THE INQUEST.

Otago Witness, Issue 2813, 12 February 1908, Page 18

THE INQUEST.

An inquest was held at Port Chalmers t on the sth before Mr C. C. Graham, S.M., ' coroner, to in.quire into the circumstances surrounding the finding of huir-ui remains at Carey's Bay on Monday m -ning. ' -William Sutherland, lightkeepi ;, residing at Otakou, said he was a stepson of deceased, whose remains he recognised by ■ certain peculiarities on the toes, and also ; by the boots worn by deoeased, from which * he had no doubt, that the body was that of ! Robert Sutherland, who wae drowned on June 15 last whilst going down from Poit Chalmers to Otakou. On the date in ques- j <ion he 6aw deceased in hie boat. De- ' ceased was rowing at the time, from which , witness judged that he was quite eober. ' When he left Port Chalmers there was a ' «econd man in the boat, but witness was | not close enough to identify him. As he failed to return home that night a search was made, and his boat was found full of [ water on a sandbank. Judging by the ' position of various article* in the boat the ' ■jraft had not been capsized. Deceased's I cap and several other articles were picked I up on the beach, near Otakou. Deceased Waa 49 years of age, and wae a fisherman bj occupation and resided at Otakou. William Ward, a farmer residing at Otakou, said he knew deceased, who asked him to' accompany him in his boat from f ' Port Chalmers. He did co, and went as ' far as Carey's Bay. He admitted being | somewhat the worse of liquor, and could ,' not remember the time or the state of the weather at that time. They both landed ' at Carey's Bay. and went to the hotel , there. He parted company with deceased there, and never saw him again. There had been no quarrel or trouble of any kind so far as witness wae aware. Joseph Hughes, a fisherman residing at Carey's Bay,- and he saw deceased at. Carej'e Bay on the date in question. Deceased went into Mackie' a hotel, but Mrs Mackie refused to 6erve him with drink, but gave Jiim a cup of tea and a sandwich, saying «he- would not give him any liquor as he was going away in hi 6 boat that night. , He asked for a. drop of whieky in his tea, but that was also refused. Witness acoom- , panied him to his boat, and whilst there deceased said he had two bottle* of whisky, [ and they both had a drink. He tried to . induce him to remain in Port Chalmej's, ,' 'but he refused to do so. Witness then left him, and did not see him «et off. The weather wae fine at the time, and there • ' was a nice westerly breeze blowing. With *ail up there would be novdanger. Ellen Mackie, wife of the lioenece of the ' Crescent Hotel, deposed that deceased and ' another man came to the hotel .and a-sked for drink, which was refused, as she ] thought they had already had enough. ' .She gave Sutherland a cup of tea, and '• advised him to go home early. He etayed , about the bar for about three-quarters of »a hour before going away. Both of them pad blood stains on their facce, and on inquiry she was told that both had fallen out of the boat, which apparently accounted

for their appearance. Deceased appeared to be quite able to take ca.re of himself, but not knowing how much liquor he had already had 6he did not think it safe to supply him with any more. The Coroner : " It's a pity there are not more people who act with as much judgment ac you appear to have done in this instance." Alfred Larking, residing at Port Chalmers, gave formal evidence as to findingthe body on the beach at Carey's Bay. The Coroner said there was little doubt from the evidence that deceased had taken too much liquor, and had accidentally fallen overboard and was drowned. The Jury returned a verdict that deceased was accidentally drowned through falling out of a boat.