Thomas Grady

DRURY. (from our own correspondent.) Saturday, November 12, 1864. The poor fellow Charles Lee, at Papakura, who took a large dose of laudanum while under the influence of drink, after lingering for a few days, fell a victim to his rashness on Wednesday, and after his funeral a considerable amount of drinking went bn. One old man, known as Tom Grady, remarked “ I wonder who will be the next,” when that very night, as Grady and old Christy were in a whare together (Grady had the habit of frequently lighting his pipe in the night), an alarm of fire was given, and some of the militia were just in time to rush in and drag old Christy out, apparently insensible. They thought there was another man in but could not discover any. But the next morning, upon going over the spot, a militiaman observed a man’s ear among the ashes, and upon further examination found the completely charred body of Grady, who was crouched up in the chimney, a perfect cinder. He is supposed to have mistaken the chimney for the door, and there fallen down suffocated. An inquest was held on the body before C. Melsop, Esq., Coroner, this day at 11 o’clock, and a verdict of “ Died from Suffocation, returned.” The scenes of drunkenness at Papakura become really frightful, as the above incident will fully testify, greatly to the annoyance of the respectable inhabitants. A lock-up is really essential, and a night in a solitary cell with a 20s. fine in the morning would become a very wholesome correction. Dr. Welby was in attendance in both the above cases. Source: New Zealander (15 November 1864, p. 5).

DRURY. CORONER'S INQUEST. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) November 14. An inquest was held in the Papakura House Papakura, on Saturday, the 12fch instant, before Charles Mellsop, E~-q., the Coroner, and a jury, of whom Mr. George Cole was foreman, to investigate the circumstances attending the death of Thomas Grady, whose body had been found upon the pievious morning in a shockingly charred and burnt state among the smouldering ruins of his whart?, which was totally consumed by fiie, on the night ot Thuisday, the 10th instant. The body, which had been brought to the hotel, having been viewul by the coroner and jury, the following evidence was then taken. "William Apjileby, being sworn, stated t I am a brickmaker, residing at Dairy. I have seen the body which has been shown t» the jury, and I recognise game as being the body of Thomas Gi.idy, late a resideat in Papakura, labourer. The deceased was my father-iu-law. He was about G3 years of age. He resided,in a tea tree -a bare at the opposite side »f the Papakiira Eedoubfc, about hundred yawls from the ledoubt. He was a wi-lo.yer, and ha 1 three daugh'ers an I two sons. He lived alone in the whare. He was addicted to drink. [ List saw him alive on the day ot the cattle sale in Papakura. He was then in good health. He had no piopeity except his clothes and £2 10a. in Mr. Willw's hands. He bnilfc the wbare and wa* merely a squatter on the laud. . . George *Dann deposed: lam a private m the 4th llegiment of Waikftto Militia, stationed in Papakuia. On the ni"lit of the 10th instant I \wn sentry on No. 3 posCthe slaughter-house, which is about 150 yud-t from a hut which was consumed by fire bn thab night. I was posted on the guard at ten o'clock, p.m , and in about ten minutes after being posted I bhw smoke issuing from the chimney of the whare, and in about twenty minute? more I saw flames bur&tinc out near the chimney, at the comer next me. 1 -aye the alarm by calling out "Five!" That alarm was takeu up by the Transpoifc Corpj, who immedigfcly turned out their guard. I heard a voice inside tfewhare shouting out, " Get up, get up. the place is on fire." * The Land Transport Corps then came down, and I saw a man burst into the burning houie and diag out a man. Who this man was I cannot say. Robert Coventry deposed : lam a pnvate m the 2nd Re^im-nt of Waikato Militia, now attached to the Transport Corps, and am stationed in Papakura. On the night of the 10th November instant 1 was in a tent nppootc the whare which 1 was burned. 1 wa% just coming on!; of tlie fceiifc wKen I heard Ilia sentry lof our corjM call out •' Fire I" On seeing the fire I prqcieledt) it, »>ul, with the aid of another, we dragged a man out of the whare. The hut was in . flames, "and having put an old .blanket over our 'baixebj and faces,, we got'holcTof the man and dragged rhim out. '■' The man's jinnio iw .Christopher, whom 'l, * now^see liere. -y_ tie wiw? slightly" burned taboub.the! hands, and ho appeared to bo ithehVorae ofrliquor. ? John* Casey 'was thojniin who assisted mo in rescuing tho iioan.Christoi>he~r. , The 'wharo was totally cdn- v sumed in about twenty, minutes.- Christopher said < there , was a man with binl in,tbo wliaro, but ho thought, he had escaped out. Ho was. not in a fit | sbuto to give any infoimntioii as to howythe fire occurred. On the nexb morning the body of deceased' was found among the sods "in the chimney. , John Ctooy deposed: lama private in the 2nd Eegiment of Waikato, Militia, attachod to the Transport Corps stationed. in Papakuia. Ou the night iof the 16th instant I was on guard on the Commissariat stable 3, but not 1 posted. I saw the fire, and gave the alarm ; and I and the last witness then went, and succeeded in getting out; the man Christopher, who was not sober. He said Tommy had, as h<J thought, rushed nut before liitn. Ho did not say how the fire had occuircd. William Christopher deposed: lam a labouring man, and have been woiking with Mr. William ITay. On the night of the 10th imtinfc 1 went to bed at I about half past eight o'clock, in the wharo where Thomas Giady had lesided. I lately put chased the wharo from him. Raw Thomas Grady was in bed when I went in. There was then no lire in the fiiep'ace. I do not myself smoke. Grady, the deceased, \\a«i a smoker. I cime home from Mr. Hay's, and came down here, whore I had one glass of grog, and theu went home to bed. I had no candlo lighted, and went to bed by the light of the moou. When I last saw the deceased, at about eight o'clock, he was not sober. This was in the tip room of this hotel, aud he asked mo was I going homo. The first intimation I had of the file wns hearing Grady, the deceaied, call out, "Christy, get up ; the house ia a-fire 1" I thought ho was humbugging, and I did not mind him. He was constantly m the habit of smoking in the night, and striking matches to light his vipe I don't know whether he smoked in bod I thought Giady had gob out; and thinking it all gammon, I made no effoit to escape until I found the flanvs down upon me, and 1 found myself dragged out of the whaie by two men by the hair of the head. There was some quarrel betwteu Grady aud myself tsvo oi three years ago. He was going away from this, and I bought tho wharo from him. On Tuesday night last be said he would " settle my gooso." I rathci think tho whare was burnt accidentally. I wont to reside in the whare on Monday, and it was burnt on Thursday. John Ashe deposed : I am a butcher in tho Commissariat Staff Corp?, stationed in Papalcura. On the morning of tho 11th November instant, I went over to the slaughter-house at near seven o'clock. 1 issued tho meat, and on lctuniing back I saw where the fire had been. I went to the place, ami upon looking about with another mau (Robert Coventry) I perceived about a quaiter of an inch of the ear of a man protruding out of the so.ls in the chimney of the whare. I said to Coventiy, " Here he ia" — and I then went and repoi ted tho matter to tho po'ico. The body was in a sitting position supj orbed by the unburnt sod 5 !. Thomas McC.vfferey deposed : I am a constable iv the armed police force stationed in P.ipaknra. I knew the deceased. Thomas Giady. I last sas' him alive in his own whare at P.ipakmu, ab half-past 4 o'clock on Thursday evening. I have often seen him drunk. The next time I saw him was on Friday morning, when it having been lepoited to me that h'u body had been found, I went to his whare. I found his body in a sitting position near the chimney. I had seen and was piescnt at the fhe ou Thiusdiy night, and after the Kie was over I went in so.u ch for the dead, but could not find him. I also saw Christopher at the fire, aud he was the woise for drink I met deceased at tho funoiai'of Ghatlcs Leo at about 3 o'clock on Thursday 0/ening, and he was then ,qnite sober. Decen&ed told me he was going away, and that he had ibome things to sell, and I went to see them. llobert Willis, deposed : I am a stoi ekeeper, residing in P.ipakiira 1 was woll acquainted with the deceased Thomas Grady. ITe was an industrious man, hut was uufortunately addicted to drink. 1 l.ut saw him alive at about 7 o'clock on Thmsday evening last. He was the-i drunk, and unable to take care of himself. I also saw Christopher on the same evening abont an hour before T saw Grady, an 1 he was also drunk, but not st much so as the deceased. There is much diuukeune-s iv the uoighbouthood, which is a g>eat nuisance to the respectable settlers, and in my opinion the pilice cannot effectually put a stop to this annoyance without having a Lock up, which is grcitly lequiied. William Montague H.ill Wei by deposed : I have seen and examined the body heie lying dead. It is veiy much clianed and blackened fiom the effect-* of the fire. The hmb3 are quite rigid, and iiexcl or bout. Thai e is a little fiothy mucus issuing from the mouth, and m my opinion the man mu»t hwr been sn (located befoie he was bm at The action of the Cue will account foi the liml>3 being flowed, and the body being in a sitting position. lam a membci of the College of Surgeons in England. Thejuiyby their verdict Tumid — '-That tho docease 1, Thomas Grady, came to his death in Papakura, iv the piovince aforesaid, on the nuht of the 10th day of November, 18G4 ; that he died fiom the effects of suffocation caused by the burning of tho whare in wh'ch he lesided, but how or in what manner the lire originated there is no sulHcient evidence prodnced befoie us to enable us to say.' The juiy wish to state their opinion that a lock-np is absolutely requited in PanaUuva. and that if there had been one thi-> deploiablo calamity, in all probability, would not havo occurred, as the deceased ought to have been confiued for diuuWenno->s on the night he came to his death. Source: Daily Southern Cross (15 November 1864, p. 5).