CORONER'S INQUEST.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 5 December 1881, Page 2

CORONER'S INQUEST.

+ (Before G. C. Bowman, Esq., J.P.) A.n inquest was held on Saturday last touching tbe cause of death of Richard Lecber, whose body was found in the ruins of the late fii;e. Mr W. Cochrane was chosen foremap of* the jury. The following evidence was taken :— Dr Thorpe: I am a legally qualified medical practitioner residing in Keefton \ I knew Richard Lecher, jutiior ; I recollect the morning of the 30th ult ; I did not see Lecber that morning. At the desire of the Coroner, I have performed a post mortem examination on the remain* at the morgue. The remains are human and appear to be those of a per* son suffocated and burned ; I cannot state sex of remains. T. Stewart : lam a miner residing in the Inangahua district ; I recollect the 30th ult., tbe morning of the fire ; I stopped at M'Gaffio's hotel on that date ; was in Lecher's company till 1 30 on the morning of the fire ; went with him to M'Gaffin's where he tried to get abed, but they were full, and I gave him a quilt off my bed and be slept in the front parlor; that is the last time 1 saw him alive j cannot identify remains. Elizabeth Danks said deceased came into her hotel at about 3 20 on the morning of the fire to save property ; she told him to go into Dawson's and rouse up the people and he left ; she afterwards s«w him comiug down Dawson's stairs with something in his arms ; this was the last witness saw of him : subsequently heard screams ; could not identify the remains. Thomas Lecher, brother of deceased, proved that he hud made inquiries all over the district for his missing brother, but without success, and had no doubt that the remains found were his; deceased was 24 years of age, and a native of Victoria. The police prove I to the finciin? of the remain* in the rains of Dawson's Hotel. The jury returned the following ver* diet:*— That in the opinion of the jury tho remains now Ijing in the movgue are those of Eiohard Lecher, deceased, and tbat he met his death by suffocation and burning at the fire on the morning of the 30th November, 1881.