THE DROWNING- ACCIDENT AT POET ALBERT.

Rodney and Otamatea Times, Waitemata and Kaipara Gazette, Volume 1, Issue 18, 26 July 1901, Page 2

THE DROWNING- ACCIDENT AT POET ALBERT.

"—~—~ +"'.":". [FROM OUft OWN CORBESFO^DEXT.] PotcT Albjs&t, 3"uly 13,. The following1 facts may throw som&* light on the Unhappy los£ ofj_life re». i erred to. in my recent-telegram. TUerq ' is still some nii.stery connected witl|_ the occurrence, which further iavesti.gation may dissipate. Two Austrixms, i& artin s.nd J h.a Eaibeic, on Saturday. July 6, left Port Albert in the boat of a fisherman,, Stephen Miehalevich, Hq % landed them on the mu^dj beach of §~„ tributary creek of the Oruawh&rq; River, which is part boundary of: - Hargr^aves' run and gumfield. A tlm-4. brother, located oa the field, finding b.ia brothers did not arrive- as antieip jted, made inquires the followinarSaturday at Port Albert. A search, • cmder Constable Gfe^rge Thomson, was instituted.-^ T.h© place where they land?d was found, The pair of footmarks, n the mud, lgins v or more deep, show*. i£l that the men had reached the hard beach, had then turned in their tracks, joine down, again to the creek edge, lear where they had landed. Both tracks and men then disappeared. Search was continued, and on Tuesday ifternoon, the 15th, the body of Martin Rubeic was found. At the inquest the facs as above mmmarised were elicited. The necessary 'arrangements for the funeral n the afternoon were made— But on jloser inspection there was found a wound on the head of the body. It seemed an incised wound. It might aave been the wound of a knife, or a juried spade, from its appearance. In ihe absence of a'qualified medical man, :he jury refused to' find a verdict. A qualified practitioner has been sum-^^ aioned from Auckland, and has'gr^ 88^ rivad by this evening's boat from Helensville. t^ome six 'miles from th<! ;cene of the strange event, floating at sbb tide past the Eaikau Mill, the iody of the other missing brother, Tohn Ruheic, was rec«»vorad by sonie)f -the workmen, and landed at Port Albert this afternoon. For a couple of Lays there has been a considerable nnux of Austrians in the township, ["here are now rome two score or moro raiting to learn, as far as may "be,, low their comrades lost their lives. THE INQUEST EESUMED. Friday. The inquest on the abb re was reumed this afternoon, before Mr. P.. iecroft, J.P. Coroner. The evidence f Dr. Pentreath, who had been engaged in the postmortem most of t the aorning, showed the nature of ' the vound in the head of Martin Eubeio o be but superficial. The bone underleath exhibited no. mark of a violent >low, or any sign of inj liry. Tlie could no| be caused by an axe >r spade, or any heavy instrument; it night have been caused by a knife or harp shell. The internal organs ap>eaied healthy. Owing to the length >f time siuce death" occurred, the iharacteristic signs in the lungs of Leath by drowning were' absent. He >elieved the cause of death in both ases was drowning; there was. no njiiry or disease visable to otherwise iccount for death. The body of John iubeic had no marks ol ..violence ; the irgans weie healthy; there were no igns of a blow, or other injury, severe mough to stun or cause death. The . nquest was adjournel to.ten a.m. toaorvow (Satuvd^y), for the attendance if Stephen Michalevitch, and the xreek O«'nstantine y who took the ' deoasod down the river and landed hem at Hargreaves'. These are somewhere in the Kaipara wafers, where, he local" constab'e (Thompson) ha< Lot heard. The nrystery of-the drownag ronxains yet unsolved. Mondoy, A great number of witnesses went jador examination at the inquest. Most f them being Austvians, it was difiiult to arrive at direct answers to uestions relative to place of landing he men on the mud-bank, which Lecossi'ated the coroner, jury, and witnesses; visiting the place where the .id accident occuired, "tv have the full particulars placed before them, returnng and completing the hearing- of the jvidence. The jury brought in the :oilowi n g rerdic t:— After hearing the evidence, and visiting the place where the accident >ccurred, are of opinion that the men Martin and John Hubeic came by uheir death by drowTiing. They are ai--30 of the opinion that the person avliu landed, them vn the sand-bank, is in ao way to blttiiuv Much'sympafliy vvas c :p"'efesufl i'o.i the brother of the debased men. Kard in itself to bear !,v J; KAB-UEfi, SXJTiL, 36 8. strang* 1'.1 ill • dtw»3gG "and* ,■