Inquest.

Manawatu Herald, 20 August 1903, Page 3

Inquest.

An inquest on the body of Thomas H. Hill, who was drowned near Oroua Bridge on Sunday last was held at the Courthouse; Foxton, - on Tuesday afternoon before Mr Alf. Fraser, Acting-Coroner.

. The following jury. were empanelled :—Messrs A. J. Tozer (foreman), R. Morley, A. Wallbutton, W. Neil and A. Munn.

The following evidence was taken:—

Arthur Grimstone, said he was a farm labourer employed by William Akers at Riverdale; had known deceased for a week ; he was engaged as a farm labourer at Mr Akers’; was with deceased on Sunday last mustering cattle; were both on horseback ; about 1.40 p.ra. we came to the Opui Lagoon outlet, which we had to cross; it was in flood ; 1 went across first, and had great difficulty in getting across; my horse was swimming; after I had crossed deceased attempted to cross, but his horse did not swim well and turned to go towards the lagoon; he pulled on the horse’s head and she sank and then came up again ; deceased then threw up his arms and went backwards off the horse ; I called out to him to catch hold of the stirrup leather, but he did not attempt to do so ; he struggled to get over, but did not make any headway at all; he seemed to be carried up towards some rubbish which had collected in the stream; then he gave a sort of half cry and half gasp and sank; I did not see him again until his body was recovered by the police on the 17th inat; it would be about three minutes from the time he entered the water with the horse until he went down; the water was very cold ; I pulled the stirrup leather off my saddle to throw to deceased if he came close enough; if I had gone back with my horse I could not have, done anything. John Maddock said he was a labourer employed at Hickson and Reeve’s mill at Riverdale; on the 16th inat. was about five chains away from the Opui outlet when I heard Grimstone call out; I went there quickly; at first I cquld see nothing; then I saw a hand rise up and also a haversack then it disappeared; I did not see deceased go into the water; there was no boat about the place ; we called to the mill hands to come; the water was deep, and we had no means of dragging or anything to recover the body with; word was sent to the polio© at Palmerston and Foxton at the time of the accident; the stream was running strongly up towards the lagoon. Constable Forster said that at 8.30 p m on the 16bh inst. Mr A Reeve 'reported that a man had been drowned at Riverdale ; I went out with Mr Reeve on Monday morning, and with the assistance of Mr Reeve’s mill hands and Grimstone dragged for the body, which I recovered at 2 p.m. in the centre of the outlet from the lagoon directly on the spot indicated as where deceased was seen to go down ; He was fully dressed with long leather leggings and Blucher boots; searched the body in the presence of the others there and in his pocket found a song book and a circular ; he had a haversack on his back with two loaves of bread in it; knew the deceased; he was blacksmithing here about three months ago ; he was then going under the name of Walter John°tone; from people who knew him and weht to school with him am told he was a son of Thomas Hill who formerly lived at Masterton ; telegrams have been sent to his relatives informing them of his death; had the body brought into Foxton yesterday for the purpose of holding an inquest. The jury brought in a verdict of accidentally drowned while attempting to cross the mouth of the Opui Lagoon outlet on iiorsebaok, and that no blame is attachable to anyone.