Inquest.

Manawatu Herald, 28 January 1897, Page 2

Inquest.

The Coroner. Mr Thyone, held an inqueet yesterday morning at the Court House on the death o! Leonard Cole. Messrs Cummerfield, Ahem, Barripon, Bradcock and Gray were the jury, and Mr Gray was chosen foreman. - The following evidence was ta'ren : Ernest Falkoer, being Bworn, said — 1 am a labourer residing in Foxton ; on last Wednesday the 20th I was down the river at a place known as Hartley's bend, at which there was a picnic party ; I was in a' boat with deceased when we arrived at the spot named ; we were asked to take some of the excursionists for a I row, wbioh we did; and on returning we tied, the boat up to astak&snd left it and walked down the beach ; some boys got into the boat and broke the rope and they jumped out and let the boat drift to the opposite, the northern shore ; we were waiting for the return of the steamer Sunbeam to get her boat to go after ours ; the deceased getting impatient said he would swim across, and I asked him if he was- sure he could; he said he was certain, he could swim three times the distance ; be stripped and put on a pair of bathing trunks and swam towards the opposite shore. He was able to walk four of five chains and then commenced to swim, and he swam down the river with the current about two chains when he went down ; 1 did not see him rise again ; some little time after seeing him Jack Howan and myself stripped and swam across the river and walked down to where I had seen deceased sink ; we could not see anything of him, so we got the boat and crossed the river and dressed ; I told his brother Arthur, who is living down there about the accident, and then came on up town and told Constable Gillenpie ; it would be about half-past five when the deceased entered th^e river to swim across; the deceased was a very good swimmer; there was a very, heavy sea running in the river, but the water was warm. John Russell Whyte, being sworn, said — I knew the deceased. I was on the beach yesterday afternoon and found the body on the seashore, about half a mile above the beacons. I immediately went to Mr Seabury's and asked him to telephone to Constable Gillespie. I handed the body over to William Collins, who had brought his dray. Edwin Cole, being sworn, said — I am a fishmonger living at Palmerston. I am the father of the deceased. He was 25 years of age, and was a fisherman at the mouth of the Manawatu River. I am eati«fied that the cause of death wag accidental. He was unmarried, and as .far as I know he was in good health. The jury immediately found a verdict that deceased was accidentally drowned in the Manawatu River on the 20th instant. »,