DEMENTED FIREMAN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2871, 16 April 1925, Page 3

DEMENTED FIREMAN.

BODY RECOVERED FROM. A UCKLAND HA RBOU1?. Auckland, April 14. A body was found in the harbour oil' Queen’s Wharf early this morning. This has been identified as that, of James McMillan, aged 25, a fireman from the steamer Port Augusta, who dived from a crane last Wednesday and was drowned. Richard Barry, a crane driver in evidence at the inquest saifi that about thi'oe o’clock, McMillan climbed up to the cabin of the crane and said: “Lower away the wire.” When witness replied: “It is nut of action,” the man climbed up the jil), then returned to the platform and smoked a cigarette which witness gave him. Witness thought he was demented. He was talking to himself as well as to the men on the wharf and eventually stretched himself on the low rail guard surrounding the platform. When witness caught his arm and warned him that he might fall, he replied, “No, I’ll jump it,” and did so, striking the water about 4ft feet below. He disappeared almost immediately. Witness did not smell liquor on him. The Coroner returned a verdict that McMillan met his death by drowning through jumping into the harbour from a crane but whether he did so with the intention of 'committing suicide or not), there was no evidence Co show.