INQUEST.

Evening Star, Issue 3580, 13 August 1874, Page 2

INQUEST.

An inquest was held at the Hospital at noon to-day, before Mr T. M. Hocken, coroner, on the body of John Walker, who was drowned in the harbor on Tuesday night. The following evidence was given : Geo. O’Brien, carpeater’s-liner, saidhe lived in a boar liug-house in Stafford street. Deceased was the proprietor of the house. He was forty-five years of age, and was a married man. After dinner deceased asked him to go fishing. They did so, and got ashore near the bridge at Anderson’s Bay. Left the fishing lines there, and went over to the hotel. Deceased was under the influence of drink. They had drink while iu the hotel, and bought a bottle of old tom. Deceased seeing a box on the shore, put it into the boat, saying it would do for his wife. They then go); into the boat, and pulled through the bridge towards Dunedin. Deceased attempting to throw a dog, which was in the boat, overboard; the boait lurched and halffilled with water. " Tfyty were the’h about twenty yards from the "shore. "The boat sank, and witness succeeding in reaching the shore. Witness believed that deceased sank immediately. The Coroner : You have not been here long, and you do not seem to have commenced your career well, judging by your sentence this morning. Witness denied taking the box. The Coroner ; You were a Good Templar at Home ? Witness: Yes. The Coroner : Then you ought to join a ledge here, and not again get into these scrapes. .Donald Macgregor deposed to seeing O Brien swimming ashore. He had previously seen the boat with two men in it. Remained about the boit for some, but saw no signs of the body. Witness did not the boat caps'zs. ponstable McLaughlin deposed to finding deceased’]) body about 250 yards from Vauxhall Bpdge. Tt was fio’ating, 'The jury, in accordance with the Coroners instructions, returned a verdict that the drowning was aocjidenta l ,