THE LATE FIRE AT FEN COURT.

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1407, 9 July 1881, Page 3

THE LATE FIRE AT FEN COURT.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,— We and our fellow-servants at this station thank you for your courteous allusion to us in your local of Tuesday, the sth mst., in reference to our supposed connection with the disastrous fire which lately occurred here. Statements have been made in other newspapers which have not been substantiated. We admit our gioss carelessness in having naked lights in the stable at all, but it has been proved that we were all in bed and lights out at half-past 10. How can it be accounted for that the fire broke out m the loose'straw in the upper floor of the barn at 12 o'clock, and there was at that time (although the flames were coming through the roof), no vestige of fire in the barn stables or loose boxes below? This is also proved by the horses being removed without the slightest injury whatever ; the stables only caught fire when the floor above fell through. No attempt has been made to contravert our statement that none of us were that night on the upper flour, where the fire originated. It has also been reported that we men-servants were accustomed to have concertina playing and dancing on the premises burnt ; this never in one single instance occurred. We have been permitted to amuse ourselves in our own detached building, where we slept (which is a considerable distance away) in preference to going to neighbouring jjubhe-houses, as none of us either smoke or drink. We read in the Herald that Dan OBrien has confessed to firing the com stacks, and we are anxious to know his whereabouts at the time the barn and btables were set fire to, as he was apprehended in the township of Cambridge a few days after its occurrence. It has been stated that the man was in the habit of sleeping out at nights in the fern, or alongside of hedges in the neighbourhood, and we are surprised that the experienced detectives engaged have not accounted for him on the night of the fire.— We remain, Sir, for ourselves and fellow-servants, yours tiuly, Thomas Frost, Edwakd Heath. Caravansory, Fen Court, July 8, 1881.