INQUEST.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2401, 13 December 1881, Page 4

INQUEST.

/tn inquiry was held yesterday at 3 p.m., at the Clarendon Hotel, before Dr. Coward, Coroner, and a jury, of whom Mr Matthew Hall was chosen foreman, touching tho death of John Richard Campbell and Thomas Kerr, who wore drowned in tho River Heathcote on tho morning of Sunday last. After the jury had viewed the bodies the following evidence was adduced : John Smith deposed—He was a resident of Woolston, and whilst crossing the Hoatbcote racecourse a little before eight o’clock on Sunday morning lost he noticed Benjamin Moss take the saddle off his mare and ride her into tho-River Heathcote. He came out and got off, when young Campbell, who had been bathing, esine out of tho water and got on her back and -rode up and down the beach. He then took her into the stream, when,

i- 4 < getting into deep water, tho animal made a 1- ■- ! plunge, and Campbell rolled off into the river. Ho saw the lad sink for the first time, and • ' thenho ai-d Korr threw off their coats and vests ■i f , und plunged in after him. Kerr was at once seized by Campbell. Witness then swam round -the back o£ them and seized Campbell by the «' bair of b:a bead. Both Kerr and Campbell ■-were - then struggling. The latter’s hair was ' 4 »6 short that in the struggle he was obliged ’to relinquish his hold. They broke away ’ ’ - from him. He grasped Campbell’s hair the oeoond time, when the lad, letting go of ' Kerr, threw his hands back over hia head, and tried to grasp witness from behind him. 1 • After that Campbell caught hold of Kerr the second time, when they both tried to wind . their legs round those of witness. With difficulty-he-reached the shore, after he bad dons all he could to eave them. Oampball » : eaisk -first,, and. Kerr afterwards. He was present whoa the bodies wore recovered, which was two or three hours after the accident; He believed Campbell drove a cirt for Duckworth, tjie grocer, and that Kerr was a cabman. Could not toll how long he was in I- the water. It was a public bathing plaee, but there was no protection to keep bathers ji. from venturing into deep water. It was not more than 10 yards from the bank where i they sank. Henry Piper deposed that he knew the deceased. Campbell was a lai who lived in ■ the Perry road, near the entrance of the drain to the river, and Kerr was a cabman. About eight o’clock on Sunday morning last he saw Campbell riding a horse in the water at a place culled Humbug Reach in the river Hoathoote... Some boys ware calling to deceased to take the horse into deep water and - awim him. He accordingly turned the horse’s held towards tho deep part of the river, when i !. the mare appeared to lose her footing as if to v swim. Tho deceased lad slipped off. He tried to hold by the reics, but lost them, and lay in the water Licking. He sank, and some of the boys bathing called out that he couldn’t swim. Korr and Smith then went into tho ... river to help him, Kerr got there first, and tho boy caught hold of him, [This witness's evidence corroborated that of the last .. ; witness.] Ho saw Smith making for tho shore, aud also saw Korr on the top of the water calling out for some one to help him. .'j Judging by Kerr’s appearance, the boy had got hold of hia legs. By this time Smith had • reached the shore, where several were tieing ■ straps together to throw ont to those in the water, but Kerr sank before it was finished. Campbell was not then to be seen, and that was the last he saw of Kerr alive. Ho helped the police to drag for the bodies, ■which when recovered were both quite dead. He did not think the horse kicked the lad. Tho place in, question is a public bathing ■ place fenced in by the Heathcote Road Board, but there is no protection from the deep water to keep anyone going out of their depth. There ia a distance of 15ft from the hank to the channel. The jury returned a verdict of “Accidental Death,” especially commending Smith for his plucky action in risking his life in the endeavor to save the deceased lad.