INQUEST.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 December 1924, Page 4

INQUEST.

BODY IDENTIFIED. Git T.YMOT’I 11. December 3

By tla' mending of the socks. a pair of lleeey lined underpants and a pair of boots, Mrs I). Mason. ol Kanieri. this morning identified the body lying at the Morgue, Imind by two lads at the North Tip on Sunday, as that of her husband, David Mason, a middle-aged man who disappeared from Kanieri on D-lolier |.‘l last. A

suggestion tliat deceased had commit led .suicide was made in the iuque.sl proceedings, del eased being describee by bis wife, as a mail with a despondent nature.

lln the evidence available yesterday the I’olii o believed that the body was that of Orlcv. the fireman from the steamer Titoki. who has been missing since May Hi. .Mr.s .Mason's examination of the belongings, However. quite dispels that and the question to be ib'' ided is w bother Mrs Mason’ -v» idenoe can T- ioi rohoret"d. \II lii.pic t na , in Id lln . .«*(••! """II l.\ Mr \Y. Mcldriim. Coroner. Frederick Kgglcton said lie was at tb" North Tip on November .‘lO at about S p.m. in company with another man when lie saw the body ol a dead man lying on the shingle hanks. He immediately <■ 111 n 11111 i< : 1 11 with the polo e.

('mi'-l able Hail'd of Col'dcn. via coiiveveil the hndv to the .Morgue

also gave evidence. .Mrs X ova Mason. rcsidin;: at Kanieri said that on October 18 last her liiishand, David Ala-mi. left home anil had mil heen heard of since, lie seemed then to he in his usual stale of heallli. When he went out Ihe gale he said he would In* back shortly, lie h.-ii I previously absented himself from home hut had never ] icvionsly eon tcm pin tcd suicide, although he was inclined to despumlencv at times.

When lie left home he wa.s Wearing brow n socks and nailed hoots. The seeks she saw this illuming she identified as those of her hn.shainl. She knew them by her mending on them. She enilld also identify the hoots and the underpants were the same as those her hushand wore when he left Inline. Her husband was about -IS years of age.

Detective-Sergeant A'niiug said that if any further evidence of identification was required by the (V.i'uner, it could he obtained from a man who worked at Lit lie's hoot shop in Hokitika. This man stated that he had repaired Air Allison’s hoots there and had inserted a crescent-shaped piece on the side of the tee of one of them. This piece corresponded with a ei'eseeiil-shaped piece oil the hoot found on the man. The Coroiiei intimated that i. would he as well to make sure of the identification and accordingly the inquest was adjourned until the evidence of the hoot repairer could ho obtained from Hokitika.