CORONER'S INQUEST.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 96, 11 September 1878, Page 2

CORONER'S INQUEST.

Dr. Eoeketrow.lhe Coroner for the Dis* 'trict, held a coromal inquiry on Saturday, at the . ' Palmerston Hotel, upon tbe body, of a man recovered! from the Manawatu, on the sth inst) and 'supposed to be- that of Jonathan - Jackson,/ who has been missing since the 7th of June. •A jury oi thirteen, consisting ofthe foi lowing residents was empanneled :—Alexander Ferguson (foreman), Robert King, Thomas Hoe, Thomas Moffat, Thomas. , Wray, Colin. McKehzie,- -Frederick -Venn*— Andrew William Malcolm, Robert Mackie, Frederick Henry Crawford, Alfred Williams, " and Ralph" Collins. - After th© jury had -~ - viewed the body, they, returned to the ho_ol fc ancl tlie- folio wing evidence was taken :— Thomas Robert Walton deposed: lam a storekeeper inPalmerston. I have teen, the body before the Court, and recognise it has that of Jonatliah Jackson. I have known the deceased between- three and four years. I recogniso his identity by tbe clothes, and * the carpenter's rulewh^ ww-in his pockotv , ' X believe Isold him tlie rule some time ago» I Could not recognise" the features, but £ 7 have nodoubt on my mmd that it is the body- ' of Jackson, the whiskers and hair being tha- ' ■ "Kame. I also recognise the clothe&by a, patch on the seat 6t tlie troiiaersi : - : - { : -"-•*• /•- "' - Ralph CctUUvs sworn; deposed: I am a settler residing at Fitzherbert. I have; known ithe. deceased, -for about three years..,:; I; saw him last on the 12th of June, on a. : track leading from my; house to the Manawatu Ijliver. He told me_h,e-was going; i home. He was. about twenty chains, froux" the river at the 'time.' tie had to cross thairiver to reaoh his home. He generally crossed m a boat.. X have seen the boat, since then, but it was neither capsized nordamaged. LXtwas; about .ten. chain- dv* - tant, oa the- same side of the river. The; sculls were not m Jthftb^t^bvu^ .^ew lying Ujjon a I log. I never saw him. afterwards, alive, t did uot hear himT crying, out" forhelp, or ; heard no, noise.. I have seen tha body outside tlie Coujr,t; r and I recognise; it as that of Jackson, by. the. trousersV the? general j appearance, and- "by the ; whiskers.. When I saw him, last alive lie was per* - fe.ct.ly sober. There was a little fresh m the? river, and it was-irisuig.-V X ■ cbivideredf it. A was" dangerous tq^cross at the, time. ;, To the. Foreman. ;.. The .boat. .was.. .found ;. about forty chains below t bet general cross^big. The boat was n\ypifopejfty. .' 7 _\ - William. _■ Akers r eramJneds. .-'A ani ; _ settletat; Fitzherbertoii. -; Oa ihe7-th. instant a.' Native informed me that a body was lying; about a mile- and a half below my house,, : oiv my ground. 1 went down on, horse back,, and saw the bpdy no,WL ; before the jury. ; It was oi^ its face, partly*-m and ptwify but bit • the water. I had _ never seen-the man hi life td -my knowlfidgeV : The bbdy r had"bttV_. a grey, tweed trousera . and waistcoat, .red, _ fl-innel drawers, but X could hot Vbe sura about the shirt ;; VWelhngtoix boots with, □ails, the . nails on. the sole.. Beijag quite; bright. 7 His head was much covered with, mud, and I could not discover the color of his hair; : : I saw a.' carpenter's rule protrud* : 'ing from his pocket.- i'-Ay'y'- ''-y~ : .7 f --- 7 ;< ; "' To a Jm-ymaii v=l thought they werft;; Wellington boots,, but they might . havft . .been lace-upeJ ;7> : ::; />/. T r'V;;V. 7 ' : V EUen Esther Jackson. examined :. lam, r the wife of Jonathan Ja^ksppi .and reside ii* ■ rP_liiiprstoiL : . My- ;hitf ballast left" liomo> ' ou the sth of Juue, to go to Fitzhcrberton. Me was; m the habit of .going,on.ce.qrtmceaL^ . , r week. |He had to / cross" the : . Manawatu: ' * ■' River to do bo. I ei(pectied' hihx" home' on. ; the 7th of Juh;& ;He never returned. IL 7dontilied the rule produced as belbngingttb."* " Viiny husband/_: l£ei^always carrieU it in' hU.ii pocket... When he left home- he had on a i Haiinel ; draweV'rs^ .and, lace-up -boO^s. with, , woollen, socks, white 1 under flannel shirty ;-. and,- /.white plain over ..;. shirt. ,;,. I r iiovet- .;•;. i had any communication from my husband \ since the sth of June. Theiclbthfis , aid tcv : be on the body tally with those worn by myhusband. lam positive hfl fls-fr on fehp^fttv of Juue, and'lexpected him home two. day«,; latere pa i Friday the 7th. ...I _>st heard,that. he was ;idrowneu on the Bth.. ■ : -As he did not. 7 come home when, expected^ I se.nt personi, to search for him. y y - : ". -?; . To '-as juryman :. I believeV all the buttons, were upon, his waistcoat. There -was a patch, ou; the bottom oif- ; lu> trouseis, . hht i' coidd not aayj upon, which. leg] •■ y - : . To the. Coroner ?; My hujsband was S3, years Of I &lg^_:'' i 'axiid. l ab6Vijb' : ]s- : '-faSfcV-St'" _ni|:he--L ; ■'- .lie wai clean, shaved-upoh' the cbi-i with.'" ; iubustache and whiskers^ - Ralph, Qollins recalledj:. I made a mis< : take when 1 said X saw Jackson, on t be. 12th. of June.,, ii waiou Jfriday,..and, np ; dpubt, Mrs Jackson is; correct !as:;tp. itVbeing^ thfc A 7th. 1 coiddnpfc be Qertauv^ tlia months 77 '"'yA ■''<;/■..; ■A r '"' •'■'; Calvin "OhestejP exairiinfid:. VI iamt acaiS': penter hvin" m; Palmetston^ . Xhave^ known. the deceased, Jonathaii jacl_jc» ; fdr> fomp ; years. V XV recognised. the ; body; bu.tside the : [ : Court,,- as thac, of Mr' Jackson. : ; 1 am:po_i-i live of the identity of the body.by the rulei • : -found upon: hiu-i- and the general appearance.. V X • have not th.4 Blighteat doubt .upon my. , "mind.; . -_ To the Foreman., . X cannot swear as. to. i the date! of the' day. upon.' which ;X saw ,hi_x last. IWe werei wctrking upon. the, other side.ofriveir. "We generally went and returned," togethjer, but upon, the day jfrqutwhich he> was missed,! did. not : ret-uru With. him. Heb ■ left byhinxselfft : o^turn^^alj^ers^^^^ .^V reason I did hot'aVco__pany 'h^'wa-' that it ■ was a long : y>»j, .to. walk home. X 'did not. • > -expect: him -backjVas.X -waa;. going to leave myself next- day.- Xt was r bstiv_een three, andt V ■four iv the atiernobn " vrheivhe-left. I. did ■ noi iiiteud to. go home -tha V wa y Jackson. I went^ aa "it was-hot safe, -and that was why, X staid . bjehidd^hat rhjght. , Xlueter ,-aw.hhiu. alive afterwards. X was out searohiug tor 'the body thenight after w.e heard , he . waa . lost. X fouj_(l'fcub J boat half a mile below were we generally crossed.. It was not ' capsized,- but was Broadside ba "a little^ island, and half full of • -water. The clothes . [ oh th«^body outside the.Court look like thonfc-'. worn by jacksou, wheuX saw. last him. 'alive*: 4 ' V Toithe Fow.manv-Vherawas, a heavjf freshen the river befwewxth^liuio he was supposed to be, Jost, aud the finding of tho [.. ibbat. X WQuld'accbu^t'"for water oeingiu' the boat, by reason of leaking. The boat i was iii a very.":_»d»^«dit.iM^'7-fM'^o!^.^ft>'''' > aboutau hour to go home by l^arfes's-V X have crossed four or .five, tunes . m. the. Bame. boat. •- I'hV'paddleiwe^V'oh^^t^^ ' ": - . The; Coroner briefiy reviewed, the evidence* i and after tew miiiuit«»delibeiut.iou the. jury. : returnedthe .foUoyyiug ,'ye.rdict \y '; ' " That - iheideeeasedi'. . Jpftathau. Jjwkton^ ; ; met his death by drowning '■'«, -thp ivjLanawatu,|near the tovv;n Jpf iratmerstonjiOA oit aboutitb© 7.ih:of Junohust:"