THE RECENT FIRE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5516, 30 November 1878, Page 3

THE RECENT FIRE.

An inquiry was held yesterday, before Dr. Johnston and a jury, into the origin of tho firo on the premises occupied by Mrs. Brighting, and owned by Mr. Mollwame, in Xngestrostreet, on Tuesday morning last. The inquiry was instituted at the instance of tho insurance company in which the building was insured. Sergeant Smith watched tho case for tho police. Tho jury having viewed the scene of the fire, the following evidence was taken, Mary Anne Blighting : I am a widow, and had been living in the house with my two daughters and two eons. I slept in tho front room with my two daugters ; my sons slept in the back room. I put the fire out between 4 and 5 o’clock on Monday afternoon. I had no fire after that. I went to bed at exactly 9 o’clock, with my two daughters. My eons went to the play, and came home between 11 and 12 o’clock ; I heard them come in. They went to bed immediately. My eldest sou is 21, the other 19 ; the girls 11 and 6. I was awoke about 3 o’clock with a chpldng sensation, and found that the room was full of smoke, with a strong smell of burning rags. I immediately took tho girls outside. When I got outside I saw a bright fire underneath the house towards the back. I woke up the boys, who were both sound asleep. There Were three rooms, and my sons slept in the middle one. My sons wore rather stupified by the smoke, but I soon roused them. The fire was underneath the kitchen. I then went into the front room and began to save my things. I did not save much, the fire driving mo out.—ln reply to Sergeant Smith, witness said she had occupied tho house for about three months. Have been on fairly good terms with Mr. Mcllwaine, my landlord. I have given him notice to leave twice, when he said I had better remain till I went to England. I gave

notice because he was in the hr.bit of coming intomy kitchen when tipsy and abusing me. My landlord has never given me notice to leave. I don’t allow my daughters to carry lighted candles about. I am quite sure they did not have a lighted candle in use during the eve of the fire. Neither of my daughters was out that night ; they were in tho bed with me. [Witness at this [stage stated that within the ' ast three weeks she had observed the landlord several times collect scraps of paper, sticks, straw, shavings, and other rubbish and place them underneath the house, close to her sons’ bedroom.] He covered the rubbish with clay, apparently to prevent its being noticed. On one occasion within the last fortnight I found Mr. Mcllwaine in the passage by the side of my house on his hands and knees. I asked him what he was doing there, and he answered ho was out looking at the gate, which was rotten. Ho was picking up fragments of rags and shavings and putting them underneath tho house, and not looking at the gate. This would bo about 16 o’clock ; cannot say whether he was sober or not. I said nothing to him, but th»ught his conduct very strange. When he came to complain of my sons he was tipsy ; his complaint against them was that they danced about tho floor ; that was all. Next day he apologised, and said, “ Take no notice ; I was tipsy at the time.” A few days before the fire 1 again found Mcllwaine at the back part of the passage, close to the kitchen. He was pushing something under the house, but I cannot say what.—To the Foreman : Used no kerosene in the house, only candles. Don’t know what they used next door.—To Sergeant Smith : My boys slept on stretchers. Mcllwaine has never been in ray boys’ room. My landlord has told mo lately to put anything I liked underneath tho house, ns he wanted it filled up ; although when X took tho premises ho informed mo he wanted it kept clear for wood and coal. I have never placed rubbish of any kind underneath tho house. The house stands upon piles, and at the back is raised about three feet fr»m tho ground. George Brighting (eldest son of tho previous witness) corroborated the evidence of his mother ns to his proceedings on the night of the fire. The fire was just breaking into his bedroom when he was awoke ; it seemed to bo coming from tho kitchen. It was a small

flame, just appearing, close to tho wall, hut through tho floor. To Sergeant Smith : Mcllwaiue had never found fault with him, nor asked him to leave tho house. Had not been good friends with him since he (witness) refused to lend him 14s. Witness was perfectly sober when he got home. He was sure he put the candle out; was in the habit of putting his candle out by clapping his hand down on it. Had never put any old sacks or other rubbish under the house. William Brighting examined : I returned homo about 10 o’clock on tho night in question, and wont to bod about a quarter of an hour afterwards. I got tho candle out of my mother’s room, having struck a match when I camo in, with which I lighted the candle. I pnt tho candle out when I wont to bed. I blow tho match out and threw it in the fireplace in my mother's room, after I had lighted tho candle, I do not know what time my brother came home. When I was awoke I saw tho flames coming through the kitchen floor. I went into tho yard and then into the landlord's yard for a bucket of water to try and put out tho fire. When I threw the water on tho firo there was an explosion like tho report of a gun. lam good friends with Mr. Mcllwaine. Ho spoke twice of our coming homo late. Ho has never warned us against fire. When wo first took

possession the landlord cleaned up tho yard and put all tho rubbish under tho house. He told us to put rubbish there about a month ago. He said hewantod the rubbish to fill up a hole that was in tho next yard. We have swept the yard up under tho house, hut did not pnt any sacking or such like there. Lucy Brighting, aged 11, was called to depose os to tho time she and her mother wont to bed on tho night of the fire. On that night she and her mother aud sister went to bod at 9 o’clock. Had not been out at tho back of tho house immediately before going to bod, nor any time after tea that evening. Charles Broadbent, watchmaker, was called and deposed: On Tuesday morning at 3 o'clock ho was aroused. Immediately got up, went over, and assisted all ho could. Could not got into the back part of tho house in consequence

of smoke and flame. (lot all he corid out of the front rooms ; could do no more. Then ran to the fire brigade station and gave the alarm* He did not see Mollwaino. Edward Henry Mollwaine was called, and tho evidence of Kir. Blighting having been read over to him, he was duly cautioned by tho Coroner. He said : lam a tailor, residing in Ingestre-street. X owned the house the subject of this inquiry. Mrs. Brighting rented the house from me. She owed me 30a. at the time of the Are. I had not applied for it. The house was insured in the Colonial Insurance Company for £l5O. The policy was taken out on the 29th September. I do not know if the house was Inspected before the risk was ao. cepted. I could not get a new house built equal to the one burnt for less than £IBO or £l9O. The house was between eight and nine years old. It was in good repair. To Sergeant Smith : Had complained to the police on two or three occasions of the conduct of tho Brightings. Remembered asking your advice os to how I should get rid of them. I said at tho time I found it impossible to get them out. Have asked thorn to go so often that I cannot recollect the number of times. I also gave them a written notice to quit. This I did at Sergeant Smith’s suggestion. Ho said if that was not sufficient ho would pull it through. The two Brijhtinga camo home at all hours, — scarcely ever came homo before one or twe in the morning. I have seen the interior of tho bedroom occupied by tho sons of Mrs. Brighting. They slept upon tho floor on sacks. 1 saw this through tho open door when I called for tho rent. I cannot be mistaken about this ; there were no stretchers or bedsteads — no furniture that I could see of any descrip-

tion.—To Sergeant Smith : Mrs. Brighting asked mo on the Saturday after I gave her the notice to allow her to remain till she went Homo in the Rakaia—for about a fortnight. If Mrs. Brighting says to tho contrary, and that sho gave me notice, sho would bo tolling a lie ; she is quite capable of it. I remember speaking to you (Sergeant Smith) two days after the fire. In answer to questions I said that X filled my pipe, say about 9 o’clock on tho ovo of tho fire, and was walking up and down, when I saw a person with a light close to the back of the house occupied by Mrs. Brighting. 1 called out, “ What the devil are yon doing there with that light ?’’ I could tell by the voice it was Lucy Brighting. She replied she was looking for something she had lost. I was from 15ft. to 20ft. from the light. Lucy was in tho habit of coming into ray house, so I knew her voice. When Lucy answered me I heard the other child talking to her. They then went into the house. When 1 had tho conversation with j'ou (Smith) there was another person present. I did not then say that only Lucy was present. I have insured the house every year since it was built. The insurance previous to the £l5O policy was for £IOO. When I insured this house in the Colonial I insured the whole four houses ; ouch house was insured for an increase of £SO, except the one I live in, which wn« increased by £IOO. Bart of the house I live in was built some 22 years ago, and part about 15 or 16 years back. My furniture is also insured since September last, for £IOO. It was never insured before. Ido not know where my wife buys her sugar, nor ’groceries,—no, nor her kerosene. [The witness appeared considerably irritated over this question.] Had never said I would get the Brighting family out by hook or crook—oven if had to burn them out. To the Foreman : I have been burnt out once before in Wellington, say about 12 years ago. I was then insured for £2OO in the Liverpool and London. There was no objection made to the payment of that money. We use kerosene and candles in the house.

Richard Millington Simpson deposed : I am manager of the Mew Zealand Insurance Company. On Tuesday morning last I went to tho scene of the fire. Immediately the water ceased to play Captain Whitefoord and myself went through the house. In the back room we noticed a hole in the floor, being the only portion entirely consumed. On looking down this hole we saw some bagging. Captain Whitefoord stooped down and picked up some pieces of bagging saturated with kerosene. The jury, after a quarter of an hour’s consultation, brought in a verdict as follows : The jury are of opinion that tho house burned in Ingestre-street on the 26th inat. was wilfully set on fire by some person or persons unknown ; and the jury add a further rider to the effect that they acquit the woman and her family of all blame ; and they are of opinion that in consequence of the evidence produced at tho inquest farther proceedings should bo taken by the police.