DEAD BODY FOUND.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 176, 30 October 1886, Page 2

DEAD BODY FOUND.

As announced by News Extra on Wednesday afternoon last, Mr Bagnall coming up river, passed about 4 miles from Te Aroba, the body of a female in the Waihou river. On arrival at Te Aroha Mr Bagnall at once gave information to the Police, who returned in the launch and recovered the body near Smallman's, about 5 miles below the bridge, and conveyed it by means of the launch to Te Aioha and thence to the Palace Hotel, to await an inquest. The body was that of a strongly built woman, rather below medium height, apparently about 35 to 40 years of age, dark hair, small but perfect set of teeth in front of mouth, and was very well dressed. Throe gold rings, including wedding ring, were on the fingers. No marks of violence were apparent, an 1 the body was in a state of decomposition, an 1 had probably been in the rivei about a fortnight. The following is a description of clothes worn in a dition to ordinaiy underclothing : Black cashmere diess skirt, fashionably made, trimmed with figured s.itiu, and buttons down the front, tight fitting dress body of same matcii.il, trimmed with satin, and black lace down front. Outside tight fiMi.ig black cloth jacket trimmed with astracan and braid. Elastic side boots, dark red stockings. A pair of black cotton gloves were found in the pocket of the dress.

BODY IDENTIFIED AS THAT OF MRS H. Me LIVER. A remark having been made by some one who saw the body that it boi e a strong resemblance in many ways to Mrs Me Liver; Sergeant Emerson as early as possible same evening weut and interviewed Mr McLiver, manager ol the New Find Gold Mining Company, Waiorongomai, and from enquiries made found Mrs McLiver left on a visit to some friends at the Thames on October 8th, and he believed she "was still there. He however, accompanied the Sergeant, and on viewing the body, at once identified the body as that of his wife. As might be supposed the poor fellow "was terribly cut up, by the sad aud sudden shock.

INQUEST. On Thin-slay afternoon Mr H. A. Stratford, li.M. arrived from Thames, and picsided at the inquest which was hold at the Palace Hotel, at 3 o'clock. The following Jury were sworn : John Allan Pobson, (foreman,) James Maingay, Frederick Nott, James Stanley, George Devey, junr., Ifc. S. Brown. The Jury having wevved the body, the following evidence was adduced. Hugh McLiver (sworn) : I am a miner residing at Waiorongomai. I am the husband of deceased, Elizabeth Me Liver, whose body I have seen lyii g dead on these premises to-day; Friday October 8th, I last saw her alive, and on that day accompanied her to the coach, on her way to Tunnies. She was then in good health and in good spirits, and 1 have never since seen hesr. alive. She had not written to me since she left on the occasion referred to. The next time I saw her was in this hotel last night. Having no family, and finding the place rather dull at Waiorongc-

rani, she was in the habit af paying visits to her friends for two or tlnee weeks at a time. She was 30 years of age a native of Staffordshire, England : and has been 20 years in the Colony. "\V. H. Bagnall, (sworn) : I am a mill owner residing at Turua. On Wednesday whilst on my way up the riv^r, in the steam launch " Miranda" on a pleasure trip, at about half past one o'clock, when passinc Mr Brinkley's farm, we noticed sanietlung peculiar floating in the river, and when passing ic saw it was a body, at the time I thought it was that oF a man. On reaching Te A roll a I reported the matter 10 the Police, at about 2 p.m., and at the request of the Sergeant returned with him and a boat and recovered the body, which we discovered was that of a woman, and brought it to Te Aroha. I know the body we recovered to be the same as that now lying on these premises; but did not know Mrs McLiver. By the Foreman : I did not make an effort at the time I first saw the body to recover it, as having my sisters on board, I could not well take it up. About three quarters of an hour would have elapsed between my first seeing the body, and its recovery. Murdoch Munro, (sworn) ; I am a coach driver, residing at Te Aroha. The deceased came up as a passenger in the coach I was diiving, from Paeroa on Saturday IGth October, to Te Aroha. She seemed peculiar in her manner and was talking to hersoif at times, and crying ; she got oat just before we came into Te Aioha, saying she would go away by the train. There was a train loft about half an hour afterwards. 1 however saw her between 5 and G o'clock after the train had left, she was then walking down the railway line towards the river bank, where a crowd of people had congregated to witness some boat races. 1 have not since seen her alive. She apparently went down amongst the people. I certainly thought she was not quite in her right mind, from hcrstrangeconducton the journey up, and mentioned the circumstance to a Mr Lawless and others. By Seigeant Emerson : I recollect that she went down with me as a passenger to Thames about ten days prior to her return. Theie was then nothing strange about her, she appeared all right. Her husband came in with her to Te Aroha on that occasion, bought her ticket for her, and saw her off. On the 16th she arrived at Paeroa by the Thames coach, and came by my coach from Paeroa. She did not give me the impression of having been drinking- on that day. She remarked on the journey op, when talking to herself, she wished she was dead ; but I had no idea sh» intended to do herself any harm she seemed however, de.-irous of getting away from Te Aroha. There were two other passengers on the coach the day I brought/ Mrs McLiver buck, one I believe was a Mr Wiseman, tailor, from Thames, they did not appear to take much notice of deceased manner, beyond remarking she seemed peculiar. Mary Everitt, (oworn) : I am the wilts of Chas. Everitt, and live at Bridge street landing, Te Aroha. On Satuida/, October IGth, I saw deceased at the Te Aroha punt landing, between 4 and 5 o'clock, she was sitting on a seat; she took off her hat, unrolled her hair, and then pnned it up, and put her hat on again. I wai within a few yards of her, I knew she was Mrs McLiver, but did not speak to her. I noticed she kept looking at the water for a time with her hands folded before her, but after that she got up and walked uway from the river up the road. 1 have never since seen her alive. Sergeant Emerson deposed to the recovery of the body, etc., as previously stated ; and said there were no marks of violence observable upon it. The jury returned an open ve-rdict, " Found Drowned." THE FUNERAL. After the inquest the body was removed to the home of deceased, from whence it was conveyed yesterday to To Aroha Cemetery, for interment. The funeral which left Waiorongoraai at 2.30 p.m. was a very large one, nearly every household in Waiorongomai and the Hill being represented, as well as a large number of Te Aroha residents and settlers, the greatest fcympatny being felt for Mr McLiver in the great trial that has befallen him. Tlev Jas. Marshall read the burial service.