THE COURTENAY PLACE TRAGEDY

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 396, 4 January 1909, Page 4

THE COURTENAY PLACE TRAGEDY

DECEASED IDENTIFIED YESTERDAY. ' The mystery surrounding the identity of the victim of the Courteuay Place outrage of a week ago was cleared up yesterday, when tho body lying at tho Morgue was identified as that of a sailor named M'Connack. It appears. that ; M'Cormackcan>e from Sydney about..two..months, ago on the sailing-ship Dartford,'which vessel was purchased by-, the: Union Co. recently for use as'a training ship. Deceased was .discharged from the vessel with the rest ;of. the crew when they..were paid off, and-five''of his shipmates visited tho Morgue yesterday and viowed the body, and at once identified it as that of "little Mao;" It is stated, that M'Cormack arrived . here from Lyttoltpii on Christmas morning, .together with one ..of his recent.- shipmates named Bradford." Tho two men left their swags at tho Hdrbour Board luggage sheds , on Christmas Day. 1 Braidford was last seen at 7 o'clock on Christinas morning by. another member of the Dariford's crew, when ho was in Manners Street, and, he then told his.old shipmate that he aiid 'M'Cormack wero stayI uig together at o, bpajdinghouse in Courtenay I Placo, and he (Braidford) was going along to see M'Cormack-\bef6re leaving for Auckland" that day. -Bradford's swag ■ was taken but: of the Harbour Board shed on December 26, and the other bag was'taken charge of yesterday by Detective Gassells. The clothes of the deceased have:been identified as those .of M'Cormaok who, it is stated, had recently served as a seamanvra the schooner Annie Hill. Deceased's boots were soled and heeled in Lyttelton before He left there, and it is stated, that he received about. £6 or £7 wages on his discharge; from the schooner. Inspector Ellisbn, Detective .Cassells, and Constable M'Kelvio, who is in. charge of the Morgue, wero present at the Morgue when deceased was identified- yesterday, and are (juite satisfied ihat .deceased has;really.been identified this tinic. ■'■•" ' -■'. •;' ' : .-\ ConstableSpellman, of Rotorua, arrived.on Saturday v evening : " aiid vviewed the body but, it is stated) could not identify-.it as: tliatot the recent porter of,the.Hotel Metropole.'. :. - It is understood that bbdy of deceased is to be interred to-day,-. .-" / .. .'. The identity of the, body-, by the; seamen is said to'havo been.caused as the result of a photograph of.. deceased -posted at th<» bookstall'on the- wharf , . , ''' . ■ \ '' '.:..':;