INQUEST.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1997, 19 July 1880, Page 3

INQUEST.

On Saturday, at 3 p.m., an inquest was held at the Mitre Hotel, Lyttelton, on the body of John Scott Paterson, late master of the ship Hudson, who was drowned on Thursday night in the harbor. Dr. J. W. 8. Coward, coroner, conducted the inquest, and a jury of twelve, of whom Mr George Buist was chosen foreman.

Andrew Mackay, master of the ship Lanarkshire, sworn, deposed—l took tho deceased down on board my vessel on Thursday night. He seemed then to be right enough. When I got him down I put him into my own bed. It was then about 11.15 p.m. After he had boon in bed about a quarter of an hour he wanted to go upon deck again. I tried to stop him, but could not. He would go. I followed him up, and when on tho poop deceased said he wanted to vomit, and started down on to the main deck and thence on to the wharf. Just as I was going off my poop I saw tho deceased coming towards tho edge of the wharf. Then I heard a splash in the water. I jumped ashore, called on the watchman to heave me a rope’s end with which I went down to the water’s edge to look for him. I did not see anything of him. About half-past twelve o’clock I saw tho body, after it was recovered.

To the Foreman—l thought tho man was raving a little. Ho had been talking to himself a good deal. That is why I did not like him to go on dock by himself. The reason I took him on board my ship was that from the peculiar manner of deceased I thought ho was not fit to go to his own ship at the pier alone.

Robert Bain, seaman on the Lanarkshire, gave corroborative evidence to that of the previous witness. Robert McClellan, policeman, deposed— Captain McKay reported to me on the night in question that the deceased was drowned alongside the wharf, I went down, and after searching for about three-quarters of an hour I found the body between the wharf and the vessel. There were no marks or bruises on the body, nor any sign of life in it. I hod it conveyed to the morgue. The night was not very dark. Kranke Pouget, chief officer of the Hudson, deposed—l only knew deceased since last April, when ho joined the vessel in London. Since wo have been in port the deceased seemed worried in his mind. He has had some trouble about the ship. He never acted in such a way as would lead me to suppose that ho would destroy himself. Sometimes on board he would talk to himself a good deal. Ho was a melancholy man, I should say. His demeanor throughout the passage was such. On Thursday last he was sober. I saw him at about 6 p.tn. On the passage out I did not see him drinking to excess. The jury deliberated for a few minutes, and returned a verdict of “ Accidentally drowned.”