The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-12-18 00:00:00

THE LATE FATAL FIRE IN RAGLAN STEET.

COnONER'S INQUEST.
Yesterday, the jury in this case assembled in the
Coroner's Court, to proceed with the inquiry into the
death of David and Jane Mefnillop, who lost their lives
in the fire in Raglan-street, on Sunday morning. In
addition to the details published in our paper of Mon,
day, the following evidence was given
John Frowe, an intelligent boy of 12 years, the son
of James Frowe, who resided in the house, stated that
he was in the habit of getting up early to light the
fire in the parlour. On Sunday morning he got up
about six, and when he went into the parlour he saw
smoke corning up through the boards, and he thought
he saw fire also. He ran up stairs at once and called his
father, who came Mown. James Frowe said, I came
down at once and saw there was a fire, and I ran up
and got out my wife and children instantly into the
street, and in two minutes the cellar was in a blaze. I
should hive lost them had I waited to take out anything.
I took them in their night dress, and had hardly time
to get into the street. I told several people to run for
the police. I told two or three people to run, but I
deer know any of their names. My house is about a
quarter of a mile from the police station at Lightbody-
street. An officer made his appearance shortly after.
To the Jury : It was about a quarter past six when some
one went to give the information. To the Coroner :
When the officer made his appearance the house
was one mass of flame, past recovery The offi-
cers, when they came arranged about the reels, as
the latter came shortly after. There did not appear any
neglect, but it might appear a long time to me, as I was
anxious. I have no reason to attach blame or neglect
to the police, nor to any one. I have seen fires where
the attendance was much longer away, The fire engine
was quickly on the spot, and the flames were ex
tinguished. Provided the engines were there when we
name out, the fire might have been got under, but it
would have been impossible to have the engines there
at that time. There appeared to me to be a great supply
of water. To the Jury: There was no communication
hetneeen the house and cellar. They were detached. and
one parties were not my tenants. The landlord let off
the eller to the deceased. Did not smell any fire, nor
did my wife, who was up to one o'clock. Saw M'Killop
) with another man past, and he was reeling, as if
tipsy. The deceased woman, when in drunken fits,
used to roar and knock about like a wildbeast. The
witness then gave a detailed account of how the deceased
used to be in fits from drink. I heard it was between
one and two o'clock when the deceased man went into
the cellar. I lost about £l6O worth of property-- all I
had. The witness then gave the same account of him-
self and his connection with the Haymarket theatre, as
appeared in our paper of Monday. George Stanley
examined : I am a moulder, and live at 77, Athol
street. I din not know the deceased persons.
About a quarter past six o'clock I first heard of the
fire. I went through the back door not to waken the
inmates in the house ; I got into Athol street, and heard
a man call out " police" several times. The man was in
his shirt, but I did not know him. Thinking it was some
row, I did not hurry to go up. I got to the corner of
Raglan street, but l did not know the name at the time.
I saw a man knocking with a piece of wood, either at
the door or window of the cellar that was on lire, Heard
a voice say "Is there no police to be lead I as the poor
ereatures will be burnt to deatten I ran off with all
haste to the Stanley dock, I told the officer whoin I saw
there, (the only one I saw in the race) that there was a
fire. I would not know him, again, as I did not take his
number. Y told him theere was a fire off Denbeigh street,
the other side of t
Ine railway arches He asked me what
was it antl. I told him it was in a cellar. The reply ho
thade
:ens, " Why did not you throw a few buckets of
w.,;(er on it ?" I told him the people in the house would
be burnt to death, if there was not assistance got. He
then said he would come down with me, and then he
went into the little house at the gate, and in two minutes
he came with me. We walked down to the fire. We
4iet another man running, and he told the policeman of
the fire, and he replied, "You are all a d—d parcel of
fools, one running here and another running there—if
you had stopped and threw some water on it,
it would he all right," or " all out," I cannot say
which. When we got to the corner of the street, where
the fire was, the pollee cried out, " come on," and we all
started back to the Stanley dock, where we got the key
of the fire station in Lightbody street; he got it as quick
as possible, and gut a reel and hose. I got a
second reel. The policeman went off with the first, and
I got the second one into the yard, and went, with
another man, up to the fire. There was no engine there
at all, but the reels. There was plenty of assistance
here then, but they could get no water There were
several police officers there then. They could not find the
lugs in the street. The fire would be anout the parlour
at the time, and when they were looking fur the water
the fire was in the parlour. The cellar was then one mass
of fire. I was not there when the bodies were got out.
It would he close on seven, when there was an abundant
supply of water. I think, if the reel had been brought
out at first, and a proper supply of water, the property
lip stain might have been saved, but not the individuals
In the cellar. To the Jury : I did not press the police-
men to go quicker. It is a quarter of a mile from the
:iouSe to the station. I told an inspector who was there,
that I gave the alarm. Superintendent Murphy : Did
you make the same statement to me that you have now
given in evidence? ' I can't say at present whether I did
or not. The superintendent said the witness did not make
the same statement that he now had given in evidence.
Mr. Edward Murphy, Superintendent of Police, said,
on Sunday morning, about twenty minutes to seven, I
was leaving Atholl Street station—a man came to me
(not the last witness), and said there was a cellar on fire
in Raglan Street, and persons in danger of being burnt.
We ran th., whole way to the place ' • the reel turned out
and arrived at the same time as we did. On the way, I
met Roe, officer 75, in Athol Street, going to turn on the
Water from the main. I proceeded to the cellar for the
purpose of saving the parties inside; seeing that could
not he done, as the parties were dead, I went to assist in
plyirg the water. There was a paint mark on one of
the houses, indicating that a plug was within fifteen feet
of the plane. We proceeded to search for that plug,
but could not find it, we then searched other places,
and I called up a fireman ; we got water in Denbeigh
Street. about 100 yards off, and from Snowden Street,
about fifty yards off. The watchman could not give us
any assistance in finding the plugs, as he was ignorant
of the locality. I have since ascertained that the plug
we should have found at the corner of Raglan Street,
had been removed, as the street was newly paved some
time ago. In tny anxiety to get the water, the
delay appeared considerable, but it did not
exceed ten minutes: The delay altogether did not
exceed that usually found at fires—the whole delay was
the absence of the missing plug, When the water was
brought to bear upon the premises, it soon subdued the
flames, and in about forty minutes the fire was wholly
extinguished. Coroner: What are the duties of the
waterman ? To be ready at once to turn on the water.
It is the duty of the officer on night duty to know the
plugs on his beat, but the night men had been removed
at the time. The waterman alluded to belongs to the
docks, and would not know where the plugs were. The
night officers had been relieved a quarter of an hour
before the discovery of the fire, and only one offieer had
charge of a district, from which ten had been relieved.
The last witness, Stanley, I did not see at the station,
but in Raglan street, and he did not make any statement
to me like what he has today in his evidence—had he
done so, I would have reported officer Roe to the head
constable. When an inhabitant gives an alarm of fire.
the officer, if the fire is on his beat, or the vicinity of
his beat, proceeds to the premises to ascertain if it be the
fact, an I if it be so, and that he cannot extinguish it by
his own efforts and the assistance at hand, he passes the
general alarm, and acts in other respects according to
his printed instructions. If it is too remote from his
own beat to make the enquiry, he passes the alarm at
once without delay. The firemen turneocks at the
s aliens, are used to the same practice. The Coroner
said there was a book published by the head constable,
for the guidance of the police, and it contented instruc-
tions in cases of fire. The witness to the jury gave an
account of the instructions, which will be found in the
Coroner's charge. Langford William Roe, police officer
75, said : I was on duty on Sunday morning last at
Stanley dock, and in charge of Lightbody street fire
station. From twenty to twenty-five minutes past six
o'clock, I received the word of fire, but I can't say it
was from the witness Stanley. He told me there was a
cellar on fire close by Denbeigh steeet, and I asked him
if he were stare it was a cellar ? He said it was. Took off
my coat and accompanied him, and blew my whistle
along Great Howard street, so that in the event of it
being a a ire, I might have assistance, if possible. On
finding it was a fire, I returned to the station and turned
out the reels—l ran at the top of my speed. I sent a
civilian to Nelson dock, to tell them there to pass the
word. The witness corroborated the evidence of the
other witnesses in reference to the remainder of the case.
After the fire was put out, the witness slid, I next went
into the cellar to look for the bodies. The witness said
Stanley never told him there was any one in the cellar in
danger: Stanley reiterated that he did tell him. The
policeman said he had a witness to prove the contrary.
Edward Cleary, 232, said my attention was called to the
fire about twenty minutes to seven. I was in Great
Howard street, and heard the whistle. When daylight
came I discovered the bodies. I went into the cellar
with two persons, and found the bodies burnt almost to
a cinder. To the jury : The man had one shoe on, and
therefore probably he was not undressed. Superinten-

dant Murphy said the practice in reference to fires
alluded to, was in case alarm was given by a civilian—
weere it was given by a police officer, it was presumed
all was correct. He gave Roe a very high character. A
witness named Cosgrove was produced-, in order to prove
what the word given by Stanley to the officer Roe was.
He said when Stanley called, he said there was a cellar
on fire, and the constable asked him if there was any one
in it, and be said be believed there was a man in it. rn
reply to Superintendant Murphy, Roe said he did not
use the words " A parcel of d—d fools." The Coroner
then addressed the jury, and recapitulated the evidence.
He said if praise was due to the police, they ought to
get it, but if their conduct deserved censure, they should
not shrink from their duty. He then read the folio ing
regulation of the police, in reference to fires :
In the event of a fire breaking out on his walk, the
constable is immediately to spring his rattle, and cry " Fire."
His first duty is to alarm the inmates, if any, of the house on
fire, and his next duty is, if possible, to put out the fire ; if it
be obvious that lie can put out the file instantly, he is to give
no further alarm, but if he have a doubt of being able to do so,
and it is better to be wrong in giving the alarm than to be late,
he is to send the first officer who comes to his assistance to the
head fire police station, and the next to the noarost district
fire station. The constable sent to the head station must run
all the way himself, but as lie goes along he is to spring his
rattle and tell every constable who comes to him where the
fire is, the name of the street, and the nature of the property
on tire, and ho is to do all this briefly and without stopping a
moment ; if be has far to run and feels tired, ho is to send
forward a fresh constable, but still he is to keep on his course
as fast is possible, lest the message should miscarry. If the
fire be a great distance front the station, or of an alarming
nature, he may take a car, riding upon the box and giving the
alarm as he goes along, For this service, if he do it well, the
Watch Committee will reward trim. Oa his arrival at the fire
station, he is to render all the assistance in his power in getting
out the engines, &c., and may ride back upon them, directing
the driver, if necessary, the shortest way. Every constable on
receiving the alarm or bearing the fire bell, having first
ascertained where the fire is, shall, if the same he elsewhere
than on his beat, run to each extremity of his walk and spring
his rattle, he will pass the word where the fire is, so that in a
few minutes every constable in the town may, when asked, be
able to tell where the fire is, and its nature. He is then to
call up all the firemen and watermen on his walk. If any
constable, on seeing tire fire or hearing the bell, has not been
previott.ly informed where the fire is, he is to go to the
extremity of his walk next to the bell or fire, and inform
himself as soon as pose ble of the prrticulars, after which he is
to convey the information to all the adjoining constables. Any
neglect of this important duty will be severely punished. In
the mean time the constable who first discovered the fire is to
use all possible exertions to put it out. If he fail, he must
endeavour to save life and property ; but in doing this, he
must not permit doors or windows to be unnecessarily broken,
fires being frequently increased by doors and windows being
incautiausly opened. Neither must he permit improper
persons to enter the premises. If the place on fire be a
dwelling-house, the first duty is to get all the inmates out,
and next to get out papers, money, and more valuable goods.
If it be a countinghouse or warehouse, the first thing to be
saved are books and papers. All the constables in the neigh-
bourhood when they have passed the alarm, &c., will then
repair to the fire, give the necessary assistance, and remain
there if the fire continues until otherwise directed by their
superior officers. Water being the great essential at fires, each
constable ought to be well acquainted with the position of the
plugs on his walk ; and when a fire breaks out, he should,
without any lose of time, point out to the firemen where water
is to be found. He should also inform himself if there are
any pumps or tanks on his walk. When an alarm of fire
reaches any of the district fire stations, the firemen turncocks
on duty will, instead of assisting to draw the reels, at once
secure a supply of water in tire immediate vicinity of the fire.
Firemen, whether on or off duty, will, when a fire occurs,
instantly repair to the spot ; but those on duty when the fire
is over, or ordered by their superior officers, will return to their
respective walks, which in their absence must be looked after
by the constables on the walks immediately adjoining. When
off duty the firemen will take care in the day or at night, to
tell the constables nearest their place of residence to call them
quickly in the event of an alarm of fire. With the exception
of not springing their rattles, the same directions aro to be
observed in the day as at night. It is, if possible, more
important that they be strictly attended to in the day time, as
the fire bell cannot be heard very far ; constables on day duty
will therefore pass tire alarm to every constable in every street
that leads into their walks, and if constables be not in these
streets, then to all constables placed in streets next to these.
They must leave nothing on their part undone to spread the
alarm. They must alarm the watermen and firemen whose
residences are on the labels under the number of their walks
in the station house. Those constables on whose walks, night
or day, the water works and water offices are placed, are, when
they first get the alarm and before doing an 2, thing else, to alarm
the engineers at the water works.
- - -

He then proceeded in his address, and in the
course of his observations censured the conduct of the
parties who had removed the plug alluded to, and said the
fact should have been properly communica' ed to the police,
so that there could not be any mistake in such a ease.—
The jury then consulted for about three-quarters of
an hoar, when they returned the following verdict :
" We find that the said David and Jane M'Killop were
found burnt, but how the fire originated we have no
evidence to show. In regard to the policeman, we con-
sider that when he got the information he did not use that
dilligenee and expedition in ascertaining the truth of the
statement. After he had ascertained there was a fire, we
are opinion he used all due dilligence, and we are glad to
hear such good testimony in his favour as a good public
servant." The jury were also of opinion that the plug
ought to be replaced, and they regretted the temporary
difficuty file police hid in getting the water. The coroner
then said, in regard to the respectable and intelligent man
(Frowe), who was examined before them, it appmred he
lost his all by the fire. £l6O worth of property was a great
deal to a poor but respectable man like him. He was now
left with a wife and three children without a particle
of property. One of the children they had examined before
them, and if the other two were as well brought up
as that boy, no doubt they would prove a credit to their
parents, The amount he lost would soon be made up
in halfpence in Liverpool, and he would suggest the
opening of a subscription for that purpose—there was
plenty of charity left In Liverpool to do that. He was sure
the gentleman whom he saw present from the NORTHERN
TIMES would publish the suggestion, and that small
subscriptions would be received at that and other
newspaper offices for the benefit of the poor fellow. The
foreman of the jury, Mr. John=ton, of 14 Duke street.
thanked the coroner for the kind suggestion, and said
the jury quite agreed in the observations. He trusted
that the reporter of the NORTHEI, N TIMES would take a
note of it, and send it before the public. He would be
happy to receive any small subscriptions at his house,
Duke street, and no doubt, when many of his friends saw
this in the papers, they would drop in and subscribe.
The jury and coroner then subscribed £2 55., when the
coronet remarked that when Sir Francis Burdett was
sentenced to pay a fine of £lO,OOO, it was collected in
one day, in penny subscriptions. He then thanked the
jury for the valuable time and assistance given in the
case, and discharged them.

•
THE REFORMATORY MOVEMENT.—On Tuesday evening a
public meeting was held at the Tailors' Agency, Literary
Institute, Newirgton Causeway, for the purpose of hearing
an address from the Rev. Sydney Turner, chaplain of the
Philanthropic School Farm, Redhill, on the subject of
jnvenile criminal reformation. Mr. Dunn took the chair.
The Rev. Mr. Turner then addressed the meeting, and
drew a m ,st favourable picture of the benefits which refor-
matory it stitutions had already conferred on the community.
He stated that out of 120,000 offenders who passed through
their prisons annually, no lees than 12,000 were boys and
girls, the latter being comparatively few. The reformatories
in this country had already effected the reclamation of seven
out of ten of the juvenile delinquents brought within the
sphere of their discipline. The address was highly inter-
esting, and listened to with great attention by a numerous
audience.

GAROTTE ATTACK IN LEEDS.—CULPABLE CREDULITY OF
THE RESCUERS.—Mr. Robert Speight, of Larchfield terrace,
Hunslet, wes proceeding down Hunslet lane, near Leeds,
on his way home, about two o'clock on Monday morning.
As he was passing a gateway near the residence of Mr.
Holdswortb, a man suddenly rushed out of the recess, and
seized him round the neck. The rascal, as be found his
victim subsiding into insensibility, shouted into his ear,
" Your money, you b-r ; give me your money." Just
at this moment, and while Mr. Speight was lying insensible
on the ground, his assailant kneeling on his body, two men
came up to the rescue. They collared the garrotter, and
threw him down on the ground beside his victim, and then
proceeded to look after the injuries of Mr. Speight. They
found him bleeding from the mouth, and his throat and
forehead were also disfigured by the severity of the attack.
At length he was sufficiently recovered to b^ able to sit up,
and his first enquiry was for a policeman. In reply to Mr.
Speight, the two men agreed that it would be right to look
for a policeman, but with culpable thoughtlessness they
departed as soon as they found that Mr. Speight was suffi
ciently recovered to be able to walk home. Mr. Speight
proceeded up the lane in search of a policeman, but found
that the miscreant who had just assailed bim was dogging
his footsteps. He quickened his walk into a run, and there
was a hot chase through near a mile of streets before Mr.
Speight met a policeman near the Mulberry Tree Inn. As
soon as the thief saw the policeman, he ran up Grape
street, and was immediately followed by the policeman and
Mr. Speight, and apprehended. At the Leeds court house,
on Monday, the man, w'.o was James Daffy, of Hunslet, a
glassblower, was committed for trial.