Inquest at Levin.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 24 April 1915, Page 2

Inquest at Levin.

On Thursday afternoon an inquest was lit'ld at tlie Courthouse, L,evin ; by Mr W. C. -Nation, coroner, on the body of Andrew Davis, who was drowned in tin- Oliau river on Wednesday. The following evidence was tiiken :-- George Melville Hiirlinson deposed: J am the manager of the Hoys' Training r/aiin. Weraroa. Yesterday morning, nljont 8 o'clock, 1 received word from Lieutenant O'Donohue that one of the senior cadets at camp on Mr Kebbell's property at. Ohau, had been drowned. The inmate referred to was Private Andrew James Davis. 15 years of age. a lad committed from Invoreargill. The boy was committed on 20th June. ]{)13. Aβ soon as possible I went to the camp and ascertained thai" the hody had not been recovered. To Constable Jlagrio: No boys are allowed to Lathe in the river without permission of one of the officers in the ramp. Tn this ease the officer in charge of the hoy who went to wash —Carpenter Hinton --informs me that permission was not give to bathe. The boy« wore not to go into the water. Edward Hinton deposed: T am employed at the Boys' Training Farm. Wei-aroa, as carpenter attendant. During the. last week T have been employed Liiilding a camp for the senior cadets belonging to the Training Farm, near the bank of the Ohau river, about a mile and a half lower than Mr Kebbell's homestead. On Wednesday morning. April 21st. T had .some hoys to give me a hand with a stove into the -new cook shop, and the deceased was one of the lads. This would he about 6.30 a.m. All the other "boys were at this time further up the river in charge of Mr O'Donohue. I gave the hoys assisting me permission to go to the river and have a good wash and told them not to get into the water proper. They knew what I meant. Tt is a rule at camp time for the attendant to go into tlfe water with the boys when they are granted permission to swim. Ten minutes or a quarter of an hour after, a hoy named George Young came to the staff dining-room •!oor and said that Davis was in the river. T looked at the lad and saw there was something behind what he said. Then he remarked "T think he ■s in difficulties." T ran to the bank. about a chain and a half away, and all that T could see of T)nvies was the crown of his head in the water about "fty yards down the river. He apoeared to be in a vertical position, and there was no movement ot his limbs as he floated down the river. T undressed and sent a boy for a 7-ope. and also ■mother to fetch a boat from Mr Duncan, about a mile away. T entered the water as quickly as possible and searched at the place where T saw the liead of the lad. T was in the wate- , 'early fifteen minutes. The water cold and dirty, and I could not sothe bottom of the river. Mr Duncan oaine about twenty-five minutes after. 1 sent the hoy with the message and he brought his boat and a net. T got into t)iv boat with him and we rowed ■ind dragged and probed to a distance of what Mr Duncan called the "bar" of the river. He thought that the body would not go further than thai, we returned, to the spot where it was said that Davis entered the water. ' > bottom of the river is full <• snags, and the net was torn in on: work. Tliis morning (22nd) Mr Dim•an came again to search for tne body over the same track. A boy came t<me and said Mr Duncan wanted m, again at the scene of the accident. "When T got in the boat T asked MiDuncan. "Have yon s-en him?" T-T<-replied. "Yes. he is down here." whi'-ii would be about five or six yards below •where I saw him go down. The botlv was in about three feet of water on tlm side nearest Mr Kobhell's land. Tim river was about two feet lower than the day before. I assisted Mr'Duncan to get the body to the shore, and after washing the body we placed it in blankets and quilts, and left two hoys in charge, fhen notified the manager. The hody was in a nude condition, j. little blood was issuing from the mouth, but there were no marks. T saw fhe deceased last Sunday "and he appeared to be a strong swimmer. Hc< was of good physique. am ] wns not snl) _ ject to fifs to my knowledge. When found, (bo arms were bent and the finger* wep<. touching; the toes xrp.vc also bent. My opinion is that the lad had a seizure of cramp owing to the water being so cold. Samuel Breeze deposed: j am an inmate of the Roys' Training Farm, and nm in camp doing cadet drill with a number of other boys from Die Farm. T knew (he deceased (Davis). Tester day ..morning T went with Trim to the river to Hash, about 6.30. Three other boys were with us. Davis walked into Hie river up to his knees and started washing. He said. "T can swim." T answered "T can swim, hut not good enough to go in there." He had taken ail his clothes off and he then dived and swam across -flic river. He sat on the opposite bank for about ten minutes. This wns fully fifty yards across. The hoy Parkinson' cnlled out "How are you going to get haok?" Davis said "HI got back all right," and dived in again and took the river at an angle down the stream. I saw him plainly, and he swam to about ten yards from the bank I was standing upon. T saw him stop swimming, put up his hands and g o down. I thought he was trying to touch bottom. He was groaning. He came up again and sank a second time with one hand "P. He came up a third time and sank again. . T saw his head down to the shoulders and called out, "Try and come over here anFF T will pull you out." He did not answer, ami ho floated down the river, only the crown <>f his head showing One of the boys Ooniiff) went to inform the attendant I think Davis was wrong i n going in for a swim without an attendant and

permission

The coroner returned n verdict of accidentally drown while Dathing.