All Island Tragedy.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 February 1922, Page 4

All Island Tragedy.

THREE INDIANS SITE OCA TED

AUCKLAND, Eeb. 13

Writing from Suva, on February 7th the “Herald’s” correspondent says:—A seusdtion was caused last week at Nnvua when three dead Indians were discovered on board a five-ton auxiliary cutter called the Hose, owned by Mungal Singh, of Serna,. The Hose arrived at Nayun on Friday morning from Serna. Sire disembarked some passengers including Hatu Aseri, chief of Serna. She lay anchored within 50 yards of Pillay Brothers’s store. On Friday night heavy rain fell. The local police noticed tat the Ho.se showed no riding light on Saturday or Sunday night. The inspector was informed, and gave instructions that the captain he found and summoned. The constable could find no trace of him ashore, so he went off to the boat. Here he found everything silent and apparently deserted. The vessel had a hold, but no cabin. The tarpaulin lay over the hatch. Prying about he lifted one end of the tarpaulin a,nd a section ot the hatch coper and peered lielow. To his horrer a dead man lay on his hack staring open-mouthed up at him. Hastily making for his boat the. policeman got ashore. The Sub-Inspector came off and stripped tire hatch cover off. There lying on the floor of the hold, which was 10ft by 12ft by 4ft din deep, lay Mfmgal Singh and two Indians all dead. THe vessel was towed along side the hospital landing. Dr Ogilvie arrived at 8 o’clock the next morning and post-mortem examinations were held and then an enquiry. It is believed that to avoid the heavy rain the men got below, ‘pulling the tarpaulins over the hatch as they dropped the cover, thus shutting off any chance of ventilation. The benzine engine was beside them in the hold, and its tumes had evidently overpowered them, and the exhausted air suffocated them. Such was the Magistrate's finding. There were no marks of violence on the bodies. The incident created considerable excitement.