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New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 572, 25 January 1851, Page 2

Coroner’s Inquests.-—An Inquest was held at Te Aro, on Wednesday last, the 22nd instant, before Dr. Fitzgerald, Coroner, on the body of Peter Gbugh, a child about five years old, who was accidentally burned to death. It appeared from the evidence that the deceased, with other children, had been playing with fire in Polhill’s Gully on Tuesday, when his clothes caught fire and were consumed on bis bodv. The child went to the house of a neighbour, Mrs. Such, who extinguished the fire and carried him home, but he was so severely burned about the chest, back, and other parts of the body, that, after lingering in great agony, he died during the night. The Jury returned a verdict of Accidental Death.

An Inquest was also held at Karori yesterday, before Dr. Fitzgerald, on the body of Alice Jane Collier, a child about six years old, who was accidentally burned to death the previous day. From the evidence of J. Dunn, a labourer, in the employ of Mr. Collier, it appears the deceased went to the bottom of the garden, where he was at work, to call him to dinner, there was a fire burning within a few yards of where she was stand I no- i o r<- i.:_ work to go to dinner, and called to the child to follow him. Ten minutes afterwards a cry was heard at the back door, on its being opened the child was found stand-

ing outside, her clothes, which had accidentally caught fire, were all burned, except a small piece of her dress on one of her arms. She died a few houis afterwaids. Verdict —Accidental Death. The above melancholy and fatal accidents occurring so close upon each other will, we hope, act as a caution to parents in preventing them from leaving their children, especially those of such tender age, to themselves, without the control or supervision of persons old enough to prevent them from getting into mischief.