News of the Day.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 338, 4 January 1866, Page 2

News of the Day.

THE RECENT DROWNING CASE. DISCOVERY OF ONE OF THE BODIES. i On Monday last, Ist January, and just fourteen days after the fatal occurrence attending the embarkation of the last portion of H.M.'s 70th Regfc. one of the bodies of the four ill-fated men who met their deaths by the swamping of a boat, -was discovered by an aboriginal native on the beach of the Western Spit, near the spot that was the scene of the wreck of the Royal Bride. Information of the fact having been brought to town, a boat was despatched for the remains, which were brought into town and deposited at the Commercial Hotel, -with the view of holding a Coroner's iuquest on the following day. With the exception cf the head, which was entirely denuded of flesh, the body had not suffered much mutilation. The clothing, too, was sufficiently well preserved fop purposes of identification. But, besides this, there were certain indelible marks imprinted or tatooed in the left arm, these being two branches crossed, enclosing a heart (red), a crown, and the national emblems of rose, thistle, and shamrock, together with certain letters entwined ;—this being in every way sufficient to identify the body as that of Private J. Warrington, who is further described as a native of Manchester, sft. 6in. high, and 36years of age —of the correctness of which there is "no room to* doubt. THE INQUEST. An inquest was held at the Commercial Hotel on the 2nd December, on the body of a private soldier of the 70th regiment, before T. Hitching* Esq., Coroner, and the following jury ■—J j/ 9 Quesne (foreman), R. Holt, J. H. Baldwin T Symes, J. Hartley, H. Kraeft, J. Campbell 'w* Crosse, J. Murphy, J. Hayden, P. Searles, & Watt. ' The following was the evidence— Charles Stone deposed-—I am a Sergeant in the Commissariat Staff. I remember the 18th December, the day of the embarkation of troops on board the Eclipse. My duty was to check the number of men in each boat in order afterwarda to check the boatmen's bills, as they were paid by (lie number of men they took out. Ido not know whose duty it was lo embark and disembark the troops. It is no part of my duty to see that a boat is not overloaded, and I have no experience to enable me to judge. I saw the boat in which the accident occurred leave the shore. I cannot say whether it was overloaded or not* Capt. Roger went into the boat. He was the last man to go in. I did not hear him make any remark about the boat being overloaded. There were eighteen men, one officer, and two boatmen As soon as the boat started my attention was engaged by another. After Capt. Roger came back I heard him say that none of the men were drunk. If any had been I think I should have seen them Ido not know whether the day was fit or unfit ' John Thomas Tylee deposed : I am in charge of the Commissariat department. I remember the occurrence of the 18th ult. I S aw the departure of all the boats. It did not strike me that any of the boats were overloaded. I took six men out of Enright's boat, but that was because they were drunk and persisted in sitting on the gunwale. My impression of the men in the boat in question is that they were not drunk. It is not necessary that un officer should go in each boat. He may go in any boat winch lie may think proper. Capt. Roger was one of the last to enter the boat. I sent fifteen men down to the boat. Capt. Roger then went in and I believe he said there wa3 room for more. At all events more went in. The sea, when f saw it early in the morning, was perfectly calm, but it had risen very much before the accident occurred. The tide was also running out very strongly. lam not qualified to say whether any one was to blame or not. I have heard that Cap*. Fremantle held a survey on the boat and decided* that it was capable of carrying more men than there were in her at the time of the accident. H. Kraeft deposed : lam Assistant Pilot I remember the 18th December and the accident that took place on that day. I was out in the roadstead with another boat at the time. There was a strong tide running out, and the wind was blowing from the N.E,—right against it. The boat Esk had two boatmen on board. She was as well manned as most of the others. She would have been better for a steer oar. She got into the tide and wa* swamped. I consider that it was purely accidental, and that no one was to blame. My boat was near enough, but too full lorender any assistance. By a jnry man.—They had drifted out of the proper course. Another juryman:—Did the boatmen jump out with the oars when the boat was swamped ?—I could not see what they did, as the sea was eo high, and there was so much confusion. In answer to another question :—I saw three men go down. I was near enough to. speak to them. One man followed my boat for some distance, and at last told me that he couldnot swim any longer. I told him a boat was coming, and that he would be picked up. He was afterwards saved. This closed the evidence, and the jury, withoui retiring, found a verdict of ".Found Drowned."

FtrsTEEAi, of Private Warrington.—On the evening of Tuesday last, tho mortal remains of Private James Warrington, 70th Eegiment, were interred with military honors in the cemetery. Barrack-hill^ I—the 1 —the Bev. Dr Say well reading the impressive burial service of the Church of England. Tho body, which was too far advanced in decomposition to admit of its being carried, was conveyed to the burial ground in a light car, the property of Mr Hope. The funeral procession, which was very large, and composed of both civilians and soldiers, was preceded by the band of the 12th Begt, playing tho J>ea«d March.

Wairoa.— The following extract from a private letter, dated 27th December, and having reference to the recent engagement in the above district, has been kindly, placed at our disposal:—“ The 25th December, 1865, was one of the most gloomy days I recollect having passed for many a long day. Ator about one p.m. (when we should have been sitting down to our Chhristmas dinners) the fighting began ; and, from that hour till dark, a continued rattling of musketry was heard. lam not in a position to give you a detailed account of proceedings, but I can say this much—that poor Captain Hussey, of the Taranaki corps, was shot dead, the bullet passing through his heart. Two Military Settlers were wounded—one through his side, and the other in the arm. Another poor fellow, named Wi.liam Christy, a half-caste, was mistaken, while wrestling through the scrub, for a Hau-hau, and shot by one of.Kopu’s men. At three this morning our forces were up and doing ; and from that time up to this hour (I p.m.) a perpetual firing has been kept up. Vie in the township cannot tell as yet what the result is, but fear the worst. The Hau-hau losses are put down as ranging from 12 to 15 killed ; —the number of the wounded nobocy knows. The place where the fighting is going on is some six miles from the township ; and the firing can be heard distinctly in the latter place. I may state that the Stockade is garrisoned by 24 Military Settlers.” Prize Firing-. —We would remind those interested that firing for the annual Government Prizes commences on Monday next, at the Old Rifle Range. (See advertisement.) Almanacs roe 1866.—We have to acknowledge receipt of hull’s Wellington Almanac for the year 1866. This really creditable publication is now in the fourth year of its existence, and is issued from the office of the New Zealand Advertiser. It contains a very neatly-executed steel engraved map of the City of Wellington, together with a large variety of useful information, which, its low price (Is 6d) considered, will, we feel assured, procure for it an extensive circulation.—"We have also to acknowledge receipt of a very neat little sheet almanac, issued from the office of the Nelson Examiner, and compiled for the meridian of Nelson. Capture. —We have received information that, last evening, Corporal Suilivan, of the Waipawa Police Force, brought into Town the three men, (third mate and two sailors) who deserted the ship Strathallan on the night of her arrival from England ; also 4 deserters from the 14th Regt. Eclipse op the Moon.— From the Nelson Almanac, 1866, we learn that there will be a total eclipse of the moon on the 24th and 25th September, visible in New Zealand. The Holidays. —Monday last, the Ist instant, was devoted to pleasure by large numbers. The centre of attraction was Meanee Flats, where the picnic, provided year after year, by the Eev, Father Reiguier, came off. W e were promised seme account of the proceedings, but it had not come to hand up to the hour of our going to press. . -Postal.—We would draw the attention of those interested to the fact of the day of departure for . H* e Wairoa mail having been altered from Monday, at 11‘45 a.m., to Tuesday, at 11 a.m.