BURNING OF MOFFATT'S HOUSE, WAITOA. THE INQUEST.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 170, 18 September 1886, Page 2

BURNING OF MOFFATT'S HOUSE, WAITOA. THE INQUEST.

On Monday forenoon H. A. Stratford, Esq., R.M., held an enquiry at the TeAroha Hotel, Wai toa, respecting the destruction of the house occupied by Mr John Moffatt (formerly proprietor of the Hotel, at Waitoa, and who subsequently for a short time kept a butcher s shopat Te Aroha), on the night of Sunday, Sept. sfch. The following Jury were sworn :—: — Messrs John B. Smith (foreman ), G. L. Grant, H, Ross, Jas. Wiseman, Edwin Voysey, Thos. Taylor. • All witnesses were sworn and brought in for examination separately, the succeeding witness being unaware what had been stated by their predecessor. The first witness examined was John Moffatt, who said : The house which had been burnt was the property of his wife Mary Ann Moffatt. There were two fires alight when he went to bed on I the night of the fire ; one in the sittingroom in a register grate, and another in the kitchen stove, both of wood, and , nearly out. Besides himself, wife, and three children, there was in the house on that night a Mr Glasgow, a relative by marriage. All went to bed about 10.30. About half an hour after midnight of Sunday, my wife woke me up and said something was wrong. I got up, and, on going to the kitchen, saw that part near the stove all ablaze up to the roof. I shut the door, returned to' my bedroont and called out "fire." Tha stove was built in a lean-to extending out from the wall ; and was of wooden walls, with iron roof. My opinioa is that some of hot coals must have fallen out of the stove on to some bags that were laid as carpeting on the kitchen floor. The fire raged most at the .side next the tank which stood outside. the kitchen, and was at the time I think nearly full ; it had & tap and held about 1200 gallons. It was unnecessary to go out of the room for water, as 1 there was a pipe from the tank into the kitchen with a tap inside,

but I could not have got to the tap owing to the great heat. T called out to Mr Glasgow who answered from his room, which was at the other end of the house. Myself and wife with oar children went outside, and then joir.el by Mr Glasgow, we (at his suggestion) ran to the tank to see if there was any water in some tubs 'that stood there ; but there was not. The house was built of weather boards, with shingle roof. We had buckets and a ladder, but the hpat was so great we could not go near the tank to get water out of it ; so we all started removing the things out of the house. We got out less than half the furniture and a good deal of our clothes. We got most of the furniture out of the, parlour, but two washstands, a bedstead, and child's cot, three pictures, some books, a hearth-rug, fender and irons were destroyed. Glasgow roused the neighbours who came to our assistance. We had most of the things out of our bedroom when they came. I got out of the sitting-room a piano, colonial sofa, chairs, and pictures. The house was insured in the New Zealand Insurance office for £150, with a premium renewable in January, and the furniture for £100 in the same office. There is a mortgage on the building in the Thames Building Society, upon which I think £35 is still due. My wife with her own private means purchased the house about a year ago from the Thames Building Society for £100 on these terms, viz., £50 down, and the balance to be paid by instalments. The debt has been reduced to £35. The furniture, exclusive of the piano, was insured below its value. That also belonged to my wife. I think I valued the house at £200 in my application for insurance last January, and I remember the agent saying" he thought £150 enough. I wanted to insure for £200. I also valued the furniture exclusive of piano at £150, and wanted to insure it for that, but the agent would not allow more £100. I think we have saved about £80 worth of furniture, etc., and lost over £100 worth, as we had bought things since we insured. I have not had any employment sin«e last Msy. For two mrnths past I have intended to leave New Zealand, and Mr Glasgow also, with me. We intended to go to Kimberley. I intended to leave my wife and children here. I had not made any effort to sell the place. The house was completely burned down by 1.30 a.m. on the 6th. I gave up all hope of saving it about five minutes after I discovered it was on fire. Mary Ann Moffatt, wife of the foregoing witness in her evidence, stated ; She was the last pnrson in the kitchen the night of the fire, and saw both fire and lights out. I left some clothes hanging round the stovp, about two feet off. Between 12 and 1 o'clock I heard saucepans falling, and I jumped out of bed and awoke Moft'atc. My bod mom was next the kitchen. Moffatt, myself, and Mr Glasgow all got to the kitchen about the same time. As soon as 1 awoke I called out " Fire," and Mr Glasgow by name. When 1 saw the fire it had run up the wall near the stove, and caught the roof. Moffatt sjavc the alarm to the neighbours, whilst he was away Mr Glasgow and I were getting out the things. Moffatt and Glasgow were going away on Tuesday, 7th. When we three reached the kitchen Glasgow ran across the kitchen and turned the tap. Mr Moffatt also went across to the tap the same time. I saw the water running on to the floor. Mr Glasgow said : When he first saw the fire it was all np the wall at the stove end, right up to the ceiling. He did try to reach the tank tap, which was in the kitchen, but the heat was too great, and he went back to his bedroom to save his own things, and then helped to get out Moffatt's tilings, then went to alarm the neighbours, and returned to help the rescuing of further goods. He went to Shine's house, he did not go to a nearer house (the Collins's) because he did not think of it. It may have been ten minutes before anyone came. He did turn the tap in the kitchen into the bucket. Ho was an old captain of a fire brigade. He never heard the property was insured. Louisa Langdon's evidence : — I live with my mother, Mrs Collins, in a house next the one burnt down, and at a distance the width of the road from it. Between 12 and 1 on tho Sunday night I heard a noise like shifting things about. I looked through my window, (it Aras not very dark) and saw Mr Moffatt shifting his things out of his | house, also Mrs Moffatt, and Mr Glasgow helping. I was surprised at their moving away ut such an hour. In about ten or fifteen minutes whilst still watchingj I saw some sparks of fire rise from the back of Moffatt' a house, I ran out and called up my brother, also Messrs Bowe and Gabolinsey ; and returned in a few minutes ; the roof of Moffats house at this time being on fire. It had not extended beyond the lean-to at the time I returned to my mothers. I did not hear any alarm of fire at the time. Had any inmates of Moffatt's house called out fire, I think I should hare heard them as I was not asleep. I had not gone to bed that night,- before I saw the Moffatt's moving ther furniture. 1 I had. been sitting by my mother's bed side, she not being very well. The things I saw outside Moffatt's before 'I ■" went to ' call my brother (Collins), were portmanteau and bedding. I have never said I heard the cry of fire. Charles Collins : I was awoke by my sister Mrs Langdon, who called me up, saying Mr Moffatt's house was on fire. I reached the house in about five minutes, the roof and lean-to of his kitchen were then on fire, Moffatt and

Glasgow were removing the things. 1 saw no buckets or other appliances for putting out the 'fire. I did ask Moffatt if we could put out the fire out, and he said no it Ims too great a hold. I helped to remove the things. When I Arrived a man could have gone up the tank with the assistance of the ladder to get water out 'the tank. The fire was not too strong at that time to reach the tank if anybody had wished. The house burnt down very slowly. Wm. Abbey was also examined, but; stated nothing to throw any additional light on the matter. Verdict. The Jury returned a verdict to the effect that there was no .evidence to show the origin of the fire, and added the following Rider : " The Jury is of opinion that Mr Moffatt neglected to take ordinary means to extinguish the fire."