SHOCKING ACCIDENT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 78, 26 December 1907, Page 6

SHOCKING ACCIDENT.

■■'■. ,;> • ,F^rAL-^piVE r AjLAMP^PQST. AT^THE.;INqUEST. : - !), ■ ■'■': A labourer, named John Sims,:-also, known. % "■ ■' .'.is : Goorgn.Mattocks; : ,"mei : Tnth { '.a ; : ta'tal - "ac-~, 'fi'S>i . .■^OTt.whilst..fethrng.off;ti^'l^iia'Say:-Ti;haTf' , ..:'■•/ '.. za.r\j: on;Tiie«lay.-m6ming.'.;Thq ; man-climbed. .}■]':'. ' "■:'■ ■'bo;'.the pt .thorlainpipqsti,; on,-the wharf, ■■■-. 'and attempted ■; jtq.-diyo.-lb'tp Jhe .sea , ;.; but .;-.■'■'. through misjudging hi 3 distance, or slipping, 1 he. struck: his,chest'onjthe v sidoof the wharf.! ; ; and : foil-.into,the'water,'.rthe : .body sinking'- ■■_■; :. Sims w'as : a 'man '.of aTiout 39 •'■. ; -years. , of and(is, believed to.have no.'.re-'.' ... . inthe pominfen:- -";;. =■-' - .-. .... ',: ', '>r-\'^-^^ : i", THEJNQUEST. < . ;.,:;■t■''^.■.iliqu^■.,^β''h'eld|^.a ; t^•■ l ■tllβ.','Mo^^uβ.^at'. '■ . •"i-. : p/mV-\-oh-Tuesd^y.,-by.-'Mr.-' , J.'/Ashoro!t/ .'-. '"Coroner. ;f" : ,.' '''.;'.. " : ' : ■:''!'''':.'■ '" ..'- 1: " 1 '- 1 ' !■' : " .! . ■'' ; '. TEomisvpbdde : .'Th'<«^n l '''o&rneri''reSadd'ng, ■• at , Rbna Bay, stated that he had- known 'der-' ■'; ■. .:,. ceased..for;over, a year.. a labourer ■ ■ oniployed,'at pick and shovel .workVby -the ;.' EastbouTne. Borough; Council, and was abciit ■ , ■'39v : years'bf'..age v '''-;.A't.''abOTtT ) S/3Q^'. r pT''.s.'is ( o'clock on Tuesdayimorning witness,mot do-, ■' .'oeased; Wjhb asked him'to : go , for a swim.l- - .Witness declined, but!went.for-a : walk to.-.the.. • . . Rona Bay wharf,-twh'ere Sims .took'-off*-his: , "._ olbthes.and went in for,'a.', bathe.- .'.Hb' diyed-' ' ; off the side.of the wharf,.and swam., about,. '.for a-while, and then climbed up the latnp- .'■" . y 'post, on tho wharf, and .said to ' "have a dive frbmthe irbnlplatform near.tho ..top.- _ lT jWitness' triedrto 'dissua'de- him-from ;■_. ,it, and urged that.th'o.dista'nce^was.'ixK).far, '-. '■ ; and : that it was no good'trying a thing'of •"■■. ;that s<M,* but decoa-s'eel pea-sist^d, ' aiiid 'got. . .outside.the ring near th'etop of the post—a 'distance-of about-20ft.' from'-the.decking qi .= ■the wharf. .He.dived.from this,position,, and V . struck; the edge- of the with: his chest' '■ .'!.' as tie came dovrn. The fell into^t-ho . -water arid .sank -at -dhce, ;Sims-.inaking,.rio ■;':.effort-to-catdh the.lifebuoy;wliioir wasthr'own ' .' -to.himbya. boy on the. .whiirf. ■' Witnes3,",whb •■■was tunable to. swim, went.-..round -to-, .the .■■fisheTm6n" : and got them fo'-briiig'a-boat' ■: ■ •'. ',roan.d,..and>also'.toldphonq, to;tbwn,for acbii- -' - i'tstable.. After dragging" for' som'o .tim'o, tho ' .fishermen ■^:cc«^ded!'in^'rec}iyeTing' , 'the body. , .■'• Jh the opiinaii of..witness, '•■shock-, l ! •■.;;Btrikmg the wharf,wonld!rend4r■thoimin un- ; coiispibus, ■''' it. did., not!, kill ,\b.rai.'. qutrigh+, . . 'Deceased hadilsaid in A'''-, [ . Navy; at'Hoj.nb, and. had'.a sister'inr'.Bnglai' ,: . I, who used' f»/'mte:.'(ib' hnn ; jifegula/'ly.,' '/He \ ■ ■..had:foW ; wit: , ;ss on.'one occasion-,that Sims,-, :|wae., not . correct name..i: I)ecic!as«i ap-.i . ■.i.peared •to L 'ye. been ■ drinkingi.bn -the -Mqn- - •-'• day night.•■• ;>:'■;; -'P f<~ .■''"";■•; »:■<». -,. .'' .■'-. Constable ' Valloolcy .depo's^d'.that;fe;was : :■ Bent over to itona Bay in.response: to,a caJl.'. ,'.;/ reiiedved, by telephone 1 ; at 6:45' a'.'iri. "oh Tues.J? . < I'.'day'. I '' When ..ho j reached ',tHo.tßay'',;tb'e "body . i Ead been recovered by.two fisherinen'-namecj' ■ ' Scoringe, and was^' lynig'on tlio b'eachV 'The . body was.locatecl clbM.to4ho'wtiarf i'n'.2oft.' ■: of ■"water bymeans of "hooks, attached'fo;. a , j Tqpo. Witnros noticed.,'that .tho'right-.arm." v-Vwas broken,'and that the'.chestj.was,.severely,; ( ; bruised. On making a "search'of the iwharo, ' oocupied by.'deceased, tho : sum of £3■125.-,8t1.' ...' , was.found in.a small sily-car; a nuni-"! ber. of letters, addressed .and stamped ready. . ' ; to-bo!posted to England; ,A;etorelceep'crr at- , tho Bay , .in7oTmed"^tneds''that-.l(holnian , 6, ! correct name was George 'Mittoclt's; ,, although' r ho went under.;tho'name.of John .Sims.' lii' the opinion of mtne'ss,-it. was d foolish thing. -. for a: man. to .divo' from■-.the- height deceased was said' to havo jumped :frora..-,~ '■ ■ - A verdict of " Accidental' death, caused' through striking ,: th6; 'ivharf' whilst diyitiig ; . ;irom v a considerable.height,'.'..,was"returried....