deposed : Remember /the' Tbwri Hall 'fire taking place about 10.30; I vras if Mr Walkjey's, HQtel pMr Jordan and Mr* Hoe were with ■ nic, Mr Walkley was there top. I left the hotel between 10;30 and 10.45, we all three came out together and ' spoke to each other for about a quarter of an hour. I went homeward, Jordan and Hoe went-away together; 1 noticed nothing ; about' the- Town Hall then. I called at Abrahams' shop and while there I heard the fire-bell ring, perhaps it was 20 aniriutes 'afterwards I heard the firebelkv I jag fiver to the .Hall, there were "possibly* aT dozen persons there whon ' I arrived; did, not.see Jordan there then M j§rejcted.:sthe' stagre at the rear of the JSallj; 'when first erected the stage was open? underneath at the; sides, but sub--B(^ei^lyl r beh"eve)itwaf3 made a fixture. J^wassjh botany |with Messrs. JorHan antr Ho§ .fo^b'but an^our- at ; Walkley's Hotel. T did not'expect to see the Town - ; v : : -- ; . -..■ i*' -*?.^i if Ti W e^ : rPpypu think the biuildjhg,*couldJoe erected again for iIOOO. . >«? Mr ; Janies-Eing objected ■■■ to the qirestiQp being put, they were no;t there to.v iihswef s\ich questions. : \ . i- ?The Coroner also thought the question -waß-irrelevant. : . Th(e Fpreiqan objected strongly to. the .Queßtfori| ;t^ey.w i ere already put^ to con- , ,' Bidwa|}e^^ ■Iricpnyehience m attending. w '*\vitness v said it could' npi; be erected . ' money "or anything' like it.V ?Hall|' wben'l arrived at,, the centre of the building, seemed to be •on [^SrSs?*"^-"^' :*:■--.■■ 'i- 1 '" r ~ ; ' '■■■■' ■■•' 1 ■ ■" " '*"•'■ ' '' , ; T.S.Hoe deposed: Am late Secretary to the Manawatu Boad Board, remember the loiies^re at the Town Hall. j.Was at Walk]^;H:otel about 10.80 on t*^3 evening. i||feli 7 |ff6sMa Jordan, Walkle^r, and MS^p^^iii^the Commercial Rpom, I had^'^^appc^ntnfeint; vto ; meet ei^ier of :theni'' tltere.^ Went to the Hotel bet^eeiv^ qaarter and half,past . ten, £ i?pd left" between 10.30 and quarter to ; eleven when I left. I was there about Ja|f|-{m<^didr,';and left"in company, -with M&yrick arid Jordan. Meyrick went aw|ay, arid Jordan and myself went along ; 'roitnd the Square ; and up Churcb-street. yje went round 6y Mr Leary's, Ghemifit, s passed the Town Hall m the roadway as ' ■ia.v. as Mr'Jprdon's house, where I parted with, him;, and I theripi-oceedecl 1 home, 'alone. I did not see him «nfcr the House. : J" did not , hear, any alarm of -fir^ that: evening, but knew of the fir.c by seeing a glare jin .the. sky, as I got^ ; to East- i street. I turned round and. saw a flare m the Square. I ran hpme arid ? rapped noisly at the house door and shouted fire. I roused Mr and Mrs'Le'ijwh, arid- Mr: Healy. We all rushed away 1 to the. ; Square. Mr Healy" goin* '.first r rtlori^; : My wife thought it must have been- the Bank -Chambers. When I first saw tlie' glare, I thousrht . it was the Club Ho^l. j Itwa4 about half an-hpur after :■ this that j arrived at' the ; fire* "*\ The frame'wprk of the front of the building only was standing, the back part was entirely gptie.' ; I' did not notice anything when Iwas .'first going past the Hall. I was at this Foresters; Hall; about -7.20,,: at the^ Foresterers* ' Court tfiere until 20 minutes < .past'^O o'clock; '< ; ; ; ■'■ v » ' ' .-,,' ' ■■■ ' :^, cS f\ • By C6ns|able - r ;i leftiJne Eoad 'Bojara, office about\34s» op that flay, : and ;did ' 'rioi 'return. Went; hpme. ■ : hy Churchstreet a.t night, did .;ribt^ineet any one. The night was, ver> dark, '_. Cannot say * what lpM the Boad ■ Board ■;' by this fire,: "their. property was not insured. Beside* the Boad Board 1 documents, there-wpre & _ number of books and papers belongingtp' the Masonic Lodg6, E:C., destroyed, also private 'riaperß,&CM of my own. lam a loser by the fire. ; By^Fpreman ; : po not frequentlvmeet Mr Jordan. He is a Forester, that is. all. He is a caretaker of tho Bank , Chambers. He dpes not owe me . .' any money. : I have lost by the -fire to the extent perhaps , of £5. ; „; ■ , ; Thomas 'Jordan deposed : Am ran- ( ger for the Borou«rh of Palmerston Korfch. Remwnber the night of the , fire on Tuesday, 4th August. Was in"\Valk- ., ley's Hotel about 10.30 on that evening. : I hare not heard the evidence of the last three or four witnesses. I went to Mr "WaMey's Hotel. about 0.80, m - company with Mr Meyrick, there was a meeting at Bank Chamberß previous to thiti,, we. were m. the Hotel for a few minutes peri hapß quarter; of an?hoiir, talking to Mr Walkley,; when Mr Hoe joined m« there. We leftJ iabput between 10.30 and 11, when I reached home it was about 10 minutes tip eleven. Mr Meyrick left us at the hotel. Mr Hoe arid myself came on home, we came up Church-street, and I parted with him opposite my house m Church-street. ] I went- m then. I ,liad .some supper, and was warming myself previous to retiming, when I heard the firebell, this wa« about a qriartef of an hour after we had passed the Hall. I rushed ojut to the door and •my wife :also| she called out the Club Hotel is on 'fire. I got on my boots and ran out. The Hall Beemed to be filled with, flame when I came from the door of my house. There was no sign of fire when I first passed tfee building, I ' did not notice any; I was at :Home when the fire broke' out. I saw no person abrtut the neighbourhood of the 'Hall,^when ll passed. I saw two i Demons near Mr Leary's ejhop, as I came by. I did <, not see any sign of fire pn my way home. I had ; some conversation with Mr Hoe outside , for abbrit five minutes. I owe Mr Hoe abontf £5 or £6, that is aiter a setllemeent is arrived at between \\s. I got a bill for £20 from Mr Hoe (accommodation), and against this there is to poiny salary for services, caretaking the Bank Chambers. This concluded the evidence, and the

coroner then addressed the jury. He said it was clear from evidence brought before them, |that there was no case of arson. If, however, the jury was not satisfied, as to whether the lire was caused by accidont or incendiarism, they would return an open verdict. , The Court-house was then cleared^ aud the jury remained: with closed-doors for J about ten minutes, ultimately agreeing unanimouslyon tho following verdict : . — That on the night of Tuesday, August 4th, 1885, the Town Hall, Palmerston North, was destroyed by flre, but,, that how, or by what means' the fire originated, there was no evidence to show.