The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-24 00:00:00

The Fire and Loss of Three Loe).

Yesterday Mr. Wm. Payhe, coroner of Leila'
and Southwark, opened an inquest in the board NO
of St. George's Workhouse, Mint-street, Borough'
on the bodies of Charles Avery, Thomas Neate.*l4
Fred. Fervor, who were burnt to death in the 6',
that occurred on Saturday morning on the preteiE'ee
belonging to Mrs. Barnes, lodging-house keeper..
Mary Barnes said that she rented the house
which the deceased met with their deaths. It wee:
lodging-house. She knew the deceased, but e/I.'
one by name. They were all lodgers. About three
o'clock on Saturday morning she waa awoke hi
noise. She opened the door, when some one ale
out, "For God's sake, Mrs Barnes, come &vat;
stairs, for the house is on fire." She ran down, g°
out at the back, and passed through the next heo;.
The house was closed about 10 minutes and .be
Three men were sleeping in the kitchen, ,_:d.
"deputy" tried to get them to go upstairs to be
but was unable, and witness went to them, arid °hal
left and proceeded to their sleeping room. She -be
some wet sheets hanging in the parlour, but e
never said the lire had broken, nor did she ever
that a spark had fallen from a candle among sera6t.o
linen. The gas was completely turned off at the n'e.
before she went to bed. She believed the fire eera;
menced in the front parlour, but from what eal6of
she did not know. She never raked the fires
the stoves, for fear any of the hot cinders might 1
through the cracks in the hearths. The depotY Br;
ways had the key of the front room, but there tie
no necessity for his coming down stairs after
went to bed. She had been insured for 10 yeare'tbe
Toomas Ward said that he was the deputY dt
house. He turned the gas off at the main and Weor
to bed about half-past 12 o'clock. He went out
some beer about 10 minutes to 12. There were tbr`to
persons in the kitchen. He asked them to go
etched
bed, and they did so soon afterwards. 11e feteuirbe
a basket of clothes into the kitchen, but it wee„.p.
wrong one, and it was taken back again, and °"110
wards carried up stairs. Witness slept Onto,
same floor as the three deceased men. '0
of the deceased cried out, " For God's sake, 11°;
get up, the house is on fire." That person sc"
t,,.'
however, unable to get out, and he was burnt :
death. Witness ran down to the first floor Ain
tle/i;
and jumped out at the back. There were fife Pell
sons sleeping in the same room as witness. He c°ll,lc
not tell how the fire began. The deceased teb'e,
their clothes off before they went to bed, an d 118.01
lieved that they stopped in the room to dress,

thereby got suffocated. lAA
Joseph Hubbard said that he slept in the `); „
room adjoining the one in which the deceased 10
Witness tried to get down, but was unable, Odin..
returned to his own room, and jumped out of ,„0
dow. He broke his fall by laying hold of °°'..
spikes. ie of
Benjamin Prophet said that he lodged in
the houses opposite that of Mrs. Barnes. 1"eor
got home about 12 o'clock. He was in the firstfl°
the
front. His wife being ill he was standing it the
A"
window, when he noticed a light in the room 01
ground floor and smock issuing through the O
in the shutters. n
After some further evidence, the jury rettirj
verdict of accidental death.