A Lively Inquest.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 371, 31 October 1889, Page 2

A Lively Inquest.

An Inquest was held recently at Wollongong, upon the Elite Skating Rink fire, and ths proceedings thereat seem to have been somewhat hotter than the fire itself, According to tha report given by the Hlawarra Mercury, the *< fun ” commenced by Mr Griffin, one of the jurors, asking lhe coroner if it were not strange that tbe company Mr O. H. B. Smith was Insured in was not represented at the inquest? Upon thia tha oironer said be waa the agent for the company, that the society knew Mr Smith waa a loser to a great extent, and that the amount insured for waa only five minutes interval to the company, as they paid out last year something like £BO,OOO. Mr Griffin: But do you think it right to act in the twn positions, you baing an interested party ? The Coroner : I will not listen to any more. I will not be dictated to by you or anyone else. I won't put up with it, and if you dictate me any more I will commit you for contempt of court, and lock you up for the night. Mr Griffin : I do not care if you look me up for a week. We are here to do justice to all parties concerned, and if you think lightly of it we do not. We wish to have the evidence of the boy Almaide with regard to the putting out the light that night. It is possible for us to adjourn till Wednesday, or now hear the boy's evidence. The Coroner ; The evidence is closed, and you can hear no more. The Foreman (Mr Hitchcock): But It is the wish of the jury to hear the boy's evidence.

The Coroner: What do you want to know from the boy ?

The Foreman: We want to know if the boy will swear he put the light out. The Coroner: Well, he is sure to swear that, as all the other witnesses swore the lights were out, Anyhow. I cannot allow any more evidence to be taken. You must give your verdict from the evidence before yon, or be locked up for the night. Some of the jury applied for the night refreshment, but the coroner informed them that they could have neither meat nor drink, and quoted the law on the point. The coroner then withdraw, and in about half an hour the jury had agreed upon the following : “ That the Elite Skating Rink, Crown-street, Wollongong, was totally destroyed by fire on the morning of August 30th, 1889; and we further find that the said fire was caused by the negligence of some person or persons to the jury unknown.” The Coroner : Yes, all right; it means accidental ail the same. You could say the fire occurred, but how you have no evidence to show.

The Foreman: But we have evidence to show.

The Coroner : All right: I will take it. The foreman here asked about tbe fee the jury were entitled to, and the Coroner said they would gat it when be received it himself and not before.

After some further talk the jury signed the papers and the Coroner said i—Well, gentlemen, I must say that during all my experience I never met—with the exception of th»>e o> four of you-esuoh a vulgar lot of blackguards and larrikins as you are, and I will not forget to Jet the authoritiea know about your conduct hers this day in treating me with such disrespect. Mr Griffin: Mr Coroner, I object to such language—you are not fit to hold the position you are occupying, and tbe sooner you are out of it the better, and I will do all 1 can to lay the information before the proper authorities.

The coroner a gain threatened ]to oom tai t Mr Griffin for contempt. Mr Griffin then asked how they had treated the coroner with disrespect. The Coroner : Why, you are all smoking in my presence. Mr Griffin : Surely we can smoke. We are not before the court, but privately looked up to consider our verdict. Mr Kirby said he thought the remarks of the coroner altogether uncalled for, and entirely out of place. He would see that the conduct of the coroner was brought before the public through the Press. The Coroner : The Press be d———. What do I care for the Press ? After this the jury Were discharged.