BODY FOUND IN HARBOUR

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 110, 7 February 1928, Page 14

BODY FOUND IN HARBOUR

THEORY OF FOUL PLAY 7 DISCOUNTED WOUNDS SAID TO BE FISH BITES Dominion Special Service. Christchurch, February 6. It has been established to the satisfaction of the police that Charles James Mahan, of 6 Nile Street, Timaru, whose body was found in Lyttelton Barbour on Saturday was not the victim of foul play. Mahan’s body was found floating in the harbour, ami wounds in the head raised a suspicion that Mahan had <>een injured before his body reached the water on Saturday evening. Dr. T. L. Cooke, Dr. C. H. Upham, and Dr. B. H. Gilmour conducted a postmortem examination of the body. The consensus of opinion of the doctors, was that the wounds were caused by bites by fish, and that death was due to drowning. At. present there are shoals of dogfish in tho inner harbour. Mr. S. D. Gilray, nightwatchman for tho Lyttelton Harbour Board, who discovered tho body, said that when he and Mr. S. W. Laue, with the. assistance ci the police, were attaching a rope to the body to take it in tow to the watermen’s steps, dogfish were swimming around them in hundreds. Further examinations ot a formal nature will be made in tho shape of an analysis of certain organs. This is but a precautionary measure. The postmortem revealed that the injuries on the face were very superficial, and could not possibly have been the cause of death. There were no marks of a struggle of any sort, such as bruises on the body. Such information as has been available states that Mahan's movements until a matter of five minutes or so from the time when he is calculated to have entered the water, have been easily traced. There is nothing in them, that would lead to a suspicion of foul play. It is not expected that the verdict of the Coroner at the inquest, which will be completed as soon as certain facts are ascertained from Timaru, will express any conviction or theory that, there lias been foul play. The fact that the body was floating when found suggests that death occurred before immersion in the water, but it is not conclusive evidence on the point. In connection with the report sent from Timaru, it was incorrectly stated that Mr. Mahan, Junr.. found has father in an hotel in Christchurch on 1 riday, and induced him to return home. The late Mr. Mahan was not seen at all that day by his son.