Inquest.

Manawatu Herald, 3 April 1900, Page 3

Inquest.

An inquest on the death of the late Thomas Edwards was held by the Coroner, E. S. Thynne, Esq., yesteruay morning, at the deceased's late residfltace hi Moutoa. ' Messrs Richard Rees, Duncan Campbell, Robert Urwick, John Albin _ Smith, and Robert W. Morris were *^ the jury, of which Mr Campbell was chosen 5i rman.' The foiling evidence was given :— John Victor Burr deposed— l knew the deceased ; the last time I saw him alive was last Sunday week between 2 and 3 o'clock in the afternoon, under the willows on the river bank opposite section 53. the property of the^deceased; he was bailing a canoe out to cross the river in ; I saw him get into the canoe and he started to cross the river and when he had got a quarter of the way across the current caught the < canoe and tnrned it round towards the bank; he made another attempt with the same result ; the canoe was earned down the river into the eddy and she there filled with water and turned bottom up ; while the canoe was upsetting the deceased slipped out into the water and caught the bottom of the canoe, and he then appeared to push the canoe from him and to swim to shore, which was only a few yards distant ; as the deceased got near to the shore, swimming, the eddy caught him out away from the shore ; he appeared then to sink all of a sudden, and I never saw him rise again ; he appeared to be fully dressed with the exception of his coat; MrFred-Easton j was with me; I had called from the other sideof the river, prior: to deceased attempting to cross, for a canoe, and in reply the deceased came down ; I made no effort to assist the deceased ; the river was in flood, and I was not good enough swimmer to tackle it. ; -Frederick Spencer Easton deposed— I knew the deceased and I was with the last witness on Sunday week on the bank of the Manawatu river ; I h&e heard the evidence given by the ' last witness and it is correct ; I made no effort to assist as I cannot swim. | Robert Edwards deposed— l am the eldest son of the deceased, and I have seen the body viewed by the jury and ; identify its being the body {of my i father ; I was not present at the acci- i dent but have since Tuesday searched fatthe body, excepting Saturday \ Straday whilst in the boat with my j brother Arthur I {oundthe body about three-quarters of a mile below the scene of the accident floating amongst some timber ; we secured it and brought it up to where it now lies ; when found the body was fully dressed * with the exception of hat and coat ; I noticed no bruises; I am that he met his death by drowning; the deceased was born in Wrexham, Wales, and was seventy years of age ; he is possessed ot some property. ■ The jury immediately returned a Verdict that the deceased Thomas j Edwards was drowned in the Manawatu river at Moutoa on Sunday afternoon, the 25th March last.