FINDING THE BODY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 9 September 1890, Page 2

FINDING THE BODY.

On Thursday forenoon, the wen working on the railway line observed what appeared to be the boots of a man sticking up above the water at about three quarters of a tni'e below the bridge. Mr Whitakerjun, the permanent way contractor, sent one of his bands round to see what it was, and he conld see that it was the body of a man. He called Mr McGonigle, who got over the snng to which the body appeared to be fixed, and fastened it by the 'egs to the river bank. Mr Gallachan then went to Woodvillo for Constable Treanor, who, with the assistance of Messrs McGonagle, Taggart, Cole and others got the b dy on the bank. The coat was buttoned up tightly nnd round the neck and p; rt of th<> right shoulder was a leather satchel containing a large stone weighing about 191bs. The stone was too large to allow the bag to be closed on it. The body was searched by Constable Treanor. On'y 2s Id in cash was found on it The watch had stopped at 4 o'clock Tliero was n<> etters or p-ipeis on tho body. It rather looks asifWa'ton had gone into tho water near where he was foun'J. The weight of tho at^ne would prevent the body rising at the usual tare. It seems a* if the letters previously found had been taken out of the I) aor and thrown into the water at the thno the stone w-ia put in. The b"dy does »ot appe rto have gone far from whore Walton went into tho river and was probably floating down with the current when caught by tho snag. The body was in n good state of pie 1 Borvation and bore no bnrses of any kind. Pons'alt'e Troanor and tlio-o who had assisted him had a terrible piece of work to g-t the body up tho bank. They had a stretcher made and CArrie'l it to a carpenters shed on tin 1 railway line at this side of the bridge In tho evening Dt Davenport made a detailed exnmina 1 tion. Curiously enough the body wns found just a little below the place where Messrs P. ters are reported to have seen the ghost or apparition. Messrs Peters are however positive lit was Walton himself they saw, i the idea being that ho had been I seized with delirium when riding 'through the G"rge and had rushed into the bush and wandered about, and that on that night he had come out and Messrs Petem saw him at the telegraph post in th« attitude of a surveyor working his hands as if h« imagined ihe po3t a theodolite and was signalling directions to chainmen. Then th the got into the rivar at that v«-ry place, and so had been found whera he went ; n. We giro this idea for what it is worth but confess wo cannot off' r any explanation of the ghost story. Messrs Peters saw Bomo one, but

fyiafc it was Walton himealf ia moat improbable, and that it wai someone I acting the ghost is also unlikely.