THE INQUEST.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1686, 13 October 1887, Page 3

THE I NQUEST.

An inquest touohing the deaths of Charles Frederick (8), Thomas (5), William Robert (3), and Emily Mabel (18 month'), the ohildren of Charle* Poo!e Jenkins, who were drowned by a trap accident m the river last evening, was held at the Central Hotel at 2 o'clock thts afternoon before Mr John Ollivler, Acting Coroner, and a jury of six, of whom Mr G. F. Soott was ohossn foreman.

The jnry having viewed the bodies, the following evidence was lei : — Charles Poole Jenkins, the father of the ohildren, said that he lived m Charles street Ailenton. Yesterday afternoon he was In a trap with his wife and fontchlldren from Alford Forest. The trjjn was a small two-wheeled one. He 'haa another horae and a cow with him, lira sometimes he rode the horse, and occasionally he drove tbe trap. Coming down he asked about the state of the river.

He was told that it was high and that he would not be able to get the cow through.

He waa further told that the ford was easier going to Ashburton than going the other, way. He was told to enter tbe ford well op the river and then to follow the Stream down. Before he entered the riverbed he left the cow and spare horse behind. The river seemed to him to be right enough to cross. It was then dusk. When he got into the big stream hiß wife screamed but. He asked her to keep quiet because he thought the horse would go on »U right. He urged tbe horse another step further and the water got deeper. His wife screamed out again, and he said that he would strike straight for the bank. Tbe next step the horse took the wheel dropped into a hole and the trap turned over. All of them fell oat of the trip. Witness saw nothing afterwards of tbe three boys. He caught hold of his wife and the baby and they' were carried down the stream, the horse and cart rolling after them. Witness seeing that the baby's bead waß nncisr. water he tried to get her bead up and lost his footing. He left hiß hold of bis wife and child and fell over ln the stream. He got his footing again and caught his wife, bat be could'nt see the child. He then made for the bank— that on the side of the river he had gone m at.

He pulled his wife out and he wanted her to sit on the bank while he looked for the ohildren, but sheiwould not let him leave ber. Witness and his wife then made their way back through several small streams and got to Mr Knox's house where they got shelter. Mr Knox told Mr John Corbett of the oopurrence m order 4hat Information might be conveyed to the police. Tbe horse was droned. Witness identified the children, the bodies of wbom were lying outside, as bfllog hia.' Witness had pften beep across the river, and he knew this crossing pkce well. No effort was made to recover the bodies of the childaen that night. About half an hour elapsed frcn the time the cart was overturned till witness gpt to Knox's house.

By the Jury : When witness got out he wanted to see if he could find any of the children, but his wife would not let him leave her. After he had landed he •'•coo-ed " several times to see if he could attract the attention of anyone who might be passing on the road, but got no .response. There was a bridge known as Digby's abput half a mile higher- up the river, which, had it been open for traffic, would have prevented his paving recourse to the ford. He had heard that the approaches had been washed away, and last Saturday he saw rails across the road to stop traffic going on to the bridge. W. B.^Compton said tbat he had had many years experience with rivers, he having been ferryman at Rakaia and RangUsts. Last evening he waa informed of these children having been drowned and he made arrangements for a party to go In search of tbe bodies at daylight- this morning. About three o'olook he started to go. He called at the Police Station to acquaint the polioe of his movements. He went up with Messrs Perks (sen and jun) A. ?v"ood,* W. Tntty,|and Perry man. It was not daylight when they got to the river. He saw an object on a spit about the centre of the river which he took to be a horse and trap. They waited about twenty minutes and then Mr' Tutty and witness crossed the river at the ford and followed the bank down. Witness crossed the river to • spit and found the body of the boy, Wm, Robert, the third child, about two chains below tbe point of the spit, and ♦bout thirty chains below tlje spot where be saw the trap. There waß a churn about ft ohaln away from the body. It was thirdly daylight at this time. After searching he found the'' body of the youngest child on the point of the spit. Witness took both bodies ont of the water •nd placed them on the fl__k. * Witness then rode across the river and informed those of the party, who were waiting, that he had found two of the bodies. He then followed the river down, and about five chains farther down he found the body of the eldest boy. This bpd? he toojc np and placed beside the two Jlready recovered. Mr. Donald McLean ben oame up and said he had searched some of the spits coming up, but had seen 'iao bodies. They Ihfen tearohed the river for about twenty chains. He picked up a'pnildV dress,' and thinking thaj they might have missed a younger child they yrent back, thinking that pei haps it might be under the trap, They righted the vehicle but there was nothing underneath, They then went down the river again and about » jiiiHe below the spot where he found Jhe eldest boy, he found jfcha aacondi son. tfo otnfod. jfta body' to the Alford Forest

r ai and waited till the others were brought down tho four bodies now outside were those he fouud In the river.

Ey the Jury : Witoess did not think from the appearance of the bodies that the children had struggled near a bank. Thoj' seemed to have been drowned before they got mar the spit. Witness did not consider anything cou'd have been done last night m tbe direction of endeavoring to save their lives.

John Corbett gave evidence regard ing his bringing information of tbe acoident to the police. It was very dark. The river waa dangerous for horsemen and more so for a trap. If a person orossing got ten yards below the ford. Witness had had to show people across that day. By the jury : Witness thoughLthat |at the time of the acoident It was light enough for any person to have seen the bodies of the children on the spit if they was washed there.

Th!a was all the evidence The jury without retiring returned a verdlot of ' ' accidental death. "

The Coroner called for the gentlemen who had found the bodies of the ohildren.

Messrs Compton, Perks senr., cad Tutty were the only ones present.

The Coroner bestowed great praise upon them for their aotion, and asked them to aiso convey the thanks of tbe jury to those of their number who were noi present.