FATAL FIRE AT WELLINGTON.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2812, 7 May 1895, Page 4

FATAL FIRE AT WELLINGTON.

Three occupants of a two-roomed tenement iu Tory place, Wellington, William Bell Patrick, his wife, and a boy two years old, were removed to the hospital on Friday night suffering from very severe burns, and at latest accounts all three were on the point of death. About 8.30 on Friday night the neighbours heard groans in Patrick's house and bursting open the door found Patrick, his wife, and child, lying on the floor fearfully burned all over the body. Mrs Patrick, as well as her two-year-old son, the victims of Friday night's fire, have succumbed to their severe burns. The mother died on Sunday morning at 4 o'clock. At the time of the fire, when Mrs Patrick was removed to the open air by Messrs Moloney and James, her burnt clothes puiled off, and with them the Bkin on a great portion of her body, arms, and legs. Her hair also upon being touched fell from the scalp. Patrick's condition is so seriouß that his depositions have been taken at the hospital. His real name was Bell, but he had adopted that of his stepfather, William Patrick, of Dublin. He had been out of work eight or nine weeks. On Fridpy he returned home at 6.30 p.m., and soon afterwards uudressed and lay down with his child in order to get him to sleep, leaving Mrs fatrick up and dressed. There was a lighted candle on the chair close to the bed when he fell asleep. When he woke up the bed clothes and wall paper were on fire, and his wife and child were on fire on the bed. He got up and ran about the room, but remembered no more until he was being lifted from the floor. He had no money in the house. He waß not dru^k; neither was his wife. She took a glass of c « or porter daily on medical advice. The door was broken open by a neighbour named Moloney with an axe, and groping on the floor of the room, which was fall of smoke, he found the man, then the woman, and lastly the child. All three were badly burned all over their bodies. The beds had apparently caught fire.