AN OLD MAN’S DFATH.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1732, 25 April 1906, Page 3

AN OLD MAN’S DFATH.

DANCING ON THE E\E OF HIS DEMISE. A LITTLE JOKE HAS SAD SEQUEI An inquo't was hold yostorday nfroruoou concerning tho death of John Barcloy Clibborn, an inmate of the Old Men's Home, aged about 65. Tho inquest was held a! tho Courthouse, boforo Mr W. A. liarton, Coroner, and the following jury Moists IV. ! Miller (foreman), C. W. Muir, J. B. Bed' stone, Graham Johnstone, A. Tanner, F J. McL an. Kobe it Stewart, an inmalo of the Old Men’s Home, stated tlrat ho was at the Homo nil day on Saturday, Ho idonliEed tho body at tbo morgue as that of John Barclay Clibborn, whom bo had known for two years. Deceased was under 65 years of ego. Sergeant Mackenzie: Whoa did you last speak to deceased ? Witness : I la-1 spoko to deceased about , half past 4 on Saturday afternoon. H, E. Johnston, wharfinger, stated he saw the body a! tbo morgue at 6.15 cn Sunday morning in tbe Turanganui river, about 10 feet off tbe schooner Gisborne. Tbis would bo 60 ya-ds below the Haiti bridge. Tbo body was floating towards shore. William Soopo was with witness at tho time. Witness informed the police. William Soope, laboror, corroborated

the evidence of Mr Johnston, adding that when he saw the body he thought it was that of a dead dog. After a time witness saw that it was the corpse of a man. It appeared to be kept afloat by air inside the coat. When he reached the body he recognised it as that of a man who was cal'od " Captain Barolay.” The body was cold, but supp'o. With assistance he brought it ashore and handed it over to the police.

Charles Lomax, lioensee of Turanganui Hotel, stated he saw deoeased at 7.25 on Saturday evening in the hotel, Sergeant Mackenzie : When did be leave the house ? Witness : A little after 8 o’clock. Continuing witness said he had spoken to tbo deoeased. The littor had no overooat, and as it was raining, returned to the hotel. A few minutes afterwards he came out again, and said that ss he was not wearing winter clothes he had better get home, as it b-d stopped raining, Bid you eco him after that '? Witness: No. Robert Eruc?, iaboror, d’pcssd that he had last seen deoeased abo'it9pm, on Saturday, at the Turanganui Hotel. Sergeant Mackenzie : Had be teen

drinking ? Witaess: He appeared to have a few id, Tbe Coroner : Wss he sober ? Witness : Well, I would not eay that, He might have had one drink or two. With some men one drink would send them off, and othere— The Coroner : What was the state of this mae '? Witness : I should say he was in a jolly state. Sergeant Mackenzie : What was he doing ? The Coroner : You Bay he bad been drinking, and was in a jolly stale ? Witness : Yes. Sergeant Mackenzie : Did you see him have any drink ? Witness : I did not. The Coroner : Was he able to take care of himself ? Witness : Yes, 1 should say he was. Coroner : You did not Bee him have the hotel '? Witness : No.

A'fred John Forrest,lighterman,deposed : I last eaw deceased alive about 8.50 or 9 o'cock ou Saturday night, in the Turanganui Hotel. He wbb in a different room from where I was. I could not hear wbat ha was saying, but oould see him all the tuns I was there. Sergeant: What was he daiog ? Witness : H 3 seemed to be very jolly ; he was frisky and jumping about. Toe Sergeant : Was he sober ? Witness : I should Bay that he was neither drunk nor sober, but slightly under the influence of liquor. The Sergeant: Did you see him have anything to drink there ? Witness : No, he had nothing to drmk while I was there.

The Sergeant: You say you were in another room ?

Witness: Yes. but I could see him. They were all laughing and jolly. Sergeant: Wae he able to take oare of himself ?

Witness : Yes, I should say he was quite able to take oare of himself. Sergeant: Was he near the bar ? Witness : Yes, and away from it. Sergeant : Wbat was he doing there ? Witneso: He was oarryffig on a lot of foolery.

The Coroner: You eay he was dancing around.

Witness : Yes ; he was jumping about trying to do a dance and saying he was as good as any young man yet. The Foreman asked if witness could give any reason, for the red marks on deceased’s face. Witness replied that he oould not.

The Coroner: Did you nolice (he red marks on deceased's faoe before ? Witness : Yea, I saw them when he was in the hotel, the eatne as they are now on him in the morgue. S?rgeaot: Can you Bay wbat caused them ?

Witness: No, the dootor is the best one to tell you the oause. Sergeant: Ob, we will find out without the aid of tbo dootor. Coroner : Was tbo faoe bleeding ? Witness : No, just red marks, I oannot say the cause, I was only there about fi. e minutos in another room. I did not take particular notice. They were all laughing and jolly. O'Hara gave evidence as to taking charge of the body at the wbaif and having it removed to tho morgue. He had examined tho body, and found there were no marks of violence on it SergoaDt: Did you see red marks on the faoe V

Witness : Yes, they were marks of what appeared to be red paint. 8-rgoant: You made inquiriea about it V Witness: Yes. I loarued that he had got that from the firoplaoe of the bar parlor of the Turanganui Hotel. I weDt there and saw that there was a similar paint there, and that it would rub off easily.

Orroner: You enquired how he got it on his facß ? Witness : Yea ; I was informsd that deceased waa skylarking wiihsome otberß, and iu fun they had rubbed some of ihe paint on his face. The Ooronor: They had only done it for fon ?

Witness : Yes. Continuing, witness said ho had found on tbo body oigbt shillings in silver, oon-* tained iu a smdl purse in the inside coat p rekit ; also a pon-knife.

Sergeant Mackonzie : Wero there any marks on the clothes V Witness : No, they wero quite clean. There was a small toar on the knee of his tremors, which were of a very thin material. He was fully cresaed, with the rx’option that tho hat was gone. Sorg- ani Mackenzie said the tear iD tho rousers might have been done in landing the body. The Coroner said that there was really no evidence to show as to how deceased got into tho water. He would leave it to

the jury. Tho juryks verdict was that deceased wss found drowned in the Turanganui river.

The Coroner ! I quite concur iu the Yetfliot, gentlemen.