INQUEST.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 7 February 1890, Page 2

INQUEST.

An inquest was held at the Court House on Wednesday at half past eleven a.m. by the Coroner, on the drowning accident in the Manawatu river. The following were the jury: — William Coe(foreman) W.C.S. Levers, James MacAlister, Henry Andrews, William G. Robinson and Alphonse Du Temple. After the jury had been sworn they proceeded to view the body of the deceased, Thomas John Spring, lying at Hunter's Hotel. On returning the following evidence was taken :— George Philpots deposed that he was bathing with the deceased, on Tuesday afternoon about half past four in the Manawatu river, at a spot called "the bend " just before the " Long Reach " commences. That as he was swimming he heard Arthur Stansell call out, and returning he saw the deceased struggling in the water. He swam up to him, but was unable to keep keep him up, and sank twice with him, the last time he came up he was much exhausted and lost sight of the deceased. The deceased could not swim much. He believed there would be about 14 feet of water in the hole that deceased sank in Arthur Stansell deposed that he was also bathing with deceased and the last witness, and whilst swimming heard the deceased call out "George "and he appeared to be struggling. He swam to his assistance and tried to push him towards the shore. Phillpots came up and he (the witness) tried to catch the deceased's other arm, but owing to his struggling so much, could not He saw both Philpots and the deceased sink twice. On the second time he sung out to Mr Levers, but when he arrived there was no sign of the deceased. He must have got out of his depth. The deceased started undressing the same time as the witness did, and he said he could not swim. James MacAlister deposed that on Tuesday night he was in the boat when he body was found about half past e ht. It was in the water at the spot mentioned by first witness, and the water was about fourteen feet deep and about seven or eight rds from the shore. The body which he had seen was in the same condition as when found, and the bruises on the face he believed had been made by the sounding pole of grappling iron, as it was same side of the face that came up first George Amos Tapp said that he searched with others for the body and that It was found in the river at the spot mentioned . In sounding he found that the bank of the river ran shallow till at a distance of eight or ten yards a sudden drop of fourteen feet occured, and it was in this hole that the body was found. Charles Spring deposed that the deceased was his son and he was born on 29 th July 1872. He lived at home. He had no idea but that he met his death purely by accident. The jury immediately brought in a verdict of death by drowning.