CASUALTIES.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16252, 1 July 1918, Page 9

CASUALTIES.

STRANGE RIVER TRAGEDY. The body of the man who was found in the Avon on Friday night was identified on Saturday morning as that of James Butcher, a single man, aged 50, 1 ivno haa been employed by Waiter C. Chisnall, iish" mercnant, of Colombo street. At the inquest held on Saturday, beforo Mr xi. W. Bishop, District Coroner, Walter C. Chisnall gave evidence of identification. Louisa Bacon, oi 2*20 Kilmore street, stated that about 6.30 on Friday evening, she was walking with her daughter along the footpath, in Kilmore street, near the Baptist Church, when 6he heard a lady on the river bank calling out: ''Come over here, there's someone in the river. I think it is a. man." Witness and her daughter went over and saw a man in the water a few vards from the bank. He was on his back, moving both • hands and gasping. A man happened to pass by, and witness called to him and directed his attention to the man in the water. He walked down to the edge of the water and shouted: "Come this way, man/' He then turned round and said: 'It's no use me attempting to go into tlhe water, I can't swim." The drowning man disappeared under tlie water, and the man who had been called walked away. A third woman came-along and ■went and rang the police, and a constable arrived shortly after. » Constable Swan, who' recovered the body. Fairl he thought that the man on the b"'cyle could have saved deceased. The Coroner returned a verdjft of found drowned, there being no evidence to show horr deceased got into the water. On Saturday afternoon, about 5 o'clock, a man named EdwarcTUruce, who resided at 9 Spencer street, Addington. became embroiled in an argument with another man outside the Prince of TWles's Hotel. It is alleged tbat Bruce was struck, and, falling, received serious injury to his head. He wns removed to the Hospital, where he died at 11 n.m. An inquest will be held at the Courthouse at 4 p.m. to-day. The deceased was a married' man with • a family, and it is thought that he was employed as a labourer.