In the early hours of February 14th, 1884, a fire broke out at the Commercial Hotel and led to the deaths of four people.
Mary Kearney, Mrs. Elliott, Richard Marum and Mary Ann Marum, their baby Catherine Bridget Marum, servant Margaret Bennon and Mrs. Elliott’s two children were all in the hotel at the time of the fire.
Mary Kearney was known around town for running several of the town’s hotels over the years including the Bush Inn in Napier Street and the Camperdown Hotel and was now in landlady of the Commercial Hotel.
Richard Marum had a Butcher’s shop in Napier Street next to the Dublin Hotel, he was at the Commercial Hotel to help out Mrs. Elliott as Mary Kearney was in Melbourne until late Wednesday when the train arrived in town.
At about 1am in the morning, fire broke out at the hotel and help was summoned by Mr. and Mrs. May who be alerted to the fire by smoke and screams coming from females respectively.
Mary Kearney and Mrs. Eliott were spotted at the bathroom window by Mrs. May who had ran for help and upon returning found that Mrs. Elliot had jumped out of the window from a height of about twenty feet (six metres).
Margaret Bennon and Mrs. Elliott’s two children who were sleeping away from the fire escaped from the hotel and were uninjured.
Mrs. Elliott was taken to May’s house before being taken to the Royal Hotel and was examined by Dr. Noyes; she had a concussion but was otherwise uninjured.
Mary Kearney, who was with Mrs. Elliott, moved from the bathroom to her bedroom and within a short time, access to the second floor was not possible due to the heat and smoke of the fire.
Captain Heales and volunteers arrived shortly after Mrs. May’s return to fight the fire with three streams of water placed onto the hotel.
Entrance to the second floor was made possible at around 2am and a search was conducted for Mary Kearney, her body was found in the corner of the bedroom and was taken across the street to the Continental Hotel.
The Marum’s were unaccounted for, it was believed that Mr. Marum was safe as he was seen after the fire broke out, searches continued on the second floor and just after 3am, a horrific sight was found, the three Marum’s were found dead at the end of the passageway.
It is believed that the Marum’s were alerted to the fire and started their escape but in the darkness, they had missed the stairs leading to safety and were trapped at the end of the passageway.
The funerals of Richard Marum, Mary Ann Marum, Catherine Bridget Marum and Mary Kearney were held on February 15, 1884, with a large procession of forty vehicles, a number of horsemen and other following the procession led by the Fire Brigade.
It is believed that the fire had two or more origin points and was declared an arson, but an inquest found ‘there was no evidence to show by or through whom the fire was caused’.
Deni History 