FOUND DROWNED.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2054, 4 December 1907, Page 2

FOUND DROWNED.

YESTERDAY’S INQUEST. At the British Empire Hotel yesterday afternoon before Mr Akroyd, Acting-Coroner, an inquest was held on the body found on tho Waikaiiae beach on Monday. Tho following

jury was empanelled : —Thomas Alexander Coleman (foreman), Arthur Searle, Frederick William Euro, James Erskine. Frederick Cox, Jaimes William Russell. A. !’. Coker, medical practitioner, stated that ho conducted a postmortem examination of the body- on Monday afternoon, flic indications being that death had resulted from drowning. There was no signs of violence or of poison. Deceased (was suffering from Bright’s disease, which might have made him melancholic. Henry William St. Urch, laborer, said he had seen th t , body, and he identified it as that of a man who

told him (witness) tlui-t his name was Kirk. Kirk said ho had come from Nelson Bros’, works, Tomoana. He said that he was a married man, and chat his wife had given him a few pounds to come to Gisborne to get a house ready for herself and the children. The conversation took place on the evening of November z9th at Mr Suite's residence. Seemed +o be suffering from tile effects ot hard drinking, and threatened to commit suicide. Kirk said he left Tomoana on the previous Tuesday, and that ho had been drinking since. Witness and Kirk occupied the same room at Suffe’s. About 2 o’clock oil the Saturday morning Kirk said, “I’ve a good mind to jump into tho tide.” Witness asked, “And swim out again?” but Kirk shook his head and replied, “Oil, no.” About 5.30 Kirk got up, and witness had to put on his collar for lnm, because he was so shaky. Kirk said lie was going to Makar-aka to- get a “refresher,” and borrowed a shilling from witness. He saul lie would get tho “refresher' and -lien come back to see Mr. Dewing at the Freezing Works. Kirk set out towards the cemetery, and witness never saw him alive again. During conversation Kirk said he was not as old as witness (32). Walter Howard, painter, said he identified tlie body as that of a man whom ho saw at 11 o'clock cn Sunday last on the Waikanae b*acJ), about two miles past the abattoirs. Witness was leading his horse, and deceased accosted lnm and ’emanded a cigarette from him in a very peremptory fashion. He ga re tobacco and tissue paper to deceased, who thanked him, and passed cn. Did not see deceased again for about an hour and' a half, when witness saw him remain in about tho same position for about ail uoav. At about 4 o’clock in the afternoon witness, while sitting with his wife and family, saw a man walking out m the surf about a mile away. Watched for some time, but nothing happened to show that lie was not jusit having a bathe. While watching, liis attention was drawn off by ■his children, and the circumstance slipped liis mind altogether. Could not say positively that the man in the water was Kirk, but witness thought it was he. ■ Harry Anderson, cycle maker, said he identified tho body at the Morgue as that of a man he met on the Waikaiiae beach about- 11 o’clock oil Sunday morning last-. Deceased accosted witness, and asked for a cigarette, which witness did not give him. About 3 o'clock ‘n the afternoon witness went across to party, and again inert deceased, who the Abattoirs for water for -a picnic again asked for a cigarette, saying lie was dying for a smoke. Refused him again, and after deceased left him did not- see him alive again. ' Deceased appeared slightly “‘balmy,” mumbling statements about not having cigarettes. Albert- Ernest Davy said lie was on the Waikaiiae bench at about 9.-15 o’clock on Monday morning, riding a horse ill the surf. Saw a fully-dressed body some distance out. The body came in nearer on a big wave, and witness and another man pulled it- out of the water. Witness then informed the police. Saw the deceased on the beach on Sunday morning, when he asked fir a cigarette. Alfred Dewing, manager of Nelson Bros.’ Freezing Works, said that Kirk was engaged to take the position of 'slaughterhouse clerk, being transferred from- Tomoana. This was a week ago, bint he did not report. Had heard Kirk had been at tho works and gone away again, hut did not know for a fact. After a short retirement the jury brought in a verdict of “Found drowned.”