THE MAN OF THE ISLAND.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 288, 26 March 1877, Page 3

THE MAN OF THE ISLAND.

CORONEiR'H 1 N'Qtf EST: The inquest upon the body of the man 1 found on »» island in the River Waitaki was held at the Awamoko Ilotet, on Saturday tast, before T. W. Parker, Esq., R. M. and District Coroner, and a jury of l!J, composed of the following gentlemen : Messrs. John Johnston (foreman), t\ Burdsinoee, I>. fwvrdsmore, Robert Rfatel„y, ({oorge f'tiekur, John Ftickyc, William Ft'icktu', Adam iieddos, tteddes, Waltoc ftop>\ Willtaru Etuns, Kuberfc Johnston, arul Edward iSolVunnii. Tito jury having viewed the t'ody, the following evidence was brought Eorwai'd : John Fuicacaki, a tVf;n»ci, rcsidiri:,' on tile banks of th;> Waifaki, deposed to hftvinir seen the body, and to its the same as that he had seen on an island in blio Waitaki. The place where he first hiuv the body was opposite IHaok t'oint, iind on Hie southertt side of the m;uti stream of the Waitaki. The body was lyini; face downwards, about", or t'onr p,i'(is fi'otu the water's ed;.je. The body was tlien drt'SSed as it is now —dark trousers and vest. As soon as witness gut down to the kaitc, he told the Maoris there that he had seen, a body. Witness did not stop to examine the body, as the ettrPonf. ran swil't. On Thursday Constant© Bait and witness went up the river to where the body was They teok a dray with titem, and on arriving there placed the body on the dray, and it to Awamoko. Witness did not know ' the man when he was alive. About the time of the last heavy rain*, fie heard someone talking about a man having been stn'ii on an island in the river. By the Uorouer : Another Maori, Karawai, was with witness wlu-n he first saw the body, but knew no more ai>out the man than wit'.nuss did. - Oourgo Titmus, a bufce'aor, living at Waitaki, sa'.d that, having seen the body, Bo believed it to be that of Arthur Biiuiuick, judging by the- features. At first, witness thought that Arthur Phuriiick had the form of a heart tatooed on i.,,; •i'tUfc han'l, but he now thought that star tatoood on the left arm, *!-, hj! •• ; the one on the tefc't arm. oE the • ; i. .H» body formed the subject of ■ i '-' st. It was otdy v.-h'-« witness r ' -it n* on the arm that his memory w ; •• resiled, and he reinetnixfretl that Ariii"- Diitunick had a star tatooed on liis arms. Witrvjsa had seen Dimjnick "his shearing o.i his way to Deepdale S a ion. tte then to lit witness that he Imd racoivi:d a letter from his parents, who resided in Wolverhampton,_ Eriglan-.1. believed deceased s fa?.?iVr vri».s a JJttaater bnildef. Ho believ d Diruiuiek HjWa about iii> years of age, and was tike a Bmriialt many more, for when i e got on the . "spree," he did not know when to stop. Witness could not say pouiUvety that the body was that of Arthur Piiu'uiek, fmt from the f -atui'es and tatoo marks, he was strongly of opinion that it was. W tf-ncss had worked with Dirunuck for eight months in the railway tunnel at Otepopo. Dimmiek had a peculiar lip, and it had the same appearance as it wears now in death, tie (Dimmiek) mentioned, whfn wioni'ss met him on his way to Jp-opdate, that in the tetter which he bait received from Home, it was stated that his sister was in a consumption, and his parents were taking her over fcjt* France.. (Joust,i,lilu Rait stafcdfrttwtt on Thursday task the two .VLarcsitt. gfficrct&ki and Karawai, showed htm tne now tying in the stable. It was liortbing, face uownwards, in a foot of water, about two feet deep. The head and arms were completely under water. The placed they boi.y on a dray, and took it to when; it was thou lying. The body was that of a man about lift. Kin. or oft. t)iu. in height. It had on dark tweed trousers, fastened round the waist, with a saddle strap ; woollen socks -new e las hie-side boots, • slop made, thick soles : knitted dart-.-brown woollen jacket ; Han net undershirt ;. and Crimean shirt. There was a white pocket-handkerchief with a b!;te border, irv the pocket of the j:u-k ;t. The trousers' pockets were full of sauil. The body is very much decomposed. There was a quantity of saiut between, t'mr shirt and the skin, and when it had been moved witness observed black marks ~u t| K . skin. ()u the left arm there were several, tattoo marks, via,, two flags crossed, with an anchor between them, and a .star and some other marks above the Hags. V» itness did observe any marks of violence »>n trie Sludy. The body had evidently been some time in the water, as the trousers wore covered with a green stimy kind of river weed. This concluded the evidence. The Coroner briefly remarked that vyrv Litito had been gained by the evidence, anil advised the jury to record an open Verdict. After a brief consultation, the jury returned their verdict as follows :— u The verdict of the jury is that the deceased, who is to tho jurors unknown, wrs found lying in the Waitaki iliver, hut there is no eviitence to shew how he came by {via death." ________________

A yotmg man who was paying his addresses to two young ladies during the summer, concluded t« confine his visits to one this winter, but found much difficulty in deciding which one to discard. Having an eye t" comfort, he finally resolved to visit the whose fattier had pot in the largest atoc.c of cool. ttntioWAt'* .ct> OtstMEST. InROOTEv Cmwtw. ".rut Cnl'l-. fti rhb'Hv cvKtf neisvaiknii tn- ©itf m>;.hin- «« sps-tiily relic**:*. or Sf> certainly cures, a.* ef,es»? incsUwabte i«nK<ii«». These arc t«o ovvHii- »« e»>mmenc«mcni. »r arc mjiuhciuusfy ttffnieii.. tintl in «Uh«r «a><e diswiDW wt *e* f iKKti ff»nlc.. Wh»teW tficeondiJbn of the |»»'cn : ,. Holloway'* wmeUis» wiH fw«»w, if rwW)' I* 1"*mblu : they wiK team! t.a« »l» .Bin? »WI »•»« t.looil fc» i.iueiticit. when n» art-. r*»«on»y itu'l viijivt F't J *>t> r. will i.h£ ruff. t»V f VK!*ui r t ;t thtf ' i" l ©IE ll»>CtOvV3y & pri'l»ai':<,i-.uJO.s.. f.i>ue i' i;i.rut:iTi:ii *»n the stomach. SMuUhi-MWth U »>» the *y»«.ero tally. Thwwrfii of jmi'ijon.* Vkve Cssi.iivifc ttuit r,y the O-'e «>« ihese vi'uhmlkt!* nl«t)« 6h«y »>;»**• fxrttv (khhshl to a»»ir •viu'y awww luul iailtftt. (l\>e f»n£inu*ti*'m &f &tw* *** Fourth t'wji.)