HORRIBLE OCCURRENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2455, 18 November 1886, Page 2

HORRIBLE OCCURRENCE.

A WELLINGTON RESIDENT MYSTERIOUSLY BURNT TO DEA'H,

A'shucking doath, the circumstances surrounding which are somewhat myaterioub, occurred in the Hospital last Tuesd ly night. Or: Saturday night Mr Henry Andrews, an -wnplnyoe in the drapery aetabltahraont of Messrs Casoy & MoDonald, was admitted to the Hospital suffering from extensive burns about the chest, stomach, and other parts of his body, but it was not known how. ho came hy them. He was in great pain, and at 11 o'clock expired in agony. The partieul&rs of the occurrence have been furnished us by Mrs Crispin, of Port-street, off Majoribanks-street, in whose house the'deceased had lodged for .the last throe or four months. They are to the following effect:—On Tuesday, theQth inst. Mrs Crispin with her family went out to spend the day, and upon returning home about 8 o'clock in the evening, she. met Andrews going down Majoribanks-street,' Oil asking him how ho had spent the day he replied that he had been sleeping during the afternoou,'and did riot feel very well. Andrews oamo home between 10 and 11 o'olock and'went to bed, his room beingocoupied by; Mrs Crispin's son. The next morning ho said he felt stiff and sore, as he had been out riding the previous day. Ho, however, went to his business, but returned early in the afternoon, saying he was unable to remain any longer' In the evening he went to bed, but did not cumplain of beini! ill. On Thursday he did not get up, remarking that he was very sore, and would like to have some oil to rub on bis body. This was procured for him. He remained in bed until Friday evening without saying anything more .about his indisposition, but later oil told Mrs Crispin's son what had happened. He said that on the Tuesday afternoon he was smoking a cigarette in bed, and the vallance and his shirt took fire and burnt him severely. The skin wan in fact peelin? off his body in great-flukes, Mrs Crispin, becoming awaro for the. first time that Andrews was seriously ill, Rent at iince for Dr -Pombartim, who shortly arriv.-d,and ordered the man's immediate reinoval to the Hospital, saying that if he wm, not taken there without delay he WOiijd.be a dead man, Andrews said ha wiiiild'go next day (Saturday), and he was conveyed thither in a cab during the roorpig. Tho result has been stated. What is mysterious about the affair is that from Tuesday evening to i Friday evening Andrew?, who must have i suffered agonising pain, never said what i was really die matter, and, as it subsequently transpired, took every precaution

to. bop lm mishap a secret. The vullance (tf.t'lii)'bß(l.lwßbcen found wrapped in a timl inlii?,portnianteau, ami a fragment of his sliift i -slij»lity burnt, and evidently purposely turn off was found hidden 111 another'place. The remainder of the. shirt is nowhere to be found. Mrs Crispin saysj there* ware no signs of any • thing having btwn set.on, fire when she returned on the Tuesday evening. She did not miss the vullance, and thn bedding mis not oven silked. Indeed, only a , small hide wa,s liurned in the former. Liter in the week there was an overpowering smell about the rooai, but Mis Crispin was unable to guess at its cause till Andrews said what had happened. The odour arose apparently from the 1 extensive and festeriug sore 3 about the ' person of her lodger. Thedeoeased, who ' was occasionally intemperate, was in the habit of drinking brandy in his room, and it is thought ho took too much liquor on the day of his mhhap, and went to sleep with a lighted oigarette in bis mouth, The oWsed was a single mau, about 45 years of age, and a native of Bristol. He has no relatives In the colony, but a brother reside in the Old Oountry.-Post.