THE INQUEST.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1686, 16 April 1886, Page 4

THE INQUEST.

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION) Kekekangu, Thursday. No more bodies hare yet come ashore, but a quantity of articles belonging to passengers and the vessel, have • been picked up. . The Wakatn called this afternoon and took off the chief officer's body to be buried at Lyttelton. The body of Mr., Vnllance will be buried at Flaxbourne. The w,reck is gradually settling down. The inquest upon five bodies washed ashore from the Taiaroa was resumed tins afternoon. Joseph Fielder, chief steward,, deI oosed :■— I was on deck a quarter of an hour before the Taiaroa struck. It was mining heavily, very dark, and blowing. Could gee no land. Was mmy room writing when the vessel struck. The sttuvard'BS came out and ask'd if thiro was any danger, and what was the mal. tt-r- J st-id there was no dhnger, an-i ,«ild hfi 1 to co bsck to her Touin and u*cify \\\m lady paß«cngorß «» mnch hh i-iiPHililp. J went to the saloon doo-, lUhtvl i))e cn^y.in cußimant} (q put

•.liM l»oiits out, ami hoard tho teogi^ph sfop her and tult speed astern. The captniu came nlong and told me to get Iho women ready. I did so, and fixed the lifo-belt.s on them. Th^ro were three saloon female passengers besides the Ptewardess. I think th«ro was a female m the stuerago as well and a child with her, not having got tickets from the purser. Cannot «ay how many passengers there were on board. It was too rough for them to coin'e to the table. Mrs Fitzgerald, Galbraith, and Vallance were the only ones thai sat down. Took the women to the boat, had trouble to fix the lifo-belt on the Salvation lass. I gave them blankets after they were m the boat. Cannot say if any of the passengers m the boat had any luggage with them. Heard no order given about luggage. Extinguished aft lamp m the saloon, and left the fore and side board lamps burning. I waß last to I leave m company with the captain, chief officer, and carpenter. Know nothing of what happened to the other boats. All were swinging on a line when we left. Our boat was properly found, and had plenty of oars, but we lost one. Our boat "waa Rtove m when launching, but we nailed a piece of blanket over it. There was no confusion on board, and everything was done coolly and m order. Everything was ddne for the best to save the passengers. We carried a couple of guns, but none were fired. Walter Coward, ploughman at Kekerangu, said he was with Constable Dew when the bodies at the woolshed were searched. A bundle of certificates m the. name of Robert Boyle Monkman were found, m a stocking oh the left foot of the body hitherto supposed to be Monkman's, but now stated by the .steward to be that of a seaman." " ' '- * : ' ■• Constable Dew gave similar evidence, and added that -two stockings were on the foot.. The certificates were inside the ankle of the under one. This completed the evidence. The Coroner summed up, and said the matter was perfectly clear, tfio suspicious circumstances attending the death of- any of them. In order that all the facts might be before the jury, he had thought it right to collect the fullest evidence obtainable regarding the wreok. The iury instantly returned a verdict of " Found drowned." The coroner issued certificates for the burial of five bodies at Keke rangn, three at Woodbank, and one at Flaxbonrne, He thanked the jury for their attendance, and the proceedings terminated. The bodies of the chief officer and Morrison, fireman, were sent away by the Wakatu to Lyttelton this afternoon. The other three bodies were buried here, the Rev, S. Grace, of ' Blenheim, officiating. Three bodies at Woodbank and Vallance's at Flaxbourne will be buried to-niorrew.