Honora Nellie CUMMINGS [13482]

  General Notes:

Gordonvale Blaze.
Magisterial Inquiry.
Finding of the Court.
Deliberately Set on Fire.
Before Mr W. C. Griffin J. P. at the Gordonvale Inquiry Court, an inquiry was held into the origin, causes and circumstances of fire which occurred at Gordonvale, on April 3rd, whereby a dwelling house, the property of Honoria Nellie Lander, was damaged.
Acting Sergeant Henry conducted the examination of the witnesses.
Honoria Nellie Lander deposed: I am the wife of Ernest James Lander, and I reside in Scott St, Cairns. I own the property at Gordonvale, situated in Swan Street. I heard that there was a fire in the dwelling house on my property. There are five rooms in the house and a kitchen. There is hall right through the house. On the 3rd instant the fire occurred there. There was very little damage done, I think about L5 worth. I was in the house at night-time after the fire, and I did not notice a smell other than that of smoke. I think it is somewhat unusual that the house being so situated should take fire. The fire appeared to originate in one of the back rooms, and a bedroom. I estimate the value of the house at from L250 to L270. The house was insured in the New Zealand Company for L200. I held two policies on the building, one for L150 and one for L50. The policy was transferred to me about one year ago. The first policy was taken out about seven years ago, and the second about 12 months ago. I am aware that the house was in the hands of an agent for sale. I think that Mr Whereu was the agent. I am not sure what the price was. My husband had my authority to sell the house at L225 in December last. I have sold my house in Cairns, and we intend living in Gordonvale. Financially I am not short of cash. I have been pressed by my creditors on account of being unable to meet accounts caused by the 1918 Cyclone. My liabilities are considerably under L100, I and my husband work the house account together. We sold the house in Cairns to move to Gordonvale, and I recovered my financial balance by selling my house in Cairns. I owed L75 on the house in Cairns, and I is sold out for L85, and lost on the deal. It was a forced sale. My husband and his son have been out of work a lot since we have been in Cairns. I had a tenant named George Hall living in the house at Gordonvale. He went into the house in November. I saw Mrs Hall and told her that I wanted the house for myself. We had some trouble in collecting the rent from Hall. I gave Hall notice to quit, and eventually he left the house. Under the circumstances the house in Cairns was not a profitable investment. I would not rather live in Cairns than in Gordonvale. I was getting 15/- a week rent for the Gordonvale house, and I had a roof over my head in Cairns. I wanted to get out of Cairns and live in Gordonvale, I sold at the price that I first asked for it. I advertised for sale. My husband has one or two horses. I remember the eve of the 3rd instant. My husband said that he went to look for a horse, and he returned and stated that he could not find it. I did not ask him how far he went - I had a visit from the police early on the morning of the 4th instant. I told the police that I did not know where my husband was, but that he may have gone fishing. I told the police that he had been home between eight and nine o'clock and then he left. The constable did not ask me questions about a horse. My son Claude was home on the evening of the 3rd instant at tea time. He then went out, but I cannot say at what hour he went to bed. There was not one of my horses in our yard on that night. I did not see Claude after tea time until next morning. The policy on the house has been cancelled, I obtained no compensation on account of the fire, and if the place had been burnt down I would not have been fully compensated. My husband told me that the house is eight or nine years old. I have been dealing at William's Cash Store, and Bremner's I buy my kerosene in bottles. I look at a tablecloth. I have never seen it before. I look at a broken bottle. I never remember seeing it before. I look at a charred box, and I am certain I never saw it before. I have never discussed selling the house with a view of living in Cairns. I think that my husband has a good chance of getting work with Mr Cleary if we came to Gordonvale. I sold the house in Cairns at a loss. I bought at L200 paid L50 deposit and L1 a week until I had paid L75 by instalments. I is sold at L200 and after squaring accounts I had L85 clear of the sale and this L85 enabled me to meet my accounts. I do not know how the fire occurred at my house in Gordonvale.
Claude Wilfred Lander gave evidence that on the night of the 3rd instant, he was in Cairns and went to the pictures. He was not out of Cairns that night, and if any one said he was it would be false. He had visited his stepmother's house since the fire. He thought the fire was suspicious. Somebody may have camped there.
Ernest James Lander gave evidence that he transferred the property to his wife. The house was insured for L200. His prospects of getting work at Gordonvale were better than in Cairns. He had been working eight weeks on a bridge. There was a tenant in the house named George Hall. He would be surprised to know that Hall only owed a fortnight's rent. On the night of the 3rd he went along Hop Wah Road to look for a horse. He did not find it and then went to the Chillagoe wharf to fish. He went to sleep their, and got home about six o'clock in the morning. It would be absolutely false if anyone said they saw him in Gordonvale, or on the road to Gordonvale, on the night of the 3rd. He did not know that the house was vacant, although Hall had received notice to quit. Mr Scott recommended issuing an order for ejectment, but it would be some little trouble perhaps. Witness knew nothing about the fire. He made a statement to the police that he had been promised work by Mr Warner.
Henry Lawrence Moller gave evidence as to discovering the fire at 11.30 on the night of April 3rd. He went to Mrs Lander's house after seeing a flare, and on opening the door saw that the place was on fire. He saw a box full of chips all afire. He caught up the box and threw it outside. Witness saw I J Juniper, who lived close by and he helped witness to put the fire out. Another box full of chips and on fire was found in another room. The place smelt strongly of kerosene. There was a cloth hanging over the window to act as a blind. Witness referred the matter to the police. In the morning witness and Acting Sergeant Henry went to the site of the fire and they saw boot tracks leading from Riverstone Road to the house, and from the house to Griffin's farm. He saw where some person had sat down and apparently taken off the boots. There were three bottles in the house. They were marked "Benzine"
Acting Sergeant Henry gave evidence that there were signs of a deliberate attempt to burn the house down. There was a strong smell of kerosene in the hall, and one of the bedrooms. The walls of the hall and a bedroom were scorched. He also noticed tracks away from the house, as if somebody had been going at a running pace. They were going in the direction of the Riverstone Road to a telephone post, where a shod horse had been tied up. The tracks of the horse lead in the direction of Gordonvale. He was satisfied the affair was a deliberate attempt at arson.
Evidence was given by J.J. Juniper, after which the enquiry closed and the depositions ordered to be forwarded to the Department of Justice. Mr Griffin made the following note: " I find that a dwelling house, the property of one Honoria Nellie Lander was on 3rd April 1920 deliberately set on fire by some person or persons unknown. That only slight damage was done was due to the prompt action of one Henry Lawrence Moller.
Ref: Cairns Post Wednesday 28 April 1920 page 8.

Honora married Ernest James LANDER [12884] [MRIN: 4508], son of Charles LANDER [12894] and Mary Anne RICHARDS [12895], on 18 Apr 1917 in Queensland Aust. (Ernest James LANDER [12884] was born in 1877 in Queensland Aust. and died on 15 May 1951 in Cairns QLD.)