THE INQUEST.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1240, 2 May 1914, Page 3

THE INQUEST.

An inquest in connection with the death of Mr Teviotdale was held before Mr Alf. Fraser, District Coroner, this morning, when the following evidence was adduced : Frederick Arthur Morgan, 10 years of age, stated that in company with his cousin and sister he went down to the river on Friday morning. He got into his uncle’s boat and was kneeling on the back seat when the other boy gave the .boat a push. It was chained to the shore and the jerk caused witness to fall into the river. He called out and Mr Teviotdale came running down and into the water to where witness was. Witness tried to get on his back but could not quite manage it. They both went under the water and then Mr Edwards came ou* and got hold of them. The three of them went under the water and when witness came to the surface be was on Mr Edwards’ shoulders. A boat was then alongside and witness was helped into it. He did not see Mr Teviotdale again. The boy in the boat held Mr Edwards alongside by the wrists and witness paddled the boat into the shore. When witness fell into the river he was about 20 feet from the shore. William Guy Edwards, storeman, in the employ of the New Zealand Shipping Company, said * he was working in the shed when he heard a cry and saw Mr Teviotdale running towards the river. A few seconds later he heard some men calling out and rushed down to the river and saw Mr Teviotdale in the water, about 4,0 feet from the shore, with bis arm round the boy. He appeared to be swimming. Witness ran into the water and Mr Teviotdale called out for a boat. Witness saw some men attempting to get a k boat afloat and went on. He got hold of the boy to whom Mr Teviotdale was still clinging and struck out but found that Mr Teviotdale still had hold oftheboy. Witness then realised that Mr Teviotdale was in difficulties and called out for a boat. The boy hung on to witness and in striking out Mr Teviotdale got foul of witness’ legs and they all sank together. Witness did not see Mr Teviotdale alive again. When he came to the surface for the first time the boy was on witness’ shoulders. They sank several times. A boat was brought alongside, the boy Morgan was in it and also another boy. Witness caught hold of the side and the boy in the boat held him by the wrists and the boat was pulled to the shore. Witness was numbed with the cold and could not speak. About an hour later witness saw Mr Teviotdale’s body on the shore when an attempt was being made to restore life. Charles Alfred William Hunt, employed on the dumping machine in the New Zealand Shipping Co’s, shed said at about n o’clock Y he was told that Messrs Teviotdale and Edwards were in the river. He ran down to the water’s edge and saw a boat in which there were two boys and Mr Edwards clinging to the side. One oi the boy 8! was holding Edwards’ hands and the other was attempting to paddle the boat ashore. Witness waded into the water and pulled the boat to the shore. Immediately afterwards in company with another man he went on with grappling irons in search,of Mr Teviotdale’s body. In the first cast the body was recovered. It was only a minute or so after Mr Edwards was got to the shore. From the time Mr Teviotdale was last seen until his body was recovered, only about nine minutes had elapsed. The body was brought to the shore and Dr. Hislop arrived almost immediately and directed operations in an attempt to restore life. These were continued for about £ two hours but without success, r Mr Hunt mentioned that Mr Teviotdale had repeatedly warned boys about playing at the water s edge. This was the second occasion deceased had gone into the water to rescue children at the locality. The Coroner said it was a very sad case, in which a valuable life had been sacrificed when there should have been no occasion for it. He considered the parents of the children who were allowed to

play at the water’s edge were responsible for this death, and they were certainly not doing their duty as parents in allowing their children to play there. The deceased was worthy of every credit for his attempt to save the boy, and he understood this was not the first occasion in which he had risked his life to save another. Mr Edwards’ action in his heroic attempt to save life, by going into the water when two were already struggling, was also worthy of every credit, and he intended to see that bis name was forwarded to the proper authorities for recognition. A verdict was returned that Mr Teviotdale met his death whilst attempting to save a boy from drowning.