AN INOUEST

Hokitika Guardian, 9 April 1927, Page 2

AN INOUEST

An inqiiist was held til the Police

Station ill o'clock yesterday afternoon ioiichino ilie ilt‘:ii'll ol (.'litudo Wiliiain ('loineiitson. whose remains |::ts 1 lii-eii touiiil in the Hokitika river i lie previous afternoon. Mr I). •!. Keans, District ("oroner. presided. Soret. King coiiilucted tile enquiry. "William Arnold Thonipson stated: I reside ill Weld Street, Hokitika. About 1.|.) p.ni. yesterday I notieed the hotly ol

ul ;i i; t:i 11 lion lin >£ ii! i■l > * Hi* 1 breast\\l>:lc in tla: I lokilika river. The body tins mlly elollieil. It tvas Hunting face downwards. I i 11 !■ irni■ •<I the police, did not recognise the hotly. William 11 era id Keller slated : .1 am Ihonsee id Keller - -. Hole). Hokitika. I kmnv the deceased. Claude William ( lenient soil. lie tame to my hotel on l lie niehi ol March I Ith. lie had luggage with him. He stayed at the hotel until March 18th. I had to tell deceased to liud other lodgings. He u eni away, hut left his luggage behind. He came into the hotel oil Sunday. .ilarch 27ili. lie wanted to hortils, offering his tvateh as security. I dei lined. He then left, stating he Would eons■ hack next day and take Id- luggage. IK did not return. I have le t seen him since. Thomas \\ ude>s Hi-inn. sworn, said: I am S.-ereiar;. oi the llos]iiial Hoard at Hokitikt. I I:;iew the deceased for many year- in lies:., i saw the do•eased ahour. three weeks ago. Re wanted linin' v and I gave him some, lie told me h" "as going to Russ and 1 have not seen him alive since. I have seen the Imdy of a man in the morgue. 1 identify the body as that of Claude William Ck lilentSOll. I should say Ills age is about (52 years. Charles .John King, stated: I am Sergeant of Police in charge of Hokitika District. At 1.15 yesterday 1 was called to Gibson’s Quay. 1 there lound the body of a man Heating lace downwards in the water inside the breastwork. 1 recovered it and conveyed it to the morgue. The hotly was fully dressed, including rainproof coat, and hoots laced up. f found no marks of violence on the body. On searching the pockets I found a penny and correspondence dealing with his work as a canvasser for the New Zealand Shopkeepers’ Protection Association. I have also examined the correspondence, but 1 cannot find any evidence to show that deceased contemplated suicide. I should say the body had been in the water for HI days. The body appeared as if it had just Homed to the ser 1 '"'" It was decomposed. but recognizable.

The Coroner stated there was no evidence to show when or how the deceased got into the water, and in tbe circumstances an open verdict would he returned, namely, that Claude AYilliam Clementson bad been found drowned in the Hokitika river on the 711 1 day of April, 1927. This concluded the proceedings.