FIRE INQUIRY.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8917, 10 September 1907, Page 3

FIRE INQUIRY.

gtroyed a Imtf'A.o . ■• 1 morning of SSSt, sss^s^srr^: Tho jury were ‘IT Oldham. r s si. j - M “ : S a J* Liddells conducted tho inquiry ami Mr Goliggjrrf for the State Insurance ComW ay Edward Read shop owner cf tho Manning and S OB le t S r °twelve^months as a going Moore for tweßo m months concern. Tho loaso for be . f? ruu - J?2 t oy wished to get out ■^fifteusps Sf tho building and there was a chimney at the ua i sKE?&3£-‘lHi under the gas act beh net the n -I mrtition and tho wind being uoiui had no enemies that ho know of. By tho jury: The lessees bad uo insurauce on the propeidy iho icui was payable in advance and was not due again till Ist Spotembor. William Berry, who resides next to the shop, gave evidence as to gn

iu£? the lire Mln-TUi. ‘Moc^rv; Charles Mooro, partner „ V. " Manning and Mooro, sauUio let^the building on tho evening of the «uu (night before the fire) at 0.00 Messrs Sexton and Rennie.left vs it i liim. He locked tho doors and. e the key to Sexton. Witness and Rennie.'thou adjourned to the White Hart Hotel. He went home at 0.4.. p.m. and did not go out a fe‘ r hoard the fire alarm and v. hen hes £lot to tho shop tho briffndo v.oio phiy u& water on the back v.al . _ | ’ that tho counter m the Ho-t .hoi was nearly burnt doss u. it ss as usual for him to take the boohs homo at night. He saw Bennie at the file He was working for the firm op till a fortnight of the fire._ The das previous to the, fire Rennie brought a load of skins to tiie shop and hit •his swa- there. At C.SO ho returned to the shop and after assisting to unload the beef went to the bote . The firm’s stock destroyed s.m valued at £OO. Ho thought the hit originated through a dercctm. ohniipey as there was a horn oetsveon the copper chimney and the open ohnnnsy in tho feed house. Ho could not account for tlie fire in the front shop. On tho morning of the fire it appeared to him that someone had get-fire to the premises. _He asked Rennie whether ho had siept on the premises that evening him lie mack-

no reply. , „ • William Sexton, employed by Messrs Manning and Mooro,_ sau. that Rennie left Ins swag m the stable and not in the shop. He locked all the doors at G. 30 and thcie, was then no sign oi tiro. •Ho had charge of the keys and no one otraln got into the building unless 'they, broke in. Ho went to bed_ before eight o’clock. When lie arrived at the shop the fire was burning at the back and tinder the counter in iho front shop. Ho did not notice any (marks tiring ’about the shop. He had a fire* under the copper in the morning but it was put out with water before noo". The chimney tvas in a bad condition. Jhiero was feed chaff, uaper and empty hags in the feed room. Re first saw Reume throwing harness out of t.te stable. There was a quantity oi paper tinner the counter. . To Mr Oollius : gThe* fire!jiu,.tlic front shop might have been started hv a spark. Did not think the two fires started at the same time. To the Foreman: The books wore taken home on Saturday and wore not brought hack again. John Thomas Foster said ae was the first person at. the fire. Ho forced the front door open without aav difficulty aud noticed a fire under the counter. He could not see the fire in the back from the trout as the door was shut. He could see it through some wire netting but the Haines were not coming through the front simp in any part. He closed the door aud went round to the stables'aud saw Rennie at the south side of the simp, standing by the ]'or«e machine with his hands in his pockets. Ho asked him what he was doing hut ho did not reply. Rennie took his swag from the stable. Ho believed that the hack was set fire to and the front afterwards. ' Herbert Hunter, fireman, was of opinion that the fire m the front shop could not have been caused by sparks ns there was so lit Jo fire showing through the partition when lie went inside. A spark could nor b>e carried against the wind which was blowing from the west side. '•John G. Campbell, captain of the Fire Brigade, said that after making an eaxmiuatiou of the building he had come to the conclusion it was a suspicious fire, as it had Maned in two separate ' places aud ho could not see how the'front one could he started lw t!m back one. consider. ing tiie ‘direction of the wind he thought It would to ft WD legibility that ft spark could liyht front tiro. Constable Breen, Rennie and witness wont to Bonny Glen the same day to find out if Reume had Merit with two swaggers in a hut there. Ronnie had told the police he slept'at Bonny Glcu but the swaggers denied this. William Reume, laoourei, s..rd he worked for Mr Read but kM ms employ about 11 months ago. Mas working for Messrs Manning and Moore for a fortnight before the tiro. Had been on good i terms with his employers. On Monday morning be came to the shop with the cart and or ought his swag with him. Ho jf.vt hi« swag in tho teed house. Ht Ss about the town during the day aud went to the shop at five o clock aud removed iris swag to the hack shed. His reason for doing this was that he expected to got a 30b that night from his uncle (James Freeman.) Later on ho met Moore and gave him a lift with some moat. He then went to tho White Hart Hotel aud remained there till closing time. Ho was not sober. Ho mot two

swaggers and wont to the Huitepapa railway station to sloop. They had a bottle of Whisky varli iliem Hryout there tosioop uooraso the othei hwVgtrcrs wont there. He lett ihe Ttatiou between throe and tour o’clock in the morning. He lclt ‘ !t that time iu order to see 1' rec.mau about his work, lie came along Pnkepapa road into High Street arid passing the Borough Council OJU ? a w the reflection of lire, lie went alou" Blackwell Street aud when he got clciVto'lho lire saw it was the batcher’s shop. He saw loin I’ostcx there Ho went to the rear ol tin taMifS «*£«»«• SSk’ og Constable Breen b™ Bonny Glen. Ho told the constable a falsehood because ho thought he would be an os ted for homg illegally on the railway station. The two swagmou were strangers to nim. He was never near the butcher s shop from the time ho left in the evening until the outbreak. His swag was left at the stable. Mot M°°rc_ at function Hotel about nine o’clock on tbo morning of the fire and had a drink with him. Ho was employed Vr Mr Moore to work for the firm. When leaving Mr Manning t.ave him his cheque. Had 18s when he went to the hotel aud 2s 9d next morning. He was accustomed to wake up early yvon if he was intoxicated . The iury brought iu the following verdict — :Wo find that Manning and Moore’s butcher’s shop was destroyed by fire, the act of some person or persons unknown,