INQUEST.

Auckland Chronicle and New Zealand Colonist, Volume 2, Issue 51, 25 July 1844, Page 2

INQUEST.

On Monday last an inquest was held, at the Ship Inn, on the body of Ann Belcher, who met her death under the following circumstances. It appeats th<t for some time past the poor woman had been addicted to the immoderate use of ardent spirits ; that on Satuiday morning last the deceased had been diinking with her husband, and a man named Frost ; Belcher and Frost afterwards left deceased ami went out to woik , on the r r turn to dinner they lonnd the deceased had been drinking more spirits, during their absence, another glass waa given the deceased, wlieu she went np to bed. About three o’clock on Saturday, a man named John Bacon, was brought to the bouse of Belcher, Bacon was tipsey, where he fell asleep and did not awake till near five o’clock, when he heard groans ,* lie looked abont but could not see any one lor sometime; at last he discovered steps which led up »taiis and on going up he found the deceased lying partially out of the bed. with h r head in a lincket of water, and quite dead ! Node of the witnesses could say bow the bucket of water came by the bedside, indeed the witnesses, Belcher and Frost gave very different versions of the whole affair. After a very lengthy examination of all the witnesses, including Di, Conway, who said the woman might have died of Apoplexy, which be considered more probable than that she was drowned m a backet, the Jury returned a verdict of Accidentally diowned. The Coroner at the same time telling the Jury that the present was the twenty-fifth inquest he had held in Auckland, and ihat sixteen out of that number were directly occa« slotted through intempciauce. He then had Belcher recalled, and very properly, gave him a lecuire for his highly disgraceful conduct. ' Post Office. —There will in future be a Post Communication overland between Auckland and Wellington via New Plymouth, twice in each raouib. A Mail Car ier will leave each of the above places on the first ami Uiird Monday in each Month commencing sth August next.