THE LATE CASE OF DROWNING. INQUEST.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 670, 5 May 1870, Page 2

THE LATE CASE OF DROWNING. INQUEST.

An inquest was held at Cobden Courthouse, on Tuesday iafternoon, before C. Whitefoord, Esq., R.M., on the body of Robert Moorhead, who was found drowned in the Grey River on Monday. Mr E. Houghton, purser of the Beautiful Star, was chosen foreman of the jury. The first witness called was Edward A. t)rury, who said : lam an articled clerk to Mr Guinness, solicitor, Greymouth. I have seen the deceased. Ido not know him personally. On Monday afternoon, between three and four o'clock, I was coming down the track between here and the Coal Pits, near a place where a man named Brown lives, and I took the water, which was pretty deep. There was a snag in a sort of by-wash of the river, and I thought I saw a shirt in the water. I went in on horseback, and found it was a man's body. The head was firmly wedged between two snags. One ear and a portion of the head were above water. I leant over the saddle to help the body out, and fell in, the water being up to my neck. I dragged the body to the teach opposite. A woman was on the opposite side, and I.called to her to watsh and not allow any person to touch the body until I came back. She called a man named Brown, but he would not cross the water, and advised me to ride back and tell Mr Dartnell at the Coal Pits. I did so ; but I could not get any person there to assist me to bring the body to town. I met Mr Wise coming down, and returned to the body with him. We thought it best to leave it where it was, and further down the track we met Mr Overend, Mr Gilmer, and the deceased's brother, Mr Moorhead, »nd all returned together. In the presence of these gentlemen I searched the body, and found in the right-hand trousers pocket a purse,- in the other a pipe and a knife. The brother opened the purse in my presence. There was a small nugget in it, a pound-note, and some papers. On the way to town I met Sergeant Neville going up. We gave him information as to what we had done, handed over the articles found, tied up in a handkerchief, to him, and proceeded to town. William Moorhead : I am deceased's brother, and a miner, residing at present in Greymouth. I have seen the body, and recognise it as that of my brother Robert. I last saw him alive at the Gympie Diggings, Queensland, between 12 and 18 months ago. I returned from Queensland on the 28th of last month, and the same night was told by Mr Gilmer that my brother was missing. Next morning I went to Nelson Creek to see his mates, and they told me it was my brother that was missing. We then started to search for him and made inquiries, and yesterday, on the track from the Coal Pits, I met a man who told me the body

of my brother had been found in the river. 1 got a horse and rode back to where the body was lying, and found it was my brother. I asked Mr Drury to search the body. He did so, and gave me a pocket-book, a letter, a knife and a pipe. I tied them up in a handkerchief, and as I rode home I met Sergeant Neville. He asked me to give up the things,, and I handed the bundle over to him. Mr Drury asked the Sergeant to open the purse, but he refused to do so. He went up to the body and I came to town. The deceased was 35 years of age, a3 near as I can tell. I have a married sister somewhere in Victoria. By the Foreman : lam perfectly certain the body is that of my brother. I recognise him by his size, general build, and by his scarf, for we bought two the same at Gympie. Dr. Morice : I have this day made a post mortem examination of a body pointed out to me as that of the deceased Robert Moorhead. The external surface of the body was much decomposed ; it has been dead some ten or twelve days. There was no external marks of violence that I can trace. I opened the head and chest ; and from what I saw I am of opinion that death resulted from drowning. Alexander J. Hall, constable : I am a relation of the deceased. I have seen the body and identify it as that of Robert Moorhead. Sergeant Neville, in charge of the Cobden station : From information received I yesterday proceeded up to where the body was found. On the road I met Mr Drury, Mr Wise, and a brother of deceased. They told me what they had done, and Moorhead gave me the property taken from the body rapped up in a handkerchief. I rode on, and at the body, in the presence of three witnesses, I opened the purse, and found a nugget, a Ll note a deposit receipt for LIOO, a letter, and other papers. I did not open them, as they were so saturated I was afraid to tear them. I brought them down to the camp. In the evening, in the presence of a 'witness, I opened the pocket-book again, and discovered another deposit receipt for L2OO on a bank in Melbourne, two or three miners' rights, all bearing the name Robert Moorhead ; also tied up in a piece of paper a few grains of gold. I dried these articles and put them away in my desk. By my order a couple of boatmen went up at once and brought the body to Cobden. Arthur Ellis, on his oath, stated : I was a mate of Robert Moorhead's, and had been so for about twelve months. We were working at Nelson Creek. I last saw him alive on Easter Sunday morning, the 17th April. He left that morning to go from Nelson Creek to Camptown. He went to see a friend just arrived from Victoria. I found from enquiries I made that he left Camptown and went to the Ahaura. He was seen going up there from the foot of Nelson Creek. He was riding a horse he borrowed from a baker. I have been told the horse was dangerous, and would lie down in water. I have ridden the horse myself, and knew that he was dangerous in that way. We (my mates and myself) never knew anything more about deceased since he went away. On Thursday, the 21st April, the horse was found with the saddle and bridle on. A large party went in search of deceased on Saturday and the followiug days. As many as 80 or 100 men were out looking for deceased at one time. On Friday, after the horse was found, Constable Paul and 1 went out. We never heard anything more about the deceased. I heard the list of property read found by Sergeant Neville on deceased. I cannot say that the prisoner had more money on him than what was found— in fact, I don't know what money he had. The deceased was much liked, and had no quarrel with anyone that I know of. In going from Nelson Creek to the Ahaura he would have to cross the Ahaura River. The river was not high if deceased crossed at the proper ford. Deceased did not know the road at all. The jury, through the Foreman, said they thought the medical evidence was conclusive as to the cause of death, and returned a verdict of " Found Drowned."