FATAL FIRE AT ANDERSON'S BAY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12482, 13 October 1902, Page 7

FATAL FIRE AT ANDERSON'S BAY.

A MAN BURNED TO DEATH.

A tragical death by burning occurred at Anderson s Bay early on Saturday morning, a young man named George Coates meeting his end in the flames o[ his burning cottage. It seems thai Coates was m the employ of Mr William Dun ford, contractor, on tho Peninsula, with whom 9io had been for about eight years. On Friday evening ufter work Coates went to vi social on the Flat with a son of his employer, returning home about 3.30 a.m. on Saturday. Coates then went to a detached cottage where he slept, tlie house being a short distance away, and his companion went to his father's house. This was the last scon of Coates alive. At day,tn:e<iK an Saturday Mr Dunford awakened, and upon looking out of the window .saw tho cottage in flames. He immediately aroused ail the mer about the place, and the/ all rushed to the burning building. Vhtj fire, However, nad by this time obtained complete control, and, the heat being excessive, the men could not gei. near the building. .Eventually they managed to pull tin .von root away and then draw the bedstead out. 'Die deceased, however, was lymv, os. vlie floor, burned beyond recognition. As traces of his clothing were found on the body, it is presumed that Coatos, being very tired, had lain down after lighting his candle, which was usually placed O the table without support, and then fell tasieep. The candle, burning down, probably ignited the table and thus the building. the position of tho body it was apparent that deceased had most probably been awakened by the fire and made for t.'io dooi. but was overcome by t'hc heat and smoke. The face was burned away and the brain burned out, while one of tlie legs below tlx knee was burned off, and the bony was- very much scorched and blackened. Coates iwa? born in England, and had no relatives i. the oolony, so far as can be ascertained. He was a single man, 23 years 'of age, and of sober. temperate habits. jCHB INQUEST. An inquest was held in the afternoon at house of Mr W. Dunford, Anderson's Bay, nefore Mr C. C. Graham (coroner) and a jury of six, of whom Mr T. Maxwell !w;w chosen foreman. Sergeant Lyons represented the police. William Dunford, contractor, stated that deceased, who resided in a detached cottage u,ua» witness's house, was in his employ. About 4.40 on Saturday morning witness awakened, and upon looking out of the window saw the cottage m a blaze. He quickly called rhe men about the place and ran down co the cottage at once, but the fire had then a strong hold, and tlie heat was too intense to allow them to get near in' render any assistance. They tried to pierce the walls and batter the door open with poles; but they did not succeed. When the fire subsided somewhat they managed to throw the roofing iron, off so as to prevent 5v falling on to the bed. They managed then to pull the bedstead out, but saw t-liat tleoeased was not on it, but was Ivincc on the floor near the door, with his head on a lieap of potatoes. The clothing was •burned to ember*, and tho body burned and blackened so as to be unrecognisable. Deceased was a man of steady habits, and witness had not seen him the worse for Imiioi- during the past eight years. William Dunford, jun., son. of the previous witness, said he was at a social on the previous evening on the Flat with deceased. Upon their .-eturn home witness Raw deceased go to his cottage. Deceased bade witness pood night and asked liim to give him a call in the morning. Deceased was quite sober, thomrh he bad had two drinks with witness. He was quite able to take care of nimself. Deceased had not li shred his candle when witness went into the house", which was about ?.5 yards farther on. Shortly after daybreak witness. was awakened by bis father and went to the hut to render assistance, bnt was quite ■unable to do anything, the heat being excessive. Witness could not account for the origin of the fire. He Jcnew deceased used a candle a B light and had no candlestieflc, having recently broken one. Deceased was 111 the habit of standing the candle on the table without support. Deceased was workin t nil Fridav, and did not reach home till 3.30 a.m. on Sattirdnv. To the- .Turv: The rnndle lmd most probably bnrnen down and ignited Hip tablecloth and then the table. and so the rest of the place. Deceased had alwavs been la steady, sober man, never drinking to excess. The Coroner said there was n:. doubt as ho the cause of death, and there appeared 'to .bo no suspicious circumstances attached to the affair and no suggestion oi incendiarism on the part of deceased or anyone else. The most probable theory was the man had come in verv tir»d from Ill's work and the dance, and had asleep with the enndle still alight. The candle most probably burned down and ipmitec! the building. The fumes would in all bil'tv suffocate the deceased, and thus he had been unable to escape. .Tnry returned a verdict of "Death aeojdentally caused by burning."