A SCENE AT A FIRE INQUEST.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2498, 23 March 1881, Page 2

A SCENE AT A FIRE INQUEST.

SECOND EDITION

EXTRAORDINARY REVELATIONS. [By Telegraph.] Dunedin, March 23. A Coroner’s inquest was held at Port Chalmers touching a suspicious fire at Mansford Bay, on March 5. A next door neighbor of ; Pearce’s swore that on the evening of the fire he heard noises in his house as of people Jump, ing off a form or table, and saw a light in the parlor where the lire broke out. Other witnesses swore that a boy named Martin MacMahon had declared to them that Pearce the owner of -the house, offered him £lO to fire the house. MacMahon was somewhat intoxicated at the time. George Moir in his evidence said:—“ On Feb. 21, while on the beer, I was with MacMahon, who was drunk. MacMahon wanted mo to go mates, as he had been offered £lO to burn down the house, but he intended to try and get £ls. I gathered from him that the house was Pearce’s. Thought it was only the beer that was talking. Told the sergeant while in the hospital that I would burn any house down in these hard times for £lO, and so I would,” M’Mahon in his evidence said he had made statements when drunk for which he was very sorry. He knew nothing of the fire, and Pearce never mooted to him to set fire to the house, but witness mooted the matter to him. That’s an honest confession—Coroner :—“ You have either wilfully perjured yourself or endeavoured to set up a story which is very improbable,that you were so drunk as to be under a hallucination, and you quite fail to clear Pearce—You are one of the worst and most discreditable witnesses that ever came into Court.” Two witnesses swore McMahon was not under the influence of drink when ho made the statement. Pearce denied ever having any conversation withMcMahon. He and his family were away from the house on the night of the fire. The Jury returned a verdict that the house was wilfully fired by persons unknown, and that the evidence of McMahon and Moir was exceedingy unsatisfactory.