DROWNING FATALITY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5192, 17 October 1927, Page 2

DROWNING FATALITY.

WAIKINO RESIDENT THE VICTIM. OPEN VERDICT BY CORONER. The Ohinemuri River took its toll of another victim during the weekend the person being Mr Ralph Johnstone, a married man with two grown-up children, residing on Rahn Road about one and a half miles on the Paeroa side of Waikino. The body, which was recovered from tiie liver by two Waikino residents early yesterday morning, was brought into the Paeroa morgue, and an inquest was opened before Mr F. E. Flat*', district coroner, at the Courthouse, Paeroa, last evening. The first witness called was Ralph Johnstone, aged 17 years, son of deceased, who said that his father had been night engine-cleaner at the Victoria’ Battery, Waikino, for some years. Deceased also owned a small faim on Rahu Road, which was worked by witness, his mother, and sister. Deceased came home at 11 o’clock on Friday morning as usual. Later he went back to the battery, saying he was going to collect his wages. Deceased was riding a bicycle. As he did not return home by 4 o’clock on Saturday afternoon the, family got anxious, and witness went to Waikino to make inquiries about his; father. The information received was that deceased had left the battery on Friday at 7.30 p.m. On receiving this information, a man named Wallace informed the police. Witness said his father had lost an eye when young, and was a careful, man on account of his sight being impaired. He had never complained of motor traffic on the roads, whejn cycling, but he usually dismounted when he s;aw a motor vehicle approaching. Leslie Steel, baker, Waikino, said he had known deceased for about six years. On the Friday qvenipg he. was talking to deceased at about 7.30 o’clock. In the course of conversation deceased, who had a bicycle, said he was going home and would be back on shift at 2 o’clock on Saturday morning. He left witneps’ shop wheeling his bicycle, as he had no lamp and the night was dark, with drizzling rain. He was quite sober and appeared normal, in every way, and witness said he had' nevejr known him to be the worse for liquor. Witness was present when the body was recovered from the river that morning. At that point the metalled portion of the road would be about 6ft wide. The bank from the edge of the road dropped about 10ft, while at the water’s edge there was a narrow ledge of solid rock. Deceased had been in hospital at Hamilton for some time, receiving treatment to his eye. Witness had no idea how the fatality had occurred.

Evidence as to the finding of the body was give-n by Robert Armstrong Kinsella, Waikino, who stated that he had known deceased for about six yearsi, and had been speaking with him outside Pivac’s billiard-room, Waikino, on Friday evening. They conversed fdr about a quarter of an hour, and deceased was quite sober. Het remarked to witness that he would have.to fie getting home, and said that as he had no light he would have to push his cycle home. Apart from impaired eyesight he was a healthy man, and had not missed a day’s work on account of illnesst He had never been a heavy drinking man, and only took a glass of beer on rare occasions. Witness said he went out with others early yesterday morning to look for deceased. Probing into a deep pool in the river with a pole, he struck deceased’s bicycle. Hooks were then lowered into the river and the body recovered. The bicycle did not appear tq be damaged. It was quite possible; that deceased had struck the rocky bank before reaching the water. The bank at the spot was almost perpendicular. To the coroner witness said he had never known of deceased having fainting fits or suffering from giddiness. The water where the body was found would be about sft 6in deep. In his opinion deceased had got too close to thq edge of the road off the metal at „the bend and had fallen over the bank, but there were no marks on the bank-face.

Walter W. Little, medical practitioner, Paeroa, said he had viejwed the body at the morgue at mid-day. Deceased had the appearance of being a well-nourished man aged between 45 and 50 years. There was an abrasion behind the right ear, abrasions; on both legs, ahd there were also signs of asphyxia. In his opinion the cause of death was drowning following a blow on the head. Marks showing on the head would be sufficient to stun deceased, and were consistent with a blow received through falling. From the position of the marks they were not likely to have been caused by a motor-car, but were much more probably caused by falling down the! cliff.

Constable J. McClinchy, Paeroa, stated that at 9 o’clock on Saturday night he received a telephone message from the Waihi police advising that deceased was missing. As nothing could be done that night, witness said he went to deceased’s residence early in the morning and made inquiries from Mrs Johnstone He and the son tihen searched. along the riverbank from Rahil Road to about a mile towards Waikino. After proceeding some distance he sent the son away for a spade. He was later joined by a number of Waikino residents, and the search continued down the river. About half a mile from the residence of deceased some newly disturbed ground was investigated, but it proved nothing and the party proceeded back down the river to within about 100 yards of Rahu Road. He examined a deep hole; in the river while Kinsella and another man went to a deep hole a few yards further down. After finding the bicycle, a rope with hooks attached was lowered and the body recovered. At that’ particular locality t(ie road was six yards wide, with i'Vz yards of gravel. The drop down the cliff was from 12ft to 14ft, and at the bottom there was a, ledge of rock about Sin wide and a fsw inches above the water. The body was removed to the morgue. On the person an envelope was found containing a £5 note, three £1 notes. 2s 10s in change, and a pipe, tobacco,

and matches. He had known deceased for about six years, and he waff a hard-working, inoffensive man and highly spoken of throughout the district. The bicycle had been examined and was found to bo undamaged. The bend on the road was a dangeroufc one, and on a dark night it would have been quite possible for deceased with his poor sight to have stepped over the bank. , THE VERDICT. In summing up, the coroner said that it was rather a difficult matter to arrive- at a. verdict in view of the lack of evidence leading to the circumstances as to how deceased got into the river. The verdict, therefore, would be : “That the deceased, Ralph Johnstone, was found drowned in the Ohinemuri River near his home at Karangahake on Sunday, October 16, 1927, but there was no evidence to show by what means or cause he got there.”