Inquest on the Fire at the Marine Hotel.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3586, 24 June 1880, Page 2

Inquest on the Fire at the Marine Hotel.

An enquiry into the causss of the fi;e by wirch the Marine Family Hotel was deUroyed on Thursday, tlie 17th Juce, took p?aco this morning before Dr Ip'gour. Coroner, and the following Jury:

—Messrs A. Holden, J. Head, J. MeGowan, J. Eensliaw, Kobert Biura, J. Osborne, J. Northey, T. Hicks, E. Cameron, G. Hawkes, J. Townsend, and M. Brown.

Mr Miller watched the case in the interests of Mr Stepbsnson. Mr,Osborne said ho was an insurance agent, and wished his name to be struck off the jury list, as it was not fair that he should be on the jury. The Coroner said that was no ground at all, and he should certai Uy not strike Mr Osborne's-name off the list. He was glad to hare such an intelligent juryman. Mr James Rcnshaw was chosen foreman. The Coroner remarked that it was singular that at the last moment a Bible should nearly always be wanting. The Sergeant returned bearing a Bible of gigantic proportions, being the smalllest he could find. Mr Miller asked permission to be present on Mr Stephenson's behal* 7. He objected to one of the gentlemen of the jury as being an insurance agent. He did not think anyoife connected with insurance would give such an unbiassed verdict as persons not connected with fire insurance would. The Coroner : Then you challenge the gentlemen Mr Miller P , Mr Miller: Yes your Worship. Sereral jurors : Can you not object to us also. We are connected with insurance? ' Mr Miller: I don't wish to make a farce of the thing. I withdraw my objection. The jury then left to view the scene of the conflagration. On their return the following evidence was taken. Sergeant Mulv'lle watched the case on behalf ot the police. All witnesses' were ordered out of Court.

Mrs Stephenson being sworn, said— My name is Harriet Stephenson, and I am the wife of the proprietor of the hotel, Mr Samuel Slephenson. I remember the night of the 17th of June—last Thursday. About a quarter to ten at night I shut the Front door of the house. I went out of the side entrance, and went to meet my daughter, who was away. I had about reached the Thames School when I heard the fire bell. Saw the people tunning, and I ran back also. I lost myself, and knaw no more until I found myself leaning up against Mr Horsbrugh's fence. I was taken to the Provincial Hotel, where I remained all night. There were no visitors or lodgers staying in our hotel at the time. Myself and young daughter were the only inmates of the house previous to the conflagration. There was no one in the house to my knowledge when I left. I did not put the lights out when I left the house, as I did not expect to be away more than ten minutes. The lights consisted of a candle in the big room, and-a kerosene lamp in the bar and back p rlour. All these rooms were on the ground floor. There were no lights upi( .irs at all, The last time I was upst irs was about dusk when I went up with a candle to shut the windows. No one. was upstairs after that time with a light. Noae of the family slept upstairs. j a answer to Mr Miller: My husband was up at Omahu. He left here on the Tuesday morning previously. Mr Owen used to bring my daughter home. It was the first time lever went to meet her. My husband us d to generally bring her home. When my husband went away I had not a knowl dge of all insurances effected on the building. I was not aware of the different mortgages on the properiy. To the Foreman : I had not a servant, liiere was a coal, fire in the back room downstairs. I noticed nothing wrong about the fire, and thought it was qui'.e safe. I sometimes shut the house up before ten o'clock. I insur rl in the Imperial unknown .to my husbctnd, in my daughter's name for £300. Tins is thei-third year,of tbe insurance. The bouse b I been built some time, but I couldLnot tell exactly. We thought of f.oio'j; up the county.?. The insurance in'the'lmperial was partly on 'the 'formal re and par Jy on the building. I have never been refus 'd an insurance in my own name. I do not r collect asking Mr Veale to insure me., Mr Vea!e never came to my house; po-. 1 did he refuse my insu.aace. I think the fire ori^inaleci. ia the servant's room. The ' rubbish accumulate against the chimney, and I think the he t of the fire below igni.ed it. Mv McCullough did not pay back the money Lie prbtnis.-d, because Mr Stephenson did not insure. I had ben in the habit of spending money unknown to my husband, as I always had money of my own. - '■ . James Joseph Pox deposed—l was sf lading at the Exchange corier, and at five minutes past ten I noticed smoke rising apparently »rom the back of this building. I went to the Marine Hotel and tried the door, -but finding it closed forced an entrance with Constable Alexander's assistance. I noticed that the fire was confined io the upper part of the building. I .went iiuo the rooms down stairs end assisted to remove the furniture. It was about four minuses from the time I saw the smokeuntil I was on the. spot. \ I did not go into all the rooms.

Samuel Stephenson, deposed : I was up at Ohinemuri at the Land Court. The building cost me £803. I borrowed £250 from Woolams (first mortgage). I then borrowed £400 of Byan, Bell and Co. : I insured the house for £250 in order to secure Woolams, in. the Imperial, and £200 in the Norwich tln'on to secure Kyan, Bell and Co. There was £300 on the stock and funature. This sum is secured to Elireu'tied by bill of sale. I wns offered £750 for the house. I was compelled to effoct tho insurances in order to secure the mortgages. None of the insurance moneys come to me personally. I was not pressed by,any creditor. Fanny Connelly said : I had been sweeping out the rooms. I rubbed the wainscoting with a kerosene rag given me by Mrs Stephenson.

Constable Alexander said: I thought the fire origiiuted :u one of the front rooms of the upper storey. 1 tried to get upstairs to see where the fire originated but I could not do so as the staircase was on fire. • . - Louis Melhose, deposed; The Marine Kotel was insured on the Norwich Union foi" $<203. That, was only on the buildiDg and did not cover anything'else. It was t'je only insurance in his office that he was aware of. Messrs McCullough and (yellioa spoke as I > the insurances.

Th 3 Jury retired, and after being absent twenty minutes, retarded with the fbkowi&g verdici::—" That the Mc-riue Family" Hotel waa destroyed by fire on

the evening of June 17, 1889, but how the fi.e ori^innted there is no evidence (o show. Tlie Jury consider ihat the Insurance Offices have taken look high a risk on this property— j. practice calculated (o endanger the public ss'ety."