Fire at Makaraka.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 212, 23 October 1888, Page 3

Fire at Makaraka.

NARROW ESCAPE FROM BEING BURNT TO DEATH: DRINK AGAIN. Shortly after 8 on Sunday night a Httfe house near the Roseland Gardens was observed to be on fi’e, and on some of those residing neir by approaching they noticed a m m stagger ou , apparently hardly sensible of what he was doing. Knowing that another man had been in

the houne the o e who had just come ou*. Dosgrove (or Sadgrove), wa* asked where bis was, and pointing to the house he said, “In there.” This natu al'y caused rreat anxiety, but the h >nse was enveloped by the flames, anl even were the man known to he inside it win a hope’* seme. S idgrove was him-elf bad y burnt, and it was also painfully evident was under ths influence of liquor, and hia escape was a miraculous one Later on Sudgrove was brought into the hospital and subsequently the man for whom grave f ar« had been entertained, and indeed for whose remains a search had been made in the ashes, appeared in person nnon th* scene. The whole story is briefly told. W Smith, the person alluded to as the mare, had b*e > working at Mr Craill’s plac*. and there received internal injury through a tree falling upon his chest. He rosum*'! work, but was compelled to give in. and he decided on coming into town. He fell in with Sadgrovo, and getting into Makaraka they rented the hous* from Mr Joseph Cn>p»r. Sadgrove is an expert concertina plaver, and has a peculiar power for imitating a pa-rot, ihns maki g him a prominent feature wherever he may be. He came hack to the house at an unreasonable hour, and annoyed the sick man so much that at two in the morning Smith took his blankets out of the hous--and s’ept under the briar hushes f»r th* remainder of the nigh’. N*xt, .lay bring Bunday he did not care to start travelling, and the following night slept in an old slaughterhouse a short distance awav. He was therefore totally unconscious of lv fire until he got out in the morning. Smith is an elderly man, and seems a very straightforward fellow. He states he was perfectly sober 'he whole time. Sadgrove was in Gisborne about throe years ago. There is no doubt that a most mria cho’y nccurreoce was averted as if by a miracle, and that, drink was the wle causa nf he affair. The victim is likely to be laid up f>r a fortnight The hou-e was not worth much, but th*re was a 1 so a large quanrity nt vegetables destroyed.