FOUND DROWNED.

Shannon News, 16 July 1926, Page 2

FOUND DROWNED.

JAMES BLAIR’S DEATH. An inquest was held at the Shannon Police Station on Tuesday afternoon .before the Coroner (Mr T. Brown) concerning the death of an elderly single man named James Blair, whose body was found in the Otauru stream about 7.20 a.in. that morning. James Curran, licensee of the Albion Hotel, Shannon, stated he had identified the body as that of John Blair. He last saw; him alive between 7.30 and 8 p.m. on Thursday, 12tJi July. Met him in the passage of the hotel and asked what he wanted. Deceased replied that lie "wanted a drink.” Told him he could not have it and he at once went quietly away. He was quiet and sober. This was the last witness saw' of him. Frederick Haley, foreman, of Shannon Borough Council, stated that on arrival at the steam at- the crossing of Sheehan street, lie saw the body lying in about six inches of water. He found life was extinct. He at once sent word to the constable, and waited until his arrival before removing the body. Deceased was fully dressed', except, that he' did not have his boots oil The wafer was much deeper than usual at pertain periods of tiie day, owing to the overflow from Mangahao. This would account for the shallowness of the water where the body was found as at that time there was no overflow. H. Butt corroborated the evidence of th,e previous witness.

Thomas Shannon, constable, stated that he identified the body as that of John Blair, labourer, of Mangahao. He had met deceased in the street on Tuesday about midday, when he enquired if thq bus had left far Mangahao. When he found it- had gone he said he would wait until the next morning. He met him again at 7.30 in the evening going in the direction of the Albion Hotel, ye then appeared to be quite sober. With the assistance of Messrs Haley and Butt he removed the body to the Albion Hotel, where he and Constable Blaikie exarned it and found no marks of violence, but the skin below the right knee was grazed and slightly bruised, not seriously. We then examined the banks of the stream between the railway line and the Sheehan street crossing,' but no trace could be found of deceased’s boots or There were marks on the Nathan, Terrace side of the railway at the approach of the old dismantled bidge, there also being heel marks on the- bank and a portion of the bank had broken away where the heel marks ’were. A person falling at this point would have- a full of six to eight feet into the water. The first, heel mark was about 2ft from the two heel marks on to, a ledge, and it is nearly a straight drop into the water, Where the bank had broken away. It was most probable that deceased fell into the water ait this point and the current, which was very swift, and 3 o:r 4 feet deep, carried him down stream. From enquiries made, he found deceased had arranged far lodgings foqt* tile nigiit at a house about ten chains from the bridge mentioned. Deceased whqn he last saw him alive was cheerful and looking forward to returning to Mangahao; so it was not likely he would commit suicide. Tlie Coroner returned a verdict that deceased met his death by drowning at Shannon-in the Otau.ru stream, between 8 p in .on Monday and 7.30 a.m. on Tuesday, but there is no evidence to show how he came to get into the water.