INQUEST.

Evening Star, Issue 3608, 15 September 1874, Page 2

INQUEST.

An inquest was held yesterday afternoon, before Dr A. i onoghue, district coroner, and a jury of thirteen, in the Court louse, Port Chalmers, upon the body found on the south bank by Mr Doaj.aU, keeper of the Quarantine Island, on Sunday, was now identified as that of John Macmahon, seaman of the ship Tweed', at present lying in harbor. The following evidence was giyen : - John Dougall, keeper of the Quarantine slaud, sard he observed the body lying on the bank opposite the cemetery of the Quarantine Island, on Sunday, about H a.m. it was then lying high and dry on the Dank, with the face downwards, and covered in the sand. The tide was far out at the time. He thought the best thing he could ■o was to secure ihe body, so that it could ••.fond altetwarda j so he went acroia te

his own house gob an anchor, secured the nody in the same place by it, and then came over and gave information to the police. jT'»hn O’ rien, a seaman of the ship Tweed* said he had seen the body of the man now a » I l ,aop ß ue » aQ d recognised it as the body or John Macmahon, also a seaman of the ship Tweed. On Friday night, at 11.5, just after six bells had gone, be (witness) got up out of his bunk to go on the deck, and on doing so he saw some one just leaving the side of t e ship swimming, and tow* ing a bread basket behind him, it being about 2fo from his feet. Witness again went into the forecastle and told one of his ma’e*, and he eame out to see ; by this time the man had got a good way ashore, about half-way between the ship and the land. Witness and his mate theu went on the fora* c a tie-deck and found a pair of trousers the ones John Macmahon had worn on tbat day. They supposed it was he, as be had told them all that he was going to leave the ship, but witness did not hear him say how he was going to leave. From the progress he was making, he bad no doubt that he would make the shore right euongh. Wit* nesj never heard a cry for help. There never bad been a row between deceased and auy of the sailors. Had heard him say that if he stayed in the ship he would get as much as the three who had already got three months in gaol, and be would be taken ashore on Monday, for be was as deeply implicated in it as any of them. H. Fellowes, a seaman by the ship Tweed, also identified the body. During the voyage out be told witness that he belonged to Liverpool, and that his mother lived in Cleveland square, in that city.' The jury returned a verdict of “ Accidentally drowned while attempting to swim ashore from the ship Tweed.”