FATAL OCCURENCE.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 65, 15 August 1874, Page 3

FATAL OCCURENCE.

The Otago Daily Times of the 12th instant gives the following account of a fatal occurrence at Dunedin :—The inhabitants of Anderson's Bay were thrown into a great state of excitement yesterday afternoon, on a report gaining currency that a boat had capsized in the bay, and a man was drowned. It appears, from the disjointed statement we could obtain from the survivor, that a man named John Walker, the proprietor of a private boarding establishment in Stafford street, and a friend of his, Charles O'Brien, took a small dingy from the Jetty street jetty, and pulled over towards Anderson's Bay, with the ostensible purpose of fishing ; but from the statement made by G. O'Brien —the man who was rescued —one is inclined to believe that the ulterior object they had in view was to obtain possession of some boxes, the property of a man named Samuel Woods, who resided near Vauxhall. Woods, who has just arrived in the colony, and who is in the employ of Mr Ross, the omnibus proprietor, of Anderson's Bay, had occasion to move to a new house, and to avoid the trouble of taking all his property to his new home, left two boxes on the beach, to be subsequently removed to town. These boxes O'Brien and the deceased (John Walker) carried down to the boat, and after putting them on board pushed off from the shore. When about fifty yards from shore they had occasion to move the boxes, and in doing so capsized the boat. Walker sank immediately, while O'Brien, who was accompanied by his dog, swam ashore. The boat is now lying bottom upwards, near the bridge at Anderson's Bay, but owing to the lateness of the hour at which it occurred the police were unable to make any attempt to drag for the body. Police-con-stable M'Loughlin, who is stationed at Anderson's Bay, was immediately on the spot, and communicated at once with the Commissioner of Police with the view to arresting the man O'Brien, and also to take means to recover the body of Walker. After O'Brien swam ashore he proceeded into town with Samuel Woods, and on the way met Mr Mowat in his buggy, who at once offered to convey them to Dunedin. When at the police station Woods gave O'Brien in charge for stealing his property. At the time of our going to press no further particulars were to hand. We might state that the lid of one of O'Brien's boxes has been washed ashore, and the box was high and dry on the beach.