CARGILL STREET FIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 July 1919, Page 5

CARGILL STREET FIRE.

CORONER DISSATISFIED WITH THE EVIDENCE. By Association. Dunedin, Last Night. An inquest was concluded to-day on the bodies of Duncan MacDonnell and Samuel Doeherty, victims of the boarding house fire in Cargill Street. The fact that the place was not licensed drew the comment from the coroner that if the City Council officials had exercised greiter vigilance the position would have been improved in the direction of fire escapes, though the absence of escapes did not enter into the reasons for the deaths of these two cases. He added that he would recommend the Council to see that in cases of boarding houpes Are extinguishers were provided. In giving his verdict that MacDonnell died from suffocation and burns and Doeherty froth shook, the coroner Said he must say he did not think for one moment he had got a correct story. He was not at all satisfied With tho evidence, which, in his opinion, was very gruarded, very likely because Sotte of the men did not like to disclose what was going on. No doubt Doeherty was three parts drunk, and bottles were also found in the house. The fire originated in Ddclierty's room, but there was nothing to show how it started. He thought that boarding j houses should have (Ire escapes and also means of extinguishing incipient fires. "It has been a most unfortunate matter,'' concluded the coroner, "aiid hss occurred under the most unfortunate conditiohs."