FIRE AT WAITARA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVIII, Issue 81917, 22 January 1907, Page 3

FIRE AT WAITARA.

VERDICT OF IXCENDIAIUSM,

Tim enquiry into the cii'c stances connected with the recent AVaitara fire was held at Waitara before Mr T. Hutchison, Coroner, on Mnndav The jury Was as follows:—.Messrs |[ Spurdle. W. J'. Snoll, 11. (J. Lawrence' 11. K. Vauglran, E. and' \\ r . Sampson. Inspector Kicly eondueto'd the enquiry, and. the' police were fuithor represented hv Deteeitve Siddclls, Sergeant lluddrelj, and Con stable l'riee. The Coroner made reference to the number of 'serious lireill the town lately.

A. W. Ogle, owner of the block reeenliy destroyed, was examined, and stated TTn age of the buiWimrs'oeni pied by himself Has about 2* years three simps were 'erected six yea's ago, one a little over a year ago', ami one 1-1 years ago. Wil'iie-vs left ids shop on Saturday night, and did not return. The Chinaman, as far as lie knew, was Hie only man who slept oa any of the premises that night. There was nothing in the shop that migin through explosion caused be excessive neat, have started thu coiillagration. Tlie" explosion heard was due'to ihc ellcct- of the lieat on a dentist',, ~,-,. cylinder.

Replying !o the Curoncr. (he witness said ]<:• believrd the lire was caused delil'ieraleiy and maliciously be some outside agency. Jle could give no reason for thinking so. In reply to jurors, he said that -o-ue people had an imaginary grievauee against him on account id soni-i p.tiy thieving from witness' steamers. doh-i itinger, porter al the Masonic liolei. and p.u-ter at the llridge Hotel at the time ol its destruction by fire, said that lie hail seen (lie lire wiieu he went outside to see that there were no lights burning in tho hotel, lie had heard no noises in the street prior to that.

William Telfar, who had lived at the rear of tire block of buildings, gave evidence that a., -about 10. m) p.m. on Sunday night, lie heard a sound as of someone running a stick along corrugated iron. At 1.10 a.m. he. was awakened by the sound of falling glas, and, looking out, saw tin me coming from Mr Ogle's shop windows.

Stephen Malicr was the next witness, and lie smtod that when going heme from ilic freezing works iiist af ter midnight lie way of iCieLeiiiistrect, lie heard a noise as that of an explosion, coming from the direction of the chemist:!. H seemed like a cork popping out of a bottle of stout, and might have been caused by explod ing bottles.

John 0. Cock, a baker, said that when ho saw the fire it was in tue back of Ogle's premises. He saw the Chinaman in his backyard,and thought he must have dressed before the bell rang.

Constable- Price's evidence was that cm the night of the lire .Mr Ogle told him he had suspicions as to the origin of the lire, but he would not mention the name of nis suspect. Afterwards he did so, and witness investigated, without result.

Sir Ogle asked leave to explain that he had not mentioned any name, lie had merely referred to a certain person as his "friend," and left the con'stable to draw his own conclusion. The Coroner reviewed the evidence brielly. lie said there was really no evidence to show that the lire had been wilfully caused, and the jury would have to fall back on the ''good old 'origin unknown,'" The jury retired for a few minutes, and arrived at the following conclusion: "After hearing the evidence, we consider that Ogle's block was deliberately set on (ire hy some person or persons unknown, on the morning of the 14th." A rider was added: "That we wish to call the attention of the Government to the urgent necessity of having another "constable placed in Waitara, the district being too large for 011 c person to attend to,"