THE PARKVALE FIRE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5041, 3 June 1895, Page 2

THE PARKVALE FIRE.

From Our Own Correspondent. An inquest, which lasted fcom 10 n m to3 r .n,,washeldatParlcvaloonSat. urday, before Mr T. Hutchison, S.M Coroner and a jury of six, of which Mr Jv. VV. Dorset was foremau, touching he fare on tlm of Friday, Ma? Mtb, hy which tho Schoolmaster's residence at Purkvale was destroyed Constable Darby conduced the examination.

Ihc first witness was Martha. Wards|, wife of 0. A. Kichaid., Uto hcadteacher at Parkvalc School. Her' cvidcnco went to show that on the night m question she was alone in the house and was engaged all the evening ironing, clothes. Her lu.sbanJ had ragnod from tko school, on account of IU-licalth,, and he was away from home Ihc childreu-two grown sons and "TOdaughtcrs.-wcrcawayataucigh. bour s, at a dance. Witness, about 9.30. had her attention called to a noise over- ■ head, and on turning round and lookinir «p, discovered the ceiling of the kitchen MS on fire near the chimney. She took up the clothes horse, which was full of thelmen she had just ironed, and ran OU with .land deposited it in ashcL half a, chain away, at the back of thf school Sic then rang the bell of the school, and afterwards ran down to the ™'G a ' e - tc»sce if anyone was driving along. Mr J. Moncrielr, farmer, drove up in a buggy with his three daughters One of the latter ran to aMrHorrobin'J and he came over. In the meantime, William Ackermau, a neighbour atIractcd by the flames, arrived on tha scene and rang the h'robell. Four witnesses were called who a l| said they had not heard the bell run* Z p Ackerman. The furniture of the front rooms was all carried out in safetv p.e fire at tkt time was confined "X back of the house. Thero were nob d beueathitwheucaiVwefetni to be saturated with kerosene * llio furniture was insured for £l5O was saTCtt. llierc was aso £lO on llm and saddky in anoCbuul : ing that was no damaged k ult an the w tnesscs denied having carried « thobe dingandsome off fi th ™«dsafein the shed g > :r- * v tho W agreed to the foVf "'/TO lately occupied by C. 1