Inquest.

Manawatu Herald, 29 April 1902, Page 2

Inquest.

An iaquest was held yesterday by the Coroner, E. S. Thynue, Esq., on the death of Qharles Davis, the fire* mao of the s.s. Queen of the South, who fall into the river on Saturday when stepping from the wharf'to the steamer. Mr Wanklya was cbesen foreman of the jury, the other jurors being W. Alzdorf, E. Watson, E. E. Smith and A. R. Osborne. . The evidence was very brief, conlisting only of that of Mr Aadrew Tonson and Constable Kidd, who were close bye at the time of the accident. Neither saw the man fall over but both heard a splash,.and looking over the wharf saw the deceased’s head, and hands under water. He never*rose. The body was found at mid-day On Sunday about 20 feet off the whan and the same distance down stream. < The jury immediately brought in a verdict of accidentally drowned, and added a rider calling the attentionof the Government to the need 0! providing life-saving appliances on the wharf. The deceased was married and leaves a widow and six children. The body was despatched yesterday afternoon to Shannon to catch the down train to Wellington, where the funeral was to be held to-day. "He gives twice,who gtveth quickly,'* was pleasantly illustrated on Saturdays when Mr George Coley initiated a subscription list to help the family in their trouble, and before the steamer left he was able to hand Mr Signall £*s tor the widow. The amount collected by ten o’clock on Saturday night was over £SO- -