INQUEST.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 242, 19 March 1875, Page 3

INQUEST.

An inquest was held on Thursday at 4 p.m. at the Mitre Hotel, Lyttelton, before W. S. Coward, Esq, coroner, on a body of a seaman named Murdoch McLeod, a sailor belonging to the J. G. Coleson, who was found dead on the flats at Governor’s Bay on Monday night last. Mr James Coy was chosen foreman of the jury. The jury having viewed the body, which was lying in the morgue, the following evidence was given, Sergeant-Major O’Grady conducting the examination. Captain D. Rae, duly sworn, said —I am the master of the J. G. Coleson, a schooner. I know deceased. He was an A.B. on board my vessel. I saw him last about four o’clock on Monday afternoon on board the vessel. He did not make any complaint to me of being ill. He was then in good health, and at work discharging cargo. I did not see him after that alive. On Tuesday I made enquiries for him, as he did not come on board. 1 heard nothing of him till yesterday, when I heard he was in the dead house. He has never been sick since I have known him, I have never seen him the worse for liquor. He was a sober quiet man. I did not sleep on board the vessel that night. I never knew him to have any quarrel with any man. I do not know if deceased could swim. I do not think a body, if falling into the harbor here, would be drifted down as far as Governor’s Bay in the time between deceased being missed and found. John McDonald sworn, said —I am the mate on board the J. G. Coleson. I have known deceased two months; he was an A.B. on board the vessel. I saw him lastrat 11 p.m. on Monday night, at the Royal Hotel. Became in there just as the house was closing. He was with two men belonging to the Ocean Bird. He alone went in. Mr Parsons gave him some peppermint. He asked for gin. Be was drunk. When I got a few yards

away I missed him, and thought he was in charge. I went on board the vessel, but deceased did not. He was missing next morning, and next 1 saw him dead yesterday. I never saw him the worse for liquor before. By foreman—The vessel was lying out in the stream, off Peacock’s Wharf, and one could not get to her without a boat. By a juror—He came out of Mr Parsons’ Hotel with me. I took the ship’s boat from the wharf. I waited nearly half an hour to see if he would come.

A Maori named Philemon, sworn, said that he and another Maori named Jimmie went out on the mud flats between Big and Little Raupaki and saw the body there. John Peterson, a laborer, at Governor’s Bay—l recollect Tuesday evening last. Was near Wm. Hall’s, when I was told by a Maori that a white man was in the water. I went down in company with two others, and found deceased floating. I went down, and with the aid of a boat got the body out of the water. I came in and informed the police, leaving the body in charge of the Maoris.

William Buckley sworn, said—l am a laborer, living in Governor’s Bay. I know the last witness. I was with him on Monday evening. I went down to the beach near Raupaki on Tuesday about 6 p.m. We first noticed a jacket flap floating on the water, about four or five yards from the beach. We also saw his ears. He was floating face down. We sent for assistance, and got him into a boat and sent for the police. Sergeant Maguire sworn, said —I recollect Tuesday night. From information received 1 went to Raupaki in a boat, and arrived there about 11 p.m. I found the three last witnesses, with two or three women, standing alongside the boat deceased was in. I searched the body, and found a purse containing Is 6d and a handkerchief, and I then brought the body to the morgue. There was a slight mark over the left eye. This concluded the evidence, and the jury returned a verdict of ‘‘'Found drowned.”