THE LATE FIRE IN GEORGE STREET.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 212, 13 August 1862, Page 5

THE LATE FIRE IN GEORGE STREET.

THE INQUEST

An inquest was held yesterday, at tho Boyal George Hotel, before Henry Hpworth, Esq., Coroner, into the causes of the Fire, which occurred on Thursday ; night last, at the premises of George Augustus Fischer lirnest Rehniseh, a carpenter residingbehind Fischer's premises, deposed that on the night in question, he was m bed, and was awakened by the lighf-of the fire. The flames were then only coming from the roof cf the back of the building. Believed that the fire originated, near a stove in t e workshop. Had had a fire in that stove until 4 o.clock that afternoon ; had been at work until half-past 7. Mr. Fischer manufactured matrasses cm tne premises. There was a considerable quantity of straw under the floor of the front shop iS? rt W"? 71° ?*?* • !ear the stove ' but there was stum flock, and hair m ths workshop when witness left the premnc. Mr Fischer Ind got in two bales of ao.-.c nuu the workshop, and there was a little straw ana hair Wfliiiea. Tue workshop was about 30 feet long, an<l l, feet vr;lc. There was a small chimney pipe attached to the stovo, which passed through the roof f bore was no protecting iron at the roof, but the stove stood on a sheet of iron. The workshop was about 10 or 12 feet in height When witness loft, the ft re in the stove was quite out, and all seemed Life. Knew that Mr Fischer was at work up till 11 o'clock beating flock. Did not know what amonnt of property was on the premises at the time of the fire. Knew there was a sale by auction some time since, nnd the stock had since been replenished. The roof was of shingles.

In reply to questions by the jury, the witness said that he had assisted in trying to extinguish the fire Did not see Mr. Fischer while the house was burniue. Fischer liad tola him that lie jumped out of wirdow with Ins wife and knew that a load of straw had been had m tliat afternoon, and stowed away beneath the floor. The floor boards of the front shop were not close together, they had shrunk. John Crate, auctioneer, deposed that he held a sale at Mr, Fischer's, about the 11th July. Sold in all between L6O and L7O worth of furniture: considered there was then left fully 1/200 worth. Fritz Schluter, publican, at present a waiter at the Criterion Hotel, said that on the 7th August, lie went to buy. chairs at Fischer'.-, and Mrs. Fischer showed him so">e whioh did no;. 3uit, she said she had not another sample. Saw only 3or 4 single chain* in the front shop for sample?. Could m>t say what stock there was. fie»?iei.»!..;ri,;l telling Sergeant Paseiien that he could not get cuppliedat Fischers, on account j of the sinallness of the stock. j Win. Alexander, a neighbour, deposed to having noticed the chimney j.r, being dangerous. i Wm. Morris, another neighbour, had on the nHit of the fire, seeu Mr. Fischer at the frontdoor of the i house in his nightdress ; witness pushed him aside I and with the help of another man, broke open thai front window, and got out 4 or 5 beds and 2 pillows I Saw Mr Fischer afterwards at Cramer's, and two women also in their night dresses; they all appear*! much excited. 'I Augustus Fischer, upholsterer, on whose premises the flre occurred, after being cautioned, stated tliat his house was of wool, and was raised on piles The whole of the under portion was boarded round and ■was used as ;i cAhr for «towing straw. A load of straw was placed there in the afternoon, ?nd there were 4 or 5 cwt. there before ; there were also about 10 or 12 bundles of straw in the workshop. There was a quantity of :t "ir wood over the rafters in the workshop. There wore two work benches, and the stove was standing between the two. The stove v.-p.s about 9 inches in dittmct?r. and was used for heatin'"glue. The fire was burning after dark. Witness was nt work Jate that night, having come furniture to finish for a country order. He went to bed about 11 o'clock, and before doing so fastened all the doors. After he had been some time asleep, he was awakened by a noise, and heard something like hail falling on the roof. On looking out of window he saw spark", and he then jnmpe.l out of bed and opened the window, and the sparks and smoke ca^e into the room. He then called " fire ! fire !" to Mr3 Fischer and caught her by her night dress, and both jumped out of the window together, and almost at the same moment two gentlemen came over to the house Remembered asking one of them to save his cash box. The. premises were insured in the Imperial Insurance Office, the house, L250; stock, LoOO • and household effects, LSO; in all LBOO. Never had the policy of Insurance; the receipt for the premium was in the cash box which was lost. * Never told any one that he had saved the receipt. Remembered Mr. Carter asking him in the presence of Detective Tuckwell, where the receipt was and he replied "Am I bound to tell you where the receipt is 1 as he feared if he said it was lost that he might not be able to recover the insurance. The boards of the sitting room floor were shrunk, but the ed«es were not more than an eighth of an inch apart. There had been a fire burning in the sitting room that dav. There was a piece of zinc before the fireplace, could not in any way account for for the fire. Did not consider the stove dangerous Had been told by Mr. Beamish of the sparks from it, and hail ordered the men not to use it after dark. Was sure the fire in the store was put out, but was not positive about that in the sitting room, as he kft that to Mrs. Fischer. There was no one in the house at the time of the fire but his wi»e and himself. Was not aware where the fire first broke out. Had a sale sonie weeks vo, and sold about L(55 worth. Considered the'fetoc-ic at the time, including materials, to be worth LoOO or L7OO. Might have had! in aVout LlnO worth of furniture and material since tiie sale, and considered the stock in ha^d at the time of the fire worth £650. He handed in a statement exhibiting an estimate of £654 16s.

If Charlotte Fischer, deposed that she was the vrik of Augustus Fischer. Befo-e going to bed that night she put some wet wood across the iron bars of the fireplace. There were then only a few sparks burning. Did not look about the house before going to bed to see that all was safe. There was a piece of oil cloth nailed over the zinc in front of the fire place. There were cracks in the floor, but she did not think sparks could fall through. After she had been asleep some time she was awakened by Mr. Fischer, who opened the window, and they jumped out together. Henry Beamish deposed that, being awakened by one of his lodgers, he looked out and saw flames coming through the roof of Fischer's workshop, about a yard distant from the stove-pipe. Gave the alarm to his lodgers, and told them to have presence of mind, and to exert themselves to save all the property they could. His house was burnt down. Remembered telling Fischer of the stove-pipe three weeks ago. Fischer then replied, that it was perfectly right; that there was no danger, as they were only burning shavings. Had not noticed any sparks since. Was not himself insured.

L. W. Carter, insurance clerk to the Imperial Insurance Company, was at the scene of the fire in George-street, about a quarter past 12 o'clock, oa the Bth instant. Saw Mr. Fischer during the inoruin" and asked him if he- could tell in what part of t£e building the fire broke out, and if he saved anything. He replied, nothing. When asked if he li. d *ived the cash box, he replied, no; aiid when witness said, ■" I suppose you have lost the receipt," he said, "No." \\ ltne&s then asked where it was, and he said "That's my business." He could give no information as to how the fire originated, and when asked if he had saved his books, he said no, in the presence of Detective TuckwelL

The jury found the following verdict:— The Jury are of opinion that the fire originated in the premises of Augustus Fischer, of George-Btreet Dunetiin, but fc<w or by what means the fire originated, there is nothing in the evidence to show, and they farther wish to add ss a rider the annexed.

tZit™™* a «nipetait fire bi igjule, and would far-neceSof^n-t- tion '°? Town Board to the--1?* such engineL ' urmsh a 1* of water for