The Evening Post. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1865. INQUEST ON THE BODY OF CAPT. SLEIGH. THIS DAY.

Evening Post, Issue 240, 14 November 1865, Page 2

The Evening Post. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1865. INQUEST ON THE BODY OF CAPT. SLEIGH. THIS DAY.

The body of this lamented gentleman was found yesterday on the beach, near the Swimming Baths, and conveyed to the police Station, there to await an inquest. This morning, at eleven o'clock, the Coroner and jury assembled at Barrett's Hotel. The Coroner, Dr. Boor, accompanied by the jury, proceeded to view the body, and on their return Leopold L. Barnett, commercial traveller residing in Dunedin, examined, stated he knew deceased j had met him two days previous to leaving Nelson ; sailed from Nelson on Thursday morning, 2nd November, and arrived in Wellington on Friday ; saw him go Into a boat with other passengers— seven or sight ; thinks seven, with two boatmen ; saw the boat go towards the shore, and would have went with her,but thought there were too many In It ; the day was rough ; saw the boat go down, but could not say from what cause it went down ; saw the passengers floating in the water j recognised the trousers and shirt Captain Sleigh wore when leaving the vessel ; he had changed it for what he wore on the passage ; saw the body, and believed it to be that pf Captain Sleigh, judging from the dress. In answer to a juror, witness said he would know one of the watermen In charge of the boat at the time of the accident ; the boat had no sails op then. Julius Seeliof, sworn .• Was a passenger by the Phcebe from Picton to Wellington 5 did not see Captain Sleigh in the steamer ; first saw him in the boat ; 11 persons were in it ; when there were four or five in the boat, I believe the waterman called out there was plenty of room ; I sang out, " For God's sake push off." Captain Sleigh said at the time there appeared to bo no harbour regulations in this place, and counted the persons in the boat ; believed there were eleven in it j they were so closely packed, witness could not say whether there was one or two watermen in the boat ; the day was rough ; the gunwal was not more than six inches from the water ; two men were then pulling with oars ; after a little while, sail was

hoisted by one of the boatmen whom he could recognise if he saw him ; s-everal passengers cried out to Mm not to lash the anil ; the sail was not lashed ; in about two or three minutes she shipped a quantity of water, the boat commenced to •tagger, and immediately after sunk from under their feet • he was the last picked up by some one who put off from the shore ; Captain Sleigh was lightly dressed on coming into the boat for so rough a day ; he wore a dark jacket and grey trousers and light brown kid gloves ; saw the body at the police station, dressed in the same clothes which Captain Sleigh wore, and believes it to be his body. In answer to a Juror, witness said one of the passengers was steering ; the waterman invited more passengers, but Captain Sleigh pusher! off with bis riding whip, or another would have come in ; would be able to reoognise the boatman if he saw him ; does not know his name. Andrew Meany was brought into the room and identified by last witness as the waterman who invited passengers into the boat. Andrew Meany (boatman) was then sworn, and cautioned by the Coroner that his evidence might hereafter be used against him ; he said he was licensed by the Customs and had been a waterman in Wellington for some time ; on the arrival of the Phoebe, on the 3rd November, went on board her for passengers, leaving Palmer, who went with him, in charge of his boat, while he solicited passengerg ; to the best of his knowledge nine persons went into the boat besides himself ; left Palmer on board the Phoebe ; on leaving the vessel, he wanted to pull ahead of the Asterope, which was 40 or 50 yards distant ; pulled ahead of the Asterope, and used the sail which was not that usually used by him ; it was a small sail used only in boisterous weather ; a little spray came over the boat ; the passengers were a little jolly, and shifting about to avoid it ; and he requested them to sit still ; not to more about ;in a few minutes afterwards she shipped a little water in the weather side of Tthe boat ; one of the passengers stood up in the boat on the weather side, and others on the same side moved ; the passengers on the lee side die not ; she careened over and took in a littli water tin the lee side, when I took in the sail considering it dangerous on account of th< people in ihe boat moving about ; after tak ing in the sail, the passengers moved (o ttv | lee side ; threw iron ballast overboard ; thi passengers moving about the boat, she took ii more 'water, filled, and turned over after knew three of the passengers, but notCaprair Sleigh j has had from 13 to 16 in the same boat ; had as many as nine or ten passengers in her when the weather was as bad as on the 3rd inst. In answer to a Juror, witness said there were no regulations as to carrying any certain number of passengers ; the boat was a i safe boat in any weather ; considered a boat with only six inches from the gunwale to the water quite safe ; attributes the accident to the passengers moving about. ) Julius Seehoff recalled, and denied the passengers moved about previous to the accident. Louis Hook, seaman, sworn: Was a passenseoger by the Phoebe, from Picton, and pulled in the boat; there were nine or ten passengers ; the boat was safe enough if the passengers did not move about ; saw them rise ; the men on the weather side got up and pitched over to the lee side, when she shipped water ; when he saw the water coming in, got up in the boat and waived to the people on the wharf, and then jumped into the water, to save himself ; believed the boat would have got safe to the wharf if the passengers had not moved about. To a juror — Thought the boat would have been safer with less passengers ; but even with less, had they moved about it would have been just as dangerous. The jury wishing to hear the opinion of some experienced seaman as to the cause of accident, Captain M'lntyre was sworn, and deposed that from the dimensions of the boat in question, be considered she was not capable of carrying more than seven men with safety on such a tempestuous day, and would not be safe with more than ten on a calm day. He considered there ought to be regulations, limiting the number to be carried by boats plying for hire. It was his opinion, hoisting sail on the day tlte accident occurred added to the danger, the boat being overloaded at the time. Captain Kennedy was called, and deposed that in his opinion the boat was not safe in carrying so many passengers in suoh bad

weather, and that she was unsafe with more persons than seven, the waterman included. The verdict was accidental death, the jury adding a Tiller that a remonstrance should be made to the authorities that proper harbour regulations be made. The waterman was called in, and cautioned by the Coroner as to taking too many passengers in a boat in rough weather, at the same time observing that the authorities, in not having proper regulations, were more to blame than the beatman.

The Wanganui, steamer, Captain Lowe, arrived this morning, from Wanganui, and will sail for the same port on Thursday next, at five, p.m. By a private letter received from the agent of Messrs. Chapman and Hall, the celebrated publishers in Piccadilly, we (Christchnrch Mail) understand that arrangements have been entered into with Mr. Charles Dickens to proceed in January next to the Australian Colonies, to give a series of readings from his Christmas works in all the principal towns of the Australian and New Zealand colonies. We are informed that the sum of £120 is guaranteed to the great novelist for each ' reading, and that the arrangements will be finally completed at the office of " All the j Year R<mnd," on the 21sc of November. j A public dinner was given to Captain I Turnbull, of the steamer Geelong, at Timaru, last week. The whole of the merchants of the place were present on the occasion ; and on that gentleman's health being proposed, he returned thanks, saying "He had never expected such an ovation as that given him by the people of Timaru. About two years ago he first commenced trading to Timaru, and be had ever since experienced the greatest kindness from the merchants and gentlemen in and around the town. He returned them his sincere thanks. He was about to proceed to England to bring out a new steamer to trade with Timaru, and he assured them that when he returned he. should endeavour to again earn their patronage."