INQUEST AT TE KUITI.

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 102, 15 October 1908, Page 5

INQUEST AT TE KUITI.

An inquest was held at Te Kuiti on Thursday evening last on the body 'of J. C. Meyer, who was found drowned in the Mangaokewa river the previous day.' Mr J. B. Teasdale, coroner for the district, presided. Constable Mathew detailed the circumstances leading to the search, and the finding of the deceased in the water. Peter Beck gave evidence as to finding the bo.dy and bringing it to the river bank. The man was quite dead and had evidently been in the water for some time. Peter Keenan deposed to having had a conversation with Meyer on the Wednesday moring. Meyer seemed peculiar in his manner, and made a remark to the effect that unless his horse was put in the river he would go in himself. Witness attached no significance to the remark, until he heard Meyer was missing, when he communicated with Constable Mathew. William McKay, a friend of deceased's stated that Meyer had been suffering from an attack of influenza, and had been somewhat depressed. He knew of nothing that would be likely to cause deceased to make av/ay with himself. After hearing the evidence the jury returned a verdict of "Found drowned, there being no evidence to show how deceased got into the river."