WAIROA.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 972, 20 March 1871, Page 3

WAIROA.

Our correspondent's letter has come to hand, hut is imavoiably held over. The following are the notes of the inquest on the late Private Jones, A.C., as forwarded to us by our correspondent ;- Charles Harraer, sworn, deposed : On Friday, 3rd March, I closed my house at 10 p.m., and went to bed. I was aroused by a man named Pope calling out to me "that he wanted some brandy. I opened the front door, when Pope, Long, and Jones came in. I told them I had no small bottles in the bar. Long asked for a large one, which I furnished. Pope then asked Long to get one for him. r gave the second bottle, which Long paid me for. They* had a glass each,, and then left the place. I .<tood at the door a few minutes watching them. They went to the bank of the liver. I heard Pope exclaim, "The canoe is all right; leave that to me ; all we want is the paddles." They all returned and got three pieces of wood for the purpose in my yard. They then went in the dii action of Mr Prentice's house. I concluded they were looking for a canoe. I then locked the door. Pope was sober, but Long aud Jones had been drinking. 1 considered them all three capable of taking care of themselves. Jones told me he would return the borrowed pieces of wood in the morning. Jones had also been served with a bottle.

George Down, sworn, deposed : I found the body of deceased this morning, and sent word at once to the constable. I found it a* the bluff opposite Spooner's, and towed it across to Spooner's, from which place the constable took it.

Thomas Down, sworn, deposed : On Friday last about 9 p.m. I was outside my house, and heard two people talking. I found they were shoving off a canoe (our large one.) I asked them who they were, but got no direct answer. I asked them where they were going. Long said across the river and would be back in three minutes. They paddled up the tivei towards Ralph's landing place. I recognised only Long's voice. I observed that the small canoe had been taken away. When the big canoe had got about a quarter of the way across the river T heard a splashing like some one swimming about opposite Carrol's wheat house. I believe my brother also heard the splashing. He made the remark that some one was enjoying a bathe, I continued to watch the big canoe, and heard them land at Pukitea's whare.

JKerehi, tyeing sworn, deposed : I found the small canoe on Saturday morning, bottom upwards, near the old mission house.

Joseph Long, sworn deposed : I was in company with deceased on the night of 3rd March, between 10 and 11 p.m T left the camp with Pope and Jones about a quarter past ten. We went down the town together till we arrived, opposite Down's, but were previously at Harmer's, where we got two bottles of brandy. Deceased had one bottle and Pope the other. After leaving Harmer's we went to canoes. Deceased got into the small one and commenced paddling over. I said, " Wait a bit, and go over with us in the big canoe." He said, " No, I am right enough in this canoe, lam used to it " ; that is the last I saw of him alive, He started some seven or eight minutes before us. It took us some time to launch the big canoe. T heard no noise while we were pushing off the big canoe. 1 asked deceased several times to come in the big canoe as it was safer. We returned at about 2 a ni. I concluded that deceased had left us on purpose, and was in one of the whares away from us. We landed at Pukitea pa. 1 considered deceased fit to take care of himself, otherwise I should have insisted upon his coming with us. Charles Pope, sworn, deposed : The last I saw of deceased alive was between 10 and 11 p.m. on March 3rd. I had been in his company from shortly before 10 p.m. the fame evening. Long, de ceased, and I went to Harmer's between 10 and 11 p.m, after rousing Harmer up to obtain some brandy, we went down in the direcdon of Prentice's to get a canoe. We found two canoes. Deceased took the smaller one. Long and I took the larger one. Some one called from the bank just as we were starting—saying we might have asked

for the canoe. Deceased started some

sor 6 minutes before us. He took one of the bottles of brandy with him. I asked.him to go with us,,and told him I thought it was much safer in the big canoe. He refused, and I saw and heard nothing more of him.' Verdict:—That deceased came to his death accidentally by drowning.