Sad Case of Drowning at Foxton.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1678, 7 April 1886, Page 3

Sad Case of Drowning at Foxton.

On Sunday last it became rumoured that a well-known resident of Foxton, Mr James Dunn, toilor, was missing. It appears "thatMfTJ'unn did not return to his: home on Friday night, bd't* as his wife knew he contemplated a visit to Wellington, and the s.s. Tui left that night no alarm wag felt till/ Sunday, whan Mrs Dunn ascertained on the re-r turn of the vessel that her husband had not been . seen on board. It was - then found that a railway porter had seen a . hat lying on the stones near the e;oods shed. , All doubt upon the matter, however, was set at rest on Monday, by the finding of the body m the river. Much sympathy is felt for Mrs Dunn, who is left with a family of five small children quite unprovided for. At the inquest Constable M'Anulty de- * posed— l know the deceased to be James Dunn, a tailor by trade, residing at Foxton, about 40 yearsof ag^^^^j^ihj Irishman ; I took charge of the body from the last witness about 20 minutes, past six- last evening, and had it remove^ to where it now lies, and made a " found- a shilling, a pocket k"nfffe,^ door: kei', and the bowl of a pipe 3 $hfr. cloth- . ing was not disarranged, and J couTd find no trace of violence, except r the on the forehead; the. discoloration now visible has occurred[iinc&~ the" body was got but of the wate: \ £hjs general charac-ter-was very-intern j crate ; a prohibition order wati issued ag inst him, but I believe he' has',i)een w irse — or quite as bad — Bince;.thei^order | vas is>j^d ; he. was married, -and had a Jamily'j'Jfor whom he has made Jio^.ipp vision, add who are destitute; r I have nade anquiries at all the hotels, iind ali deny having "supplied . him on ' Fr'iflay lasi ; I do not -produce the person to-day, but I aih informed de- ■ A ceased said he could always get liquor at one of the houses ; could w«ll understand Collins saying deceased appeared to b« sober at 4 p.m. as he could carry liquor well. ; By the foreman— l believe liquor can be obtained at the' steamers ; I informed '/ the steamer- people that 'a prohibition ' . order was issued againsf ihe deceased ; : tli6 steamer, people, like : the publicans, •■■? will sell on Sunday or Monday as longf as a man has d 6d. '.;-•, : By the cbroner —^The wharf is lighted as well as most other wharves ; it is -■ lighted at the other end. '■''. By ajuror— lt was deceased's wife who told me he had said he could always obtain liquor at one house ; I made enquiries at the house, and the charge is , denied." ' -.> *Af tef deliberation the jury returned a verdict as* follows :— " That James Dunn was -found drowned^ "and' the' -evidence produced proves -that the man was drunk previously . to falling into the river." ,'..- '*.->.■. , ._ .:. . . ■ . 7 'The following riders were added : — ! (10 :Aifd that it is the opinion of this ' ; jiiry that niofe! stringent measures be ; adopted topreyehtipersons against whom prohibition orders -have been issued obtaining intoxicating liquors. " (2 V And that the attention of the proper authorities be called to the insuffiOjehtlv lighted state of the wharf.