INQUEST AT LYTTELTON.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 455, 29 November 1875, Page 2

INQUEST AT LYTTELTON.

An inquest was held cm Saturday morning last, at the Royal Hotel, ' yttelton, before Dr Coward, coroner, on the body of Alexander Ditam, late cook of the ship Waikato. who I was founl dead on the stones at the outer end of the Gladstone Pier on Friday morning. Mr J. S. Willcox was chosen foreman of the juryThe jury having viewed the body, Captain H. Rose, sworn, said—l was lately captain of the ship Waikato. I identify deceased as ook of that vessel. His name was Alexander Ditam. I shipped him in London in June last. He was a steady man and not given to drinking. Wm Northey, sworn, said—l am a night watchman on the breakwater. I was there on duty yesterday morning at 4-a m. I saw the body at 4 a.m. lying in the water near the point of the Gladstone Pier. It was about 250 yards from the ship Waikato towards the end of the Pier. I drew the body tome and placed it on the sto ies with a long stick, and gave information to William 1 ?, the Government nijjht watchman. I observed a wound on the left side of the head. I was about the wharf three times that night, at 1130 p.m., 2 a.m., and 4 am. I heard no row on that night, but saw the night watchman on the wharf speaking to a man on the Merope. The man on board the 'Merope answered "All's well" to an enquiry from Williams. In going to the wharf that evening. I did not go down the path outside the rails. By a juryman—l am on duty from 6 p.m. to 6 am. Frederick Williams sworn, said—l am Government night watchman on the Gladstone pier. I was on duty on Thursday night last. I go on duty at six p.m.. and come off at six a.m. I knew deceased. He was cook of th* Waikato, I did not fee him that night. I have a house on the wharf. Between nine and eleven p.m. I saw some people come running down and go aboard the ships Merope and Waikato. There were several parties. I do not think any of the persons were deceased. About four am. that morning the watchman Northey called out " Fred," and I went and saw the body of a man, We got it out of the wa f er. We found the body about halfway between the end of the additions to the Gladstone pier and the tip at the end. I believe if the man had fallen down this place there would have been more marks on the face and hands. It was ebb tide. If the man had fallen over near the Waikato, his body would have been floated in that direction by the ebb tide. I think one of the ships' fenders would have produced a similar wound to that on the head of deceased. I have often seen deceased going on board the worse for liquor. I heard no quarrelling on the wharf that night. The night was excessively dark. The night before there was a quarrel on board the Waikato. I brieve that if deceased had fallen overboard between the watermau's steps and the Waikato, the body might have floated to where we found it. By Foreman—l keep walch from the waterman's steps to the Gladstone pier. I have not to look after the other wharves. I have no authority to arrest auyone incapable from drink, I have nothing to do with the breastwork or other wharyesi

William Sinclair, boatswain of the Merope, Bworn, said—l first saw deceased at Mr Cole's on Thursday night last. Mr Cole keeps the Lyttelton Hotel. Deceased came up to the bar and told us he was cook of the Waikato. Deceased had a bottle of lemonade. The baiman took the brandy bottle and shook it over the glass with the lemonade in it, but the cork was in it, so none came out. We all laughed when he did it. I left the hotel at 10.50 p.m. Deceased left about 9 30 ; he was neither sober nor drunk. I think be was quite sober enough to walk to the ship if he got no more alter he left. After he left I never saw him again. He was in ray sight all the time that he was in the hotel. There was a glass of beer standing on the bar all the time he was there, but I do not know if it was his. James Coffey, one of the harbor boatmen, said—l was at the Lyttelton Hotel on Thursday night last, and saw deceased there. It was about 7 that evening when I first saw him ;he was in the bagatelle room. I did not see him drink. At 880 I saw him again. I think he was sober. I saw him leave ;it was about a quarter or twenty minutes past nine. I was surprised to hear of his being drowned, as I could not believe he was drunk when he left. It was a dark dirty night. Robert Cole, sworn, said—l am licensee of the Lyttelton Hotel. I knew deceased. He has been in the habit of coming to my house. He was there on Thursday night. He came there shortly after six that night. Deceased was sober when he came; he was talkative, but not drunk. He was quite sober when be left. He asked for brandy and lemonade, and I gave him some lemonade and pretended to put some brandy in it. Deceased had no spirits in my house ; he had one glass of beer, but did not drink it. A Mr Brua offered to see him on board the ship, but he refused, saying he was quite competent to take care of himself. Brun mer ly offered to go out of goodfellowship. He had taken some books which deceased had with him away, and hidden them for fan. and was anxious to make it up. Wm Wake, boatswain of the Waikato, sworn, said—l know deceased. Yesterday, between 8 and 9 a.m., I picked up a cap in the harbor at the head of the Waikato. It was a new cap. There was some paper in the cap ; I think it was a portion of a novel. I think this (produced) is the cap. It was lying about three piles from the Waikato. The cap was above high water mark. I have never seen deceased in such a state through drink as to be unfit for duty. He was subject to spasms of the heart. There was a spar between the ship and the wharf that would have caused a similar wound to that on deceased's head. Deceased was about fifty-s'x years old, and was universally respected on board. I never knew hica to have a quarrel with any one on board. James Watt, a constable, said—At 4.30 a.m, on Friday, I was told by the night watchman that there was a man lying dead on the breakwater. I went and .found the body tied by the right arm with a rope between the new piles and the end of the pier. I got a boat and conveyed the body to the morgue I found the articles produced (some pipes, &c) on deceased. I observed the two wounds on deceased; there were many stones about where the body had been found. The Foreman asked the (Sergeant-Major if any of the police were in the habit of going round the wharves at night 1 The Sergeant replied that there was only one policeman on duty at night, and his instructions were to patrol the block unless something occurred. The night watchman had to communicate with the police if anything happened. There was not sufficient protection for men going aboard their ships ;.t night. The Foreman said he thought the jury should add a rider to the verdict in reference to the unprotected state of the wharves. They wanted better lighting and a proper water police. The night watchman, it appeared, could not arrest a man however much he was the worse for liquor. Dr Coward said, if the jury liked he would communicate with the Government on the subject. On a previous occasion he believed the jury had, under his direction, called the attention of the Government to the matter. The Sergeant-Major said he proposed there should be a look-up built close to the wharf, where men could be put at once if intoxicated. The verdict returned was " Found Dead," there being no evidence to show how he met his death. 'J he jury requested the coroner to communicate with the Governon the subject of the very inadequate protection of the wharves at night.