INQUEST.

Evening Star, Issue 4014, 7 January 1876, Page 2

INQUEST.

An inquest was held at the Hospital, at noon to-day, on the body of Ernest Williams, who in company with another young man went out to bathe on the Ocean Beach on Christmas Day, and was drowned. The body was very much decomposed. The Coroner explained that the only object of the inquest was to again warn the public that tho spot where the deceased weut into the water was a very dangerous one. This was the fifth case of drowning'which had occurred at this very place. John Williams, printer, residing in Walker street, said that the deceased w.ts his son. He was seventeen y ars of nge, a shoemaker by occupation, and an Episcopalian by religious persu: sion. Witness last saw him alive on the evening of the 24th ult. He stated that be was going out shoeing on the following day with une of his mates, but did not say where. He was then in his usual health. On the 27th witness received information that a gnn ami some clothes had been found on Tomahawk Island, 'i hose ho recognised as his son’s. He also recognised the body. .James Hunter, laborer, residing at the Tomahawk Lagoon, deposed that deceased and another young man called at his house for a drink of water on Christmay day. Both had guns, and they spoke of shooting rabbits on the Sandhills. This would be about 7.30 a.m. Mounted-Constable Bamford stated that b rth guns were loaded when he found them. The place where the clothes were found was consider ed very dangerous, there being a very strong under-current.

John Bryce, laborer, residing at Tomahawk, deposed to finding the body of deceased on Wednesday evening last It was floating in with the tide, and he dragged it in to hgh watermark, ’the body was naked, and bore signs on one side of having been beaten against the rocks. The place where ho saw the body would he about thirty yards from where the clothes were found. The currcul[mas so strongly •tt this place as to make it exceedingly dangerous. It wa- unsffe to bathe within a mile of the spot. The jury found that deceased was accidentally drowned whiUt lathing at Tomahawk,” and added a rider warning peivons against bathing on the Tomahawk beach.

A juryman remarked that there was a current of from three to four knots all the way from Invercargill,