A WELLINGTON TRAGEDY

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10517, 4 January 1912, Page 5

A WELLINGTON TRAGEDY

MAN BURNED TO DEATH.

UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRINK. CB\j Telegraph — Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Last Nigh*, j An inquest was held to-dla.y by Ma - j W. G. Riddell, S.M., on the body of i John Calvert, the eldlerly man whio J was burned to death in a. boarding-; house in Taramaki Street early this morning. The evidence showed that the deceased, who had a wooden leg, came home lintoxieated on the previoius evening, and was* helped up to ted. Whien tlie house was discovered to be on fire later on, efforts were miado to get him out of the room, but he became abusive and wouW. not go. The other occupants of the house had to save themselves.. The firemen weire notified that there was a man in tlie house, and fixed ropes to the windows:, bait uma.vai.lin.gly. A verdict was returned that Calvert was iburned to death, nn& had he been sober lie would have bad a better chance of escape; also that, having a wooden leg, he had les® opportunities of escaping than' a mm in full posseslsion of hte limbs. No blfia>m<e was attachable to the proprietor of the boarding-hoiiee, who had done what hie could, It is not known whether the 'deceased had a.ny re-Mives in Wellington.