DROWNING FATALITY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2573, 6 August 1909, Page 2

DROWNING FATALITY.

- ■ THE INQUEST. . An enquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death'of the man Edwin James Norton, who was found drowned in tho river near the Kaiti breastwork on Wednesday was held in the Courthouse yesterday afternoon bofore Mr W. A. Barton, S.M., District Coroner. Ser-gt Hutton conducted the enquiry on behalf of tho police. Albert Bedford, cab proprietor, said ho knew deceased by sight. On 3rd inst., about 3 p.m., deceased engaged him to drive him to spot near tho Cook memorial at Kaiti. Deceased was under the influence of liquor, but not very drunk and at this time, ho could see no liquor in deceased’s possession. Wiio.i the deceased left tho cab he walked steadily. He (deceased) engaged the cab in Gladstone road, oP _ posite Miller’s corner, and ho \Vas alone at the timo. Harry Hyde, laborer, said that he had lived with tho deceased, whose body he had seen and identified at the morgue. He (witness) was in his house on Tuesday afternoon between 2.30 p.m. and 4 p.m. When he arrived home, deceased was there lying on his bed. He spoke to deceased, who appeared to bo quite sober. Deceased remained in the house for about five minutes after ho (witness) got home., and then he got up and left the house. He last saw deceased alive on Tuesday at 2.30 p.m. To the Coronor: Tie left the house on Tuesday morning about 8 a.m. and left deceased remaining in the house. Deceased had been drinking on the previous day, but was then sober. Deceased had not been drinking heavily. Ho had lived with the deceased for about three weeks, and a -man named John O’Brien also lived in tho same house. He thought that deceased had been in the habit of drinking to excess, and lie (witness) liked a glass of liquor himself. . . Robert Breingan, engineer, stated that he had seen tho body, of deceased, and recognised it as that of a man whom he had seen on Tuesday afternoon about 4.45 p.m. Then deceased was on the Kaiti side of the river, and ho (witness) was on the town side. Deceased was going in the direction of town and was walking alone the wharf. There was nothing unusual in the appearance of the man, who seemed from the distance to be quite sober. Thero was nothing in the deceased’s appearance to suggest tliat he would fall into the water. To the Coroner : He had seen deceased on other occasions, not on the same day, but he eoukl not say if deceased was addicted to drink. Bertram John Hanlen, laborer, working on the Harbor Board’s suction pump, said that about 11.50 a.m. on Wednesday ho noticed a body lying on the mud near Kaiti wharf. He asked a man to ring up for the police. The wharf at that.spot was a perfectly safe place for a sober person to walk, either in daylight or in the dark. Constable Dwyer said that he knew the deceased, and saw him alivo on Tuesday afternoon about 2.30 p.m. at the corner of Lowe street and Gladstone road. Deceased was slightly under the influence of drink, but was not drunk enough, to be locked up. He advised deceased' not to have any more drink, and" to go home. Deceased replied: “All right, I am just going to get into this cab.” He saw deceased enter Penford’s cab and be driven in the direction of the Kaiti bridge. Ho did not again see deceased alive, and assisted Constable Dandy to recover the body on Wednesday from the river bank, and convey, it to tho morgue. A search of the body was made and in his possession were found two largo bottles of beer, one in eacli side pocket of his coat, and in his inner pocket was a lemonade bottle full of whisky. A watch, knife and other articles were also found bn the body, and the watch had stopped at ten minutes past six o’clock. George A. Neill, assistant barman at the Gisborne Hotel, said he had known the deceased for about 4or 5 yenrs ; Ho had worked with deceased at the Kaitifreezing works about four years ago. He (witness) was on duty as barman at the hotel from 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Deceased came to the bar about 5.15 p.m. and asked for Is worth of whisky and two bottles of draught beer. He supplied deceased with what he ordered. Deceased had nothing to drink in tho hotel, and seemed quite sober. He had seen deceased the worse for liquor. To the Coroner: Ho knew deceased was addicted to drink, but he could not see any harm in supplying him with so much liquor, as he was perfectly sober. The Coroner: Well I don’t know what you think about it, but I think it was most unwise. Constable Dandy gave evidence of having assisted in the removal of the body to tho morgue. Ho bad known tho deceased for about 8 or 9 months, and knew that deceased was a good deal addicted to drink, having been convicted of drunkenness three times. He (witness) found no marks of violence on examining the body, and he also examined the clothing, finding the beer, whisky and other articles testified to by Constable Dwyer. No money was found oil the deceased’s possession. A search of deceased’s wliare revealed a bank hook, showing a balance in 1 favor of deceased of £6 11s 3d. The finding of. the Coroner was to the effect that the deceased mail was found drowned in the Turangamii river near the Kaiti wharf on August 4. Having been seen in the vicinity of the wharf about 5 p.m. on Tuesday, 3rd inst., and having been drinking heavily lie must have either fallen or thrown himself into the water. The Coroner added: “There can be no doubt that the circumstances of the man’s death are most deplorable, and it is clear From the evidence that some person is to, blame. 1 can only hope that'the police will not let the matter rest, hut will make the fullest investigation, and endeavor to find out oil whose idioiilde-rs tho blame rests.” - ■ Sergeant Hutton intimated that such investigation was already being made.