THE LATE FIRE AT DUNEDIN.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5762, 17 September 1879, Page 2

THE LATE FIRE AT DUNEDIN.

Dunedin, Tuesday. At the fire inquiry yesterday, Inspector Mallard gave evidence to the effect that he visited the cafe from time to time, and found it fairly conducted ; other times not 00 well. On Saturday night, the 6th September, he visited the cafe, and it was a scene of *iisorder. The room was filled with young lads of 14 and 15 years of age, and men from 18 and 20 up to all ages. Someone said, “ Mr. Mallard, you are just in time.” There was hooting, shouting, and there had been a fight. Of course the word passed round, “ Here’s Mallard,” and the uproar speedily ceased. He asked for Mr. Waters, and spoke pretty authoritatively to him. He said, “Mr. Waters, this is the last night I shall allow this. On Monday I shall see the Town Clerk, and tell him I am going to close this place ; or, rather, if you don’t close it, I shall take proceedings against you forthwith.” Waters replied that it was a good paying business, and he would do anything if witness would only allow him to keep it open. Witness told him that when he said it must be closed he intended to keep his word. His intentions were to have informed against Waters on Monday, but before that the place was burnt down. When be got in from the fire on Monday afternoon, ‘he found a note lying on his table. The letter was dated 7th September, and was to the effect that the writer was sorry to hear of his (Mallard’s) disapproval. The concern was only an adjunct to his business, but if no provision could be made to curb the blackguardism he would, of his own accord, discontinue it. He offered to pay for special police surveillance. Witne-s tossed the letter to one aide, thinking to himself that the writer was rather late. The Inspector proceeded to allude to some conversation he had with Waters, in the course of which the latter told him he had once kept a publichouse in Melbourne, and had then gone to Sydney. He was a printer by trade, and had worked in the Daily Times office. He did not attach much importance to the matter then, but viewed by the light of what had since transpired about Waters and his antecedents, an entirely new aspect had been cast on the whole matter. The statements of the man Hall he took at first with great distrust, but an investigation of the police records tended to confirm his statement. In the police records he found mention of a man passing by the very name referred to by Hall, viz., Walter Clair, answering in description to Waters in every respect, who was committed to Pentridge for burglary for four years, with three years’ police supervision. Detective Bain gave this evidence with reference to the parcel °* ra S s referred to by the witness Kitchie :—On the afternoon of the Bth one of the Corporation workmen who was turning over the d<sbris in the reading-room called my attention to something smelling very strongly of kerosene. I at once went into the reading-room, got a shovel, and turned over the debris, and found the rags now produced strongly saturated with kerosene oil—in fact, the oil was running off them. "When I lifted them, globules of oil ran off my hand. I do not think Waters could have touched them, as they were completely covered with de'bris, and flat on the floor. They were lying just about two feet from the fireplace of the reading-room, and close to the wooden partition. About 10 o’clock the same morning I saw this kerosene tin standing on the lower floor of the building under the stairway leading from the reading-room to Waters’ private room.

Ritchie declares that the dresses should have been in another room, and that the kerosene was always kept upstairs in a cupboard, not where Bain found it. The disclosures have caused intense excitement.

The inquiry ha- taken an unexpected turn. A witness swore positively tint Waters had threatened to set tire to tile building if he got it insured. The witness (Hall) thought him in earnest and quite capable of duii g it. “Why!" askc-.l tile coroner. “ Because." he replied, “ a m m who would run away with ids brother’s wit- and child is capable of doing anything, cspecL.ily after saving so, and also on account of his previous car-er." George dueoie, steward of the cafe, identified the pare. 1 of rags prrdnc-.1. which smelt of and appeared to have been strongly saturated wi’h kttw-no, as Wing dresses'used on the cafe s.age. After the lire, Watcis accused him of saturating the dresses with her. sen;-, but he denied most pointedly that he dii so. l.ater, '.Voders, the coffee-house proprietor, win. was d-.-faine 1 by the police at the ch se of theft re inquiry iast night, was brought up at the Police Court this morning, charged with arson, and was remanded till Monday. The tire inquiry was resumed tiffs afternoon. Mr. D.-imistou, on behalf of Waters, who is in gaol, applied to have the inquire adjourned till Waters could be present. The gaoler refused to present him before the Coroners Court. After a long discussion, during which the coroner maintained that it was'not necessary that the accused should be present, the inquiry was adjourned till to-morrow, Dir. Dennis ton in the meantime applving for a Judge’s order for the production of Waters at the inquest.