Post by NZBC on Jun 7, 2011 22:08:06 GMT 12
THE FIRE IN GREY-ST.
INQUEST ON THE CHINESE
VICTIMS
An inquest was held Ihis morning at Glessons's Hotel to inquire into the circumstance surrounding tlie death of William Wah (cook) and Sing Hung (market gardener) who were accidentally burned at the laundry of Sam Kee in Grey-street, early on Friday morning. Dr. Philson (Coroner) look the evidence and Mr T. Quoi acted as interpreter. Constable Oliphan represented the police and Mr Ah Kew was present on behalf of his fellow countrymen. Mr James Collett was chosen foreman of Ihe jury.
Sam Kee, who was sworn in fhe Chinese fashion, deposed, through Mr Quoi, that he was a laundryman and lived at the laundry destroyed by fire. He identified the bodies as those of William Wah and Sing- Hung, and said they were natives of China. They lived in the laundry with witness and he last saw them alive at Ihe laundry at II p.m. on Thursday. At this time witness said both men were sober and ihey had not been smoking opium. Wah was 60 years of age and Hung 41. Deceased had no supper before going to bed. The house was 2 storeys and was lighted by gas only in the lower storey. Deceased slept, in seperate rooms upstairs, but another man named Get Tai slept in Wah's room. Witness slept in Hung's room. When they went in bed each had one sperm candle. Witness put out Wall's candle, but he was not sure if Hung's wick was extinguished. The candles stood oon the table, and witness was soon asleep, He was awakened two or three hours afterwards by hearing a crackling noise below the stairs, and on getting up saw Hung on the stairs: He gave his alarm and roused Hung up. He also called out to Wah to get up. Witness did not go into the room, He then jumpted out by a back window inlo the yard, some 20 feet below. He saw Gee Tai come out of a front window on lo the verandah but he saw no other persons. AI this time the Fire Brigade had not arrived. He saw fire brigade afterwards endeavouring to put the fire out. Witness said the washing place was at the rear, where the boiler was located. It was in use on the day previous to the fire, Gee Tai put it out at 1p.m. on Thursday. There was a charcoal stove at the back of the ironing room, he saw the fire there on Thursday put out. Witness believed the lire originated in the lower storey, but he could not say in which room. Tlie Foreman: This appears to be another case like the fire at the D.S.C. The fire Brigade were not quick enough. : Constable Oliphanl: I have a constable here to say that the Fire Brigade were present five minutes after the alarm was given. The fire was burning some time before the alarm was given. Gee Tai, laundryman, who slept, on the premises, said the fire broke out in the lower storey. He did not. know how the fire began. To a .Juryman: The windows of the house lifted, but there were no sash cords. Constable R. Lanigann in his evidence said he was at the fire at 3.25 a.m. on Friday with Constable McDonald. At Ihis lime the fire had a good hold. It was mostly in Ihe back of the building. Only the inmates of the adjoining shop were then about. It was impossible to enter the building, but witness went into a right-of-way on Ihe left of the laundry. Witness thought the fire originated in the second (drying) room on the ground floor, 'there were three rooms on the ground floor. The fire Brigade arrived at the fire about the same lime, as witness. He thought, the Brigade were late in getting the alarm, but they succeeded in saving the adjoining building. The tfire travelled Very quickly. After the fire was extinguished witness found the remains of Wah face, downwards in the front room upstairs facing the street. Wah was evidently more suffocated than burned. Sing Hung's body witness found in an adjoining room. The body was completely charred.
The Coroner said no evidence, had been put before the .jury to show how the fire, originated. It'would be best to return an open verdict.
The jury then returned a verdict 'That the deceased came to their death through burning, but their was no evidence to show how the fire originated.' Mr Quoi then made a statement to the jury that gunpowder had been, wrapped up and lighted and thrown info the. shop by larrikins. The Chinese had been frequently annoyed in this way.
The, funeral of the two Chinese leaves Mr Little's premises to-morrow afternoon. Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 107, 7 May 1898, Page 2
INQUEST ON THE CHINESE
VICTIMS
An inquest was held Ihis morning at Glessons's Hotel to inquire into the circumstance surrounding tlie death of William Wah (cook) and Sing Hung (market gardener) who were accidentally burned at the laundry of Sam Kee in Grey-street, early on Friday morning. Dr. Philson (Coroner) look the evidence and Mr T. Quoi acted as interpreter. Constable Oliphan represented the police and Mr Ah Kew was present on behalf of his fellow countrymen. Mr James Collett was chosen foreman of Ihe jury.
Sam Kee, who was sworn in fhe Chinese fashion, deposed, through Mr Quoi, that he was a laundryman and lived at the laundry destroyed by fire. He identified the bodies as those of William Wah and Sing- Hung, and said they were natives of China. They lived in the laundry with witness and he last saw them alive at Ihe laundry at II p.m. on Thursday. At this time witness said both men were sober and ihey had not been smoking opium. Wah was 60 years of age and Hung 41. Deceased had no supper before going to bed. The house was 2 storeys and was lighted by gas only in the lower storey. Deceased slept, in seperate rooms upstairs, but another man named Get Tai slept in Wah's room. Witness slept in Hung's room. When they went in bed each had one sperm candle. Witness put out Wall's candle, but he was not sure if Hung's wick was extinguished. The candles stood oon the table, and witness was soon asleep, He was awakened two or three hours afterwards by hearing a crackling noise below the stairs, and on getting up saw Hung on the stairs: He gave his alarm and roused Hung up. He also called out to Wah to get up. Witness did not go into the room, He then jumpted out by a back window inlo the yard, some 20 feet below. He saw Gee Tai come out of a front window on lo the verandah but he saw no other persons. AI this time the Fire Brigade had not arrived. He saw fire brigade afterwards endeavouring to put the fire out. Witness said the washing place was at the rear, where the boiler was located. It was in use on the day previous to the fire, Gee Tai put it out at 1p.m. on Thursday. There was a charcoal stove at the back of the ironing room, he saw the fire there on Thursday put out. Witness believed the lire originated in the lower storey, but he could not say in which room. Tlie Foreman: This appears to be another case like the fire at the D.S.C. The fire Brigade were not quick enough. : Constable Oliphanl: I have a constable here to say that the Fire Brigade were present five minutes after the alarm was given. The fire was burning some time before the alarm was given. Gee Tai, laundryman, who slept, on the premises, said the fire broke out in the lower storey. He did not. know how the fire began. To a .Juryman: The windows of the house lifted, but there were no sash cords. Constable R. Lanigann in his evidence said he was at the fire at 3.25 a.m. on Friday with Constable McDonald. At Ihis lime the fire had a good hold. It was mostly in Ihe back of the building. Only the inmates of the adjoining shop were then about. It was impossible to enter the building, but witness went into a right-of-way on Ihe left of the laundry. Witness thought the fire originated in the second (drying) room on the ground floor, 'there were three rooms on the ground floor. The fire Brigade arrived at the fire about the same lime, as witness. He thought, the Brigade were late in getting the alarm, but they succeeded in saving the adjoining building. The tfire travelled Very quickly. After the fire was extinguished witness found the remains of Wah face, downwards in the front room upstairs facing the street. Wah was evidently more suffocated than burned. Sing Hung's body witness found in an adjoining room. The body was completely charred.
The Coroner said no evidence, had been put before the .jury to show how the fire, originated. It'would be best to return an open verdict.
The jury then returned a verdict 'That the deceased came to their death through burning, but their was no evidence to show how the fire originated.' Mr Quoi then made a statement to the jury that gunpowder had been, wrapped up and lighted and thrown info the. shop by larrikins. The Chinese had been frequently annoyed in this way.
The, funeral of the two Chinese leaves Mr Little's premises to-morrow afternoon. Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 107, 7 May 1898, Page 2