INQUEST.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 47, 16 December 1871, Page 16

INQUEST.

An inquest was held at the Pier Hotel on Saturday Ja?t, before A. Johnson, Esq, coroner, on the bodv of Elizabeth Strong, alias Harrison, whicl/had been found in the harbor the same morning, floating astern of H.M.S. Blanche. T J il u A A jury having been empanneled, the body was viewed, and the following evidence taken: — , Jimies Farie : I am a midshipman on board the Blanche. About half-past seven on Saturday morning an object was seen floating astern ©f the ship by the officer on deck. Those on board coulci not make out what it was, and I was ordered to take e boat and ascertain. It was about fifty or sixty yards distant. I found it to be the body of a woman, and took it ashore, and communicated with the police, who took charge of it. I recognise the body Iving outside the hotel, as the one I found in the water. I have seen the woman about, the town, but never on board the ship. lam not aware whether any woman was on board the ship on the previous night, as I did not go on board till three o'clock in the morning. I cannot say whether the deceased had consorted with any of the seamen since the ship has been in harbor. < Henry Panter : I am a private in the Royal Marines, and belong to the Blanche. I recognise the body outside as that of a woman whom I saw for the first time in the bar of the Melbourne Hotel at about half-past nine on Friday night. She was not in company with any person, but was quite alone and appeared to be intoxicated. She was so noi?y and talkative that the landlord threatened several times to put her out, although he did not do so. I went out of the hotel about ten minutes afterwards, and she followed me out, but stopped at the corner of Harbor street and sat down. When following me she did not say a word, but caught hold of my jacket several times, although I continually knocked her hand away. No conversation whatever took place between us; not a word passed. She was drunk, and on the way down the street she blackguarded me because I would not pick up with her. I never put my hand on her except to knock her hand away from my jacket. After leaving her I went to the Exchange Hotel, where I arrived about a quarter past ten o'clock. I did not go on board the ship till seven o'clock in the morning. I never saw the woman on board the Blanche. Alfred de Norville: I am a constable, and was on duty at the police station about eight o'clock on Saturday morning, when an officer of the Blanche reported that he had found the body of a woman in the harbor. I went with him, took charge of the body, which I found to be that of Elizabeth Harrison, and brought it to the hotel. One of her eyes was black, and had had a cut on the brow. She had two ehillings in one of her hands. I last saw her alive in Sydney street about six o'clock on the previous evening. The man Harrison, with whom she had been cohabiting, had turned her out of his house, and she has been wanderiug about in a besotted state for the last six weeks. She told me a day or two before that the mark on her eye was caused by a fall. The Coroner: Gentlemen, you have now heard the evidence, which I am sorry to say is not very conclusive, the most important being that of*Panter, the Marine. He seemed to give a very straightforward account of what he knew of the deceased, and there is no reason to doubt any portion of his testimony. I can offer no suggestion to you beyond the evidenoe you have heard. As far as I can Bee, your verdict can only be one of " Found Drowned." , . In accordance with this direction, tne jury returned a verdict of "Found Drowned, there being no evidence to prove how the deceased got into the water." The jury added a rider requesting the Coroner to make a recommendation to the Government pointing out the necessity of providing a suitable building for the reception of the bodies of persons found drowned. The Coroner said he would forward the recommendation to the proper quarter.