HORRIBLE TRAGEDY IN MELBOURNE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 294, 29 August 1888, Page 5

HORRIBLE TRAGEDY IN MELBOURNE.

A man named Alfred Langlands, twentyeigl.t years of age, a member of the Victorian Peimanenfc Artillery Force, has been burned bo death under the most horrible circumstances. The unfortunate man, who is leportecl to have been well connected in England, has been ill the permanent force for some four years, A few months ago, whilst working in one ot the batteries, °he received an injury to one of his legs, which somewhat incapacitated him from active work, and since then he had been employed a& a clerk in the artillery oftice-at Queenscliff. On Wednesday he received leave of absence tor three days, and came to Melbourne avowedly with the intention of seeing the Exhibition. On his arrival in Melbourne he engaged a room in the Bourke-street Coffee Palace, where he left his luggage. After dinner he went out with Corporal Allen, who dlso belongs to the permanent force. About nine o'clock they made their way to a house in Juliet Terrace. They lemained drinking till Langlands became so intoxicated that he was put to bed in the bedroom at the rear of the cottage. It was noticed that he had a halt-smoked cigar in his hand, but none ot the persons present seem to have thought ot noticing whether it was alight or not. About 6 a.m. the occupants of the house were aroused by an old man who is employed us groom in the adjoining premises and who informed them tiiat die bedroom at the rear was on fire. One of the girls, named Mary McClure, living in the house, ru&hecl out and opened the door of the room, which she found completely wrapped in dames. She could not bee the bed, and in her excitement gave no thought to Langlands, but hurried down to the Little Bourkb-street lockup and gave the alarm to the brigade, while the other giila in the house removed the furniture from the place and did what they could with the means at their disposal to control I the fire. The brigades answered the call given to them very speedily, and when the flames had been partially extinguished they saw the deceased in the bed. Another resident of the place named Cameron attempted to rush in to drag Langlands 5 body out, and was only saved trom being burnt herself by one of the firemen, who stopped her, not, however, before her hair had been badly singed. When the fire was completely got under, the charred remains of the deceased, burnt past all recognition, were found in the centre of the bed, which was a wooden one and had iallen to the floor when the supports weie destroyed. The deceased's watch and chain and the key of the bedroom door at the Coffee Palace, were found near the remains. It seems probable that the ( cigar which Langlands ivas smoking when he was put bo bed was still alight, and in his drunken stupor he dropped it on the bed-clothes. They smouldered on till the fii'o wa» comnmmcabtd to the mabtresses and wooden framework of the bed, and the old rotten timber of which the room was built piovided ready fuel for the progress of the flames.. The decoased had ovideuMy partially returned to consciousness, xor one of his legs, was drawn up as if in an attempt, co get trom the bed.