SHOCKING DISASTER AT CAMBRIDGE. Three Children Burned to Death.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1926, 8 November 1884, Page 2

SHOCKING DISASTER AT CAMBRIDGE. Three Children Burned to Death.

One of the saddest fatalities that have ever shocked the senscq of the people of this district occurred at Cambridge on Thursday afternoon, resulting in the burning to death of three young children, Hedley James Oiborne, aged four years, Julietta Alice Osborne, aged two years, and Agnes Mary Osborne, aged five mouths. Mr and Mrs OaLorne with their three children resided in a small tworoomed cottage on the bank of the Waikato river, nearly opposite Hally's flour mill. On Thursday morning Mr Osborne left home at the usual hour for work, being engaged on Mr Arnold's farm about a quarter of a mile from the house About twenty minutes to one, Mr* Osborne, having some shopping to do in the town, put her itifant child to bed, ami locked it up by itself in the bedroom, so that it should not be disturbed by the other two children. Seeing that everything was safe, there being no fire in the house since breakfast time, she shut up the boy and the girl in the kitchen, ami proceeded to town on her business. When leaving her home in this way, it was a usual thing for Mra Oaborne to shut up her children, believing that did she not do so they would find their way to the river, only a few chains distant, or to a deep well adjoining. About 1 o'clock Mr Arnold, who was doing something on his farm, noticed smoke issuing from Osborne's house, and called out to Mr Osborne to that effect, The latter wat no time in realising the situation, and, followed by Mr Arnold, -ran in all haste to the house. On arriving at the seen*' he opened the door and made a daring attempt to enter, but after groping about on the floor for a few seconds, the anioko and flames compelled him to retire. He then took an axe, and with Mr Arnold, armed with a spade, proceeded to thu other end of the house, where the fiiu did not seem to have taken such a hold on the house, but after removing a couple of boards the draught entered, and in a fow seconds the house was nothing but a mass of flame. Thinking it possible that Mrs Osborne might have taken the children with her, he rin to the town to nee. The fire had boon noticed by M r Black from the wharf, and knowing that Mrs Osborne was in the town, he fouiiil her in Mr Arnold'B shop and told her of what had happened. The feelings of the unfortunate woman can more readily be imagined than described. She at once started off, and in going up Victoriastecet met her husband near the Colonial Bank. All doubt as to the fate of his children was now removed, and on meeting his wife he told her that she hail lost her house and her three little children. The distress of the unfortunate people was beyond all bounds. The police having been communicated with, Constable Brcnnan lost no time in proceeding to the scene, where all was in ashes. A search was immediately instituted, and the remains of the three chiklter Mendiscovered among the deb) if. Tlj^ boy and the girl were lying jpart in the kitchen near the fireplace, ami the little infant was lying across the bed where it had been left sleeping by its mother. As may be expected the bodies were frightfully charred, and altogether unrecognisable. The girl was recognised by the burned remnants ot her clothes. Constable Breunan, assisted by Mr Arnold, removed the bodies, which were still burning, and put them into a bath full of water. They were subsequently laid out on sacks and removed in a conveyance to Cambridge to await the inquest. The unhappy parents, whose grief was very excessive, were taken away from the scene and kindly received by Mr and Mrs John Sharp. Everything they possessed was destroyed, including a fow pounds in money which were in the house, and wither house nor furniture were insured. The cause of the fire is unknown, but it is believed that it originated through the boy, who was very fond of playing with matches, getting hold of a box that was in the house at the time, and setting fire either to his clothes or his sister's, or to some paper that may have have been lying about. A subscription list has been put in circulation, and a pood few pounds have already been subscribed.

The Inquest. An inquest on the bodies of the three children, Hedley James, Julietta Alice, and Agnes Mary Gsborne, was held at tho National Hotel, yesterday at 11 o'clock, before the district coroner, Mr \V. N. Searancke, J.F. and a jury of twelve, of whom Mr Win. Moon was cho3en foreman. Constable Brennan conducted the examination. Wm. Osborne, the father of the three children was called. He saw the children last al J vc about 7.20 on Thursday morning. Saw some remains afterwards in the afternoon, and had no reason to doubt that these were the remains of his children. A little after one o'clock saw smoke coining from the house, and ran over to it followed by Mr Arnold. H« opened the door and called for the children. The inside of the house was full of smoke and flames. He crawled in and felt about on the floor. The door slammed to and he was choked with the smoke, and compelled to come out. Went to the back with an axe and with Mr Arnold's assistance knocked off some of the boards with the object of rescuing the children from off the sofa at that end thinking they might be there. They then saw that the boards inside were all red coal. Pulled off some boards where the baby was and found that place all red coal inside likewise. He then ran up to Cambridge to see if his wife had any of the children with her. His wifo was in the habit of leaving the children at home, but she very seldom went out. She generally took the baby with her, leaving the other two to play about. It was not usual for her to lock the door, but just to close it. Never anticipated any danger from this source. Could not say how the fire originated. There were matches in the house. The house was his own property, and there was no insurance on either furniture or building. Estimated his loss at about £50. There was a Trafford ranj>e in the house, but could not say that there was any fire left in it. The house was a wooden building about 22ft. by lift., and divided into two rooms. By the coroner : In getting over the fence I heard some noise inside, but it must have been the cat. I did not hear any screaming. Mary Osborne, the mother of the three children, said she saw them alive at 20 minutes to one on Thursday.' She was then closing the door to go to Cambridge to get her husband a suit of clothes. She locked the baby in the bedroom, the two elder children being in the kitchen. While at Arnold's buying some meat Mr Blnck came and told her that her house was on fire. When going towards home she met her husband coming down Victoria-street near the Colonial Bank. He told her she had lost her house and, her three little children. She did not' recollect anything that was said after. It could not have been threequarters of an hour from the time I left home till I returned. I wm in the labit of leaving my children athome by themselves about once a week. I was generally away from about one to two hours. I very, oftea took 1 the bjaby with me. I was frightened to let; them run about when { was awjiy Jesjb they should get into the river, w*h|chpft'as only about 50 yards away. 'This wasi why I shut them up, *,There %as" neither , fire nor ashe« in the stove when I left home at. twenty minutes tp one. I forgotjto put the matches away. . The njatche* were tm the , ledge over the mantelpiece, and the boy must ', have got tho , broom and knocked them down.. I have seen t&g.bbytget'the matohes fwjtwntly jtaT^foiMgft b»

father's pipe. If the matches were anyway handy and my back turned, the boy would strike them and try to light the pipe. I was generally careful in keeping the matches out of his way. There was some paper underneath the sofa, and under the cushion of the chair there wna a Weekly News. The children were in the habit of reading the paper and playing with it. The inside of the house was papered. In striking matches the children's clothes might have caught fire. By the coroner : I saw the boy the other morning suck a match. They neVer got the matches on any previous occasion when I was from home. The matches were quite out of the boy's reach, and he could not have got them unless by knockiug them down with the broom. The only way I can account tax the fire is through my boy getting hold of the matches. There were no neighbours within a quarter of a mile. I usually keep the matches in the bedroom, and the children saw me put them above the fireplace before I left. There was a cat and a kitten and a little bird in the house. The boy could not open the door to get out, though it was not locked. John Arnold gave evidence confirmatory of the two previous witnesses. He assisted Constable Brennan in picking up the remains. The bodies were only balls of fire, and they put them in a bath full of water, and then shifted them on to sacks. Constable Brennan stated that at 1.30 he received information of the fire. P:o ceeded to the scene and found the place completely burned down. After making the usual enquiries lie proceeded to search for the bodies. (The witness then described the position in which the bodies were found.) Respecting Mrs Osborne's statement about the danger of allowing the children to knock about outside, he had examined the vicinity, ana agreed that there waa considerable danger as stated. There wa« a deep open well and the river near by. The Coroner then summed up. He referred to the boy's habit of usiug matches as descrihed by the mother, and he had no doubt but that the fire originated by the boy getting hold of the matches on this occasion, and in some way setting fire to their clothes or some paper that may have been lying abont. The evidence went to show that the fire could not have originated through any fire being left in the stove, through the chimney catching fire, or through the fire having started in any way outside. He thought that the children might have been left with some neighbour. A juryman informed the coroner that there were no neighbours in the vicinity, and the unfortunate people were not in a position to employ a girl to look after the house in their absence. A verdict of accidental death by burning was returned.