INQUEST AT CARLYLE.

Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 331, 19 June 1878, Page 2

INQUEST AT CARLYLE.

An inquest was held on Monday morning last, at 10 o’clock, at the Masonic Hotel, Carlyle, before the Coroner, C. A. Wray, Esq., K.M., and a jury, on the bod} 7 of a man, supposed to be James Hargreaves, who has been missing since the 22nd May last.

The following "jury was sworn . Samuel Taplin (foreman), William Dixon, James Lett, John Johnstone, R. A. Adams, Walter Isles, D. M, Warren, R. Currie, Archibald Pye, Frederick J. Smith, W. Howitt, John Bassett, and Allen Hutchinson. Dr Croft, a duly qualified medical practitioner, sworn, deposed to having held post mortem examination on body in the out-house of the hotel. The bod} 7 was much decomposed and disfigured, but there were no marks as of violence previous to death. Believed death to have been caused by drowning. Could not identify the remains as those of James Hargreaves. Mathew Carey, wheelwright, deposed to walking on the west side of the Patea river on Sunday morning last, between 11 and 12 o’clock, wben he observed the body Ijdng face to the sand. Gave information to the police. By the build of the man, and a remarkable bunion on the toe, thought the body to be that of James Hargreaves who was reported drowned a fortnight ago. The body was naked when found.

James Wiseman, butcher at the Boiling Down Establishment at the Patea Heads, deposed to knowing James Hargreaves, who left the works about eight o’clock on the evening of the 22nd May, stating that he was going to town and would be back again the same night. Witness had not seen £Targ*rea.\*es since. Did notknowbow he went to town. He had no boat. Thought it would be dangerous to walk along the beach to town except at low water. Hargreaves had been suffering from the effects of drink, and was approaching delerlum tremens. Could not identify the body, but thought from the general build it was that of Hargreaves. William Wiseman gave similar evidence. Kearn Whelan, Sergeant of Police, deposed to being informed by Mathew Carey of the finding of.the body of a dead man, and of his proceeding to the spot, and having it coffined and removed to the Masonic Hotel, to await Coronor’s inquest. He could not identify the body. Should have taken Hargreaves to be about 48 years of age. Had made, inquiry about town to ascertain if Hargreaves had been seen about town on the night he left the Heads, but could not find that he had.

Verdict was returned—That the body of a man, name unknown, had been found drowned, that there were no marks of violence on the body, and no evidence to show how the man got drowned. A Rider was appended to the effect that to the best of the belief of the jury the body was that of Janies Hargreaves who had been missing since the 22nd of May.