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Inquest

An inquest touching the death of lames Alexander Campbell, whose body was found floating in the river, vas held at the Foxton Courthouse on rupsday dinning, Captain Mowlem f Palmerston off $ acting as coronerThe following jury wore empanelled : —P. Hennessy (foreman), S. Wilson, J. Dpyle, A. Speirs, A. McKay, and }. kum Evidence' iVas called as foJW. s^ Louis Siefe'ft,' riu'li-'oW’rie'L ftt tane, deposed : Od. /tify last at ibout 4.30 p.m, we wefd p'Uttih# rjP across the river, which was faiflv nigh. 1 wanted to cross the river myself, and instructed deceased (Campbell) who was an engine-driver at mv mill, to pill me across in a cage we had tor the purpo'sd.- When about half-way across 'he water sfctfted to touch the cage, and seeing I cotfld not get across without difficulty I signalled to deceased to draw me’ back again. EviJenfcly did not See me signalling, for he continued putting iflef over Until the cage went under the water. When he noticed the cage partly submerged, he topped the engine, and ran out ot the mill. I called to deceased to bring out a boat, which he attempted to do, bdt As there was a fairly strong current running, he Cduld not reach me in the of the stream. I then told him to get to the other side of the river and get more assistance. When he reached there, two others, Leslie and Evans, got into the boat, and the three pulled up Stream close to the batili 1 ftp hast the wire rope 'which Wdrifdd tfe &tgd fl-enss the river. They then made for ms m the cage, and had almost me when I attempted to board die P o * l * but just then the boat seemed lO shdPt away femn me,, and I remained in the cage. Thd boat seemed to slew round sharply under the wire. Two of the men in the boat (Leslie and Evans) hung on to the wire rope, but Camp bell did ridt; When I looked round, Campbell vvde hi the Water. The boat seemed to go from Under the othertwo men, who were hanging Ori tO the rope. I called out to deceased to catch hold ot the boat, which he did, but owing to the boat being waterlogged she turned right over, and floated down the river. Campbell abandoned the boat then and attempted to swim ashore on the millside. I noticed him for a few moments afterwards. Do not think he could swim. Darkness was coming oyer, and I could see no more of deceased. The width Of river was about 100 yards at the place Ot mishap. There were two or three men on the bank, but do not think any of them could swim. Deceased was a perfectly sober and reliable man. The man on the rope and himself got to the bank hand over hand. Never saw deceased §mce until I was called to identify his body that day. Deceased had been working for ms about two and a halt years. Cross-examined by Foreman: The boat used was a big one, and properly handled, was perfectly safe. John Evans deposed: I have seen the bodv lying at the boatshed and identity it as that of Campbell. Was one of the men who got into the boat with Campbell on 29th July last to go to the assistance of Mr Sietert. We pulled up the river close to the bank. When we thought we were far enough up, we stood out for the cage in which Mr Sietert was. When we got there, Mr Sietert tried to get into the boat, but at that moment the current carried her under the wire, the boat having filled. Leslie and myself caught the wire, but by some means Campbell was swept out qr fell out of the b iat. Myself and Leslie were hanging on to the wire facing upstream, and before we next saw deceased, he must have been two or three chains down the river. Saw him sink once, and saw him no more.

James William Leslie, deposed: I was one of the persons who got into the boat to assist Campbell to relieve Mr Siefert from the cage. I have heard the evidence of both Mr Sieferc and Mr Evans, and can corroborate same in every detail. While hanging on to the wire, saw deceased only once in the water, when he appeared to sink. He appeared to me to be unable to swim. We were all on good terms with Campbell, and we were all perfectly sober. The mishap was a pure accident. Edwin James Whitehouse, constable stationed at Foxton, deposed that at 7.30 this (Tuesday) morning, Mr Frank Lawton informed him that the body of a man was floating in tl'.e Manawatu river. I went round to the bank above the wharf to meet the body, when I saw the boat “Matara” coming down the stream towing the body, which was drawn ashore by Constable Lander, Mr Jonson, and myself. We searched the clothes on the body, finding a silver-lever watch and chain attached (which had stopped at four o’clock), a glass match-box, a knife, a key, and 6s 6d in silver. I then instructed Mr Jonson to make a temporary coffin, in which we placed the body and removed it to the boatshed. I took possession of deceased’s property mentioned above. This was all the evidence, and the jury tound the following verdict: — “That on July 29th, 1905, at Rangitane, in the Manawatu River, the deceased, James .Alexander Campbell, was accidentally drowned by tailing out of a boat while trying to rescue Louis Siefert from the cage used for crossing the river, during the time the river was in flood, and no blame is attachable to anyone.” The body was taken to Hastings by train on Wednesday for interment

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MH19050928.2.7

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3578, 28 September 1905, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
977

Inquest Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3578, 28 September 1905, Page 2

Inquest Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3578, 28 September 1905, Page 2

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