THE RECENT FIRE AT GREYTOWN.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2069, 15 August 1885, Page 2

THE RECENT FIRE AT GREYTOWN.

'■ An inquest .was held before Dr Spratt, at Greytown, yesterday, on the fire by l which Kempton's store was destroyed. [ The following jury were empannelled:— D. P. Loasby, Sain Haigli, W. Udy, D. P, Player, J. D, Heagorty, T. Johnson, C. Higgins, R. A. Wakelin, A. Young, ! J. Hillier, C. S. Gamble, S. Page and' G, Wyett., (foreman). , Mr Gully appeared for the police, and Mr Thompson for the National and South British Insurance Companies. 1 Constable Eccleton, sworn, explained ' the ground plan of the building, giving 1 measurement as far as possible. On Sun- ' day morning, August 2nd, lie heard the 1 fire-bell about 3,50. He went to the firo i .immediately, and saw the house occupied by T. E. Kempton in flames, The fire ■ had a guod hold by the time he got there • where he found a number of people present. We went to Mr Kempton on Monday to ascertain the amount of insurance; and he (Kempton) gave the amount of insurance on building and 1 stock as £3OOO. I asked him how the , fire occured, and he said he first heard . something drop in the shop. He put on his trousers and ran down stairs. He then went back and saved a day book . with a few entries,. which did not extend i over a month. He said 1 he was insured i for £3OOO, and that he would lose about i £I,OOO by. the fire over the insurance. ■ He said he would not care if he' had the bills made out, but now he had nothing i to make them out from, Kempton also • said he nearly got burned in trying to save his things; he had his hair singed, and that all his books were burned. ; He (witness) saw Kempton again on the 4th inst. in company with Mr F. G. Thompson, Insurance Agent; ho then stated that the house which was burned belonged to his grandfather and he paid six shillings a week rent for it, Kempton then produced some of his books, a day -book and two ledgers, and a cash box, and handed them to Mr Thompson and myself. He once stated that lie only had one book saved, and that the cash-box was burnt containing about £2in coppers, but afterwords that he had saveu the books and cash-box containing over £8 in silver, and some documents. On the same occasion I was speaking to Mr Kempton Sen.'3 housekeeper, and she made a statement. Her nameisCatharine Mair. She said a previous to the fire, T. E. Kempton came into his grandfather'shouseandplaceed some papers on a table in a room before his grandfather, and his grandfather # said, even jf .the place is burned down you will have to pay me the rent. Mrs Mair said it was a clear sweep and all pre-arranged, there was no kerosene there, or she would have smelt it, that she could sine)) well, Mr Kempton', sen,, said he had an interest in the property, and that he had no .not made any deed of gift to his grandson, I did not see Mr Kempton at the time of the fire, but-only 011 the following day, Mathew Tully, station master was sworn, and deposed : On Sunday morning about 3.45,1 heard someone call fire. 1 liye about fifty yards north side of the site of Kempton's store'; and on, the; same side of the street. There are two houses intervening, I immediately got Up and inquired wners.the fire was; I was told that it was Kempton'? place. I then, partly dressed, and ran out,, j fifst:tried to find where the fire was coming flora, I saw the lire running up the side of the house, about three feet on 0110 side of the , chimney, on the south end of the house, I then came to the front of the building, and asked where were the people. I saw Kempton the butcher, Ingley, and Collier on the verandah. They broke ; open the door, and I pulled down the shutters. I kicked the windows in, and pulled out a couple of pounds worth of goods, and tooktheni over to'the other side of the street. There seemed to be very little taken out, because the fire broke through, and wo could not get on to the verandah. I then ran to help with the fire engine. This is all I know. To Mr Gully; I did not see Mr Kempton. I saw a boy, but did not know who he was. To a juror: The chimney was on the outside of the building. I believe Mr Kempton was in town.' Here the jury adjourned for lunch, view the scone of the fire. T, E. Kempton sworn and examined by Mr (My, deposedl was the occupier of the house burnt down on the 2nd August, and had to pay my grandfather six shillings per week rent. I had been in occupation about two years, during which time I have been carrying on the business of storekeeper. I had no experience in the business before. 1 was agent for the Australian Mercantile Insurance Company. I had a risk witlj the Com-, pauy, and took it out about thirteen months ago. I had not. a very large amount of stock from anywhere but Wellington. I had also some stock from Auckland. I had been increasing the stock gradually, and had beetf rapidly increasing it for the last six months. I had not within a month made a great increase in stock, I took stock last in March. I do not know if the Btock book was burnt. Stock was at that time as far as I can remember £2500. I think business had been steadily increasing since March. On examining the cash-box I found stock sheets showing up to £2400. I have no record of purchases made since March: they were burnt. I had no entry hi a book of purchases since that date. I kept invoices, but could' not say roughly about how much I had bought since March. 1 could not say how much my average takings per week were, nor how much 'stock had increased in value since March. In July I had insured for £SOO, and then increased my insurance for additions : by £SOO, on stock £3OO, on the main building £3OO, on the -furniture £2OO, on the building; stock, 'aiid That was all I asked from the National. I told the agent I' wanted to insure for more, but he recommended ino to go to the South' British, as he did not care to ; take any moro. The same day I wont to ' the agent for the South British. When 1 I took out a policy with the National, I ' told the agent I wanted a policy for ' L 2500, exclusive of stock in the outbuild- ' ings. After Mr Wood had inspected the ' premises, he accepted the risk of LIOOO. 1 also insured in the Liverpool, London, and Globe for L 500.' My reason for increasing .the amounts 'of' the 'insurance so rapidly was because my stock was increasing, and it was the end of the year, There were more buildings going up close . to me, and the parties I waa dealing with told ma I was under-insured, and ought to increase, ' I have not made any claim for insurances. I have not'communicated to the offices, but have seen some of the agents, I m waiting $1 .after the inquest to make claims. I was awoko by some noise in the house, but do not know what it. was. I got out of bed, and went \ down btans in my nightshirt. I took my clothes and some books with me. The cashbox .was not upstairs. The books were principally kept in the bedroom. I put on my clothes downstairs, and went and called the boy.' I left the books outside and went and fetched a oanary.- I * couldn't say who was the first to come'on t

the ground; two or three came together." Mr Collier, my neighbor, was one of them. We couldn't do anytking, so stayed about , the place. It was daylight when I went to my grandfather's, x am not sure whether I went alone or not. When I went to my grandfather's, 1 took some books and some other little things. I recollect speaking to .Constable Eccleton about the fire, but not saying-l had lost all my books. I said 1 had ' lost all my principal books, except my . day book, which did not extend back more than, a month. My principal books were my ledger, and an old day bbok. If I had thought of them I could have saved them. I took some and left' others. I did not tell anybody I had lost all" my books. I told Mr Thompson the same as Constable Eccleton, Ido not remember' speaking to Mr Wood about my books.; The cash box was on a table at the foot of the stairs, excepting when there was a large amount, then it was kept upstairs. I did not know how many times I went to tho house. I left the cash box outside on the ground, with a blanket round it. I did not make any statement 'to any person about losing my cask box. I said there waa a, cigar box with 1 about L2 in coppers lost. I didn't count how much there was in the cash cheques. Couldn't say how much ray average takings were per week. 1 didnot cpunt.the money on that date. Remembered taking some cheques on that date, and suppose they were burnt, I went with' Constable Eccleton and examined the chimney. I saw Mr Humphries put a wire through the wall of the chimney.' Couldn't say how high the hole .was up, I do not remember telling Constable Eccleton I would lose LIOOO by the fire, but might have done so.. I cannot make out what my loss was.' I could moot my engagements if I wanted, I was owing a large amount, and was overdrawn considerably at the bank at that time. The limit of my overdraft was L 600.' I couldn't say the amount of bills coming clue.

Mr Gray, who appeared for Mr. Kempton, had. not objected to any of the questions that had been put by his learned friend, but he did not think it was right to enter into a man's private affairs. • Tho Coroner wondered Mr Gray had had not objected before. Mr Gully said his questions wero the very ones which would lead to fclio- origin of the fire. Examination continued :-I could not say how much my liabilities are at the present moment. 1 could not tell how Diucli' was coming due in August, September aijd October. By access to the book I could tell. In September there were two bills coming flue. I could always get my Bills renewed, I Relieve 1 can presently give the jury the amount coming due. I had two lads, myself and Mas Kempton.. One of the boys lives on the premises and the other lives in the outhouse. Mrs Kempton is very often away owing to ill health. There was no ,(/.ne else on the premises when tho fire toot place. One of the boys had gone home to slppp ; Mrs Kempton went away ibout a week previous to the fire. I went to bed about eleven o'clock, There was a fire in the parlor, I was in the room before I went to bed. I took every precaution to make it safe, but it was burning very low. There had been a good fire during the day. To Mr Gray.—There was always a fire (/here in cold weather. I put the fenqeron the hob that evening, but did not think it neCessary to put water on the fire. I could not say li.ow old the building was, but I think" about 19 years. Mr Thompson, Mr Wood, and Mr Webster each inspected my store before accepting the risk. I was not in Court when the Constable gave his evidence. I did not tell him there was £2 in copper in tjie cash-box. 1' do not remember \)ietl;or I was present at my grandfather's house when Catherine Mair made a statement to the Constable/ Thomas Kempton, sen., deposed that there was never a word said of the likelihood of the place being burnt down. Catherine Mair sworn deposedl remember the morning of the fire, and recollect seeing Mr Thompson. I made no statement to the effect that the fire was pre-arranged, and am quite certain that I did not make any statement to the j same effect to Constable Eccleton. If Mr Thompson and Constable Eccleton said I' did, it' is not .true. I have made up all' differences with Mr Kempton sen. I remarked'that there was no kerosene in the house, or I should have smelt it a mile off. After the adjournment for tea, the inquiry was continued. T. E. Kempton was re-examined for some length of time, re his liabilities. A. ■ I. Webster, agent for the Liverpool, London snd Globe Insurance Company, deposed that he inspected the stock, and valued it at' £3,200. F. E. Wood, agent for South British valued it at from £3OOO to £3500. He did not know pf preyious risks; if he had, ho would havp cancelled his policy. A verdict was given'that the house in the occupation of T. fc Kempton was burnt down on the morning of the 2nd inst, but '•-here was not sufficient evidonce to show how the fire originated.