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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 192, 17 August 1867, Page 2

An inquest was held yesterday afternoon, at 3 o'clock, at (he Trafalgar Hotel, for the purpose of discovering the origin of the late lire, before ihe Coroner, Dr. | Squires, and a jury composed of the following: — Messrs 11. Baly, foreman, Lightband, sen., Rigby, H. Drew, J. Richardson, Gibbous. J. P. Block, Gorrie, Crisp, Tingle, If. Moore, Corbett, and Clements. Five witnesses were examiued, without, however, elicitiug any satisfactory evidence as to how the fire originated. Mrs Eobiua Askew was the first wituess examined, who stated that she had returned home from her father's house, in company with her two daughters and Mrs Flowerday (who was stopping in the house), a little after 11 o'clock on Tuesday niglit ; that she lighted a candle from a match in the shop, aud having blown out the match, she threw it into the grate of the registered stove in the parlor. Her daughter Joanna also lighted a caudle from the other, and went upstairs to bed. The whole party were not more than ffiev c minutes in the parlor. Mr Askew being away from town, her daughter Eliza slept with her, whilst Miss Joanna Askew and Mrs Flowerday occupied another room. The witness went to sleep, having previously extinguished the candle ; and in the morning was awakened by hearing strange noises downstairs. She then got up, lighted ber caudle, and crossing the landing, aroused the other inmates of the house. Iv doing so, she perceived the smell of fire, and at onec surmised what was the matter. She remembered nothing . further of what took place. xVIr James Wilkie stated that he was awakened by screams proceeding from Mr Askew's house. He got up, and looking out of his window, saw a blaze of light proceeding from the counting-house window of the adjoining building. He immediately rushed to the front of his store aud gave the alarm. He then returned and tried to throw water upon Mr Askew's house from some butts iv the yard, but could not succeed. He then cried out "fire," and lan to the fire bell on the opposite side of the street, which he rang until released by Mr Betts. This witness was certain there was no light in Mr Askew's'' counting-house when he retired to rest, as it was his custom to look to the state of his neighbors' premises before going to bed, " they were so careless." Mr H. Black stated that at five minutes to 6 o'clock he had put his batch in the oven, when he heard voices, and cries of fire. He ran up the street towards the Wakatu Hotel, passing Mr Askew's, and saw no light whatever in the shop, but a strong light from the side window. He then returned to his house, aroused his wife, and they commenced clearing out their property. Mrs Emma Flowerday stated tbat she returned home from Mr Rankin's house with Mrs Askew and her daughters shortly after 11 o'clock on Tues-

day night. Mrs Askew lighted a candle in the shop aud carried the match into the parlor, where she threw it into the stove. Miss Joauna Askew then lighted a caudle from her mother's, and they went upstairs to bed. Their caudle was extinguished before they weut to sleep, and they wero awoke, before Mrs Askew called them, by the sound of fire in the room below, and on getting out- of bed felt ihe floor of the bedroom hot to their feet. They had only just time to escape from the house with the children ; and it was not possible (o save any property of value. Air H. jfars'lial!, clerk to Mr Askew, stated that he had left the premises on Tuesday evening about the same time with Airs Askew and her parly, about half-past 7 o'clock; that he had been iv the shop, but not iv tlie counting-house, during the day, and that there- had beeu no lire in the latter rcom for mouths past. The jury returned the followiug verdict: — '• That the fire of Wednesday, the 14th day of August, commenced iv the house lately occupied by Thomas Askew, in Bridge-street, and that no evidence of the origin of the said lire was presented to the jury." The following rider was also appended, in obedience to the almost unanimously expressed wish of the jury, Mr Clements being tlie only dissentient : — "The jury cannot separate without acknowledging the energetic and valuable services of the Fire Brigade, but for whose exertions the loss would have been much more serious."