ACCIDENTALLY DROWNED.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 January 1916, Page 3

ACCIDENTALLY DROWNED.

SAILOR'S DEATH AT MOTUROA. The inquest concerning the death of Lauriu Martin Jensen was concluded at the New Plymouth Courthouse on Monday afternoon before Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., coroner. Jensen was second mate on the American schooner C. S. Holmes, now in port, and was drowned during the early hours of Thursday, January 13. Plain-Clothes Constable Fitzgib'bons gave evidence relative to dragging the harbor and recovering the body on the 14th at 2 p.m. There were no marks of violence on the body. Caheel W. Williams, restaurant-keeper at Moturoa, deposed that he last saw the deceased alive on the Wednesday night, when with four other seamen he arrived at witness' store in a motor-ear. At the request of deceased witness paid for the car-hire, and Jensen then produced a five dollar bill, which witness changed. All the party were under the influence of liquor and had some bottles of beer in their possesison. Three bottles were opened on his premises, and the contents drunk by nine persons who were present. Robert Borsch seaman on the C.S. Holmes, stated that to his knowledge, Jensen had no friends in New Zealand, and had mentioned ho was expecting a letter from a girl in California. Witness met the deceased in New Plymouth on the Thursday, and in company with some members from the Corinmi, they returned to the breakwater in a ear after the hotels had closed. They were all more or less under the influence of liquor, and witness and others of the party brought away some beer with them. They stopped at Williams' place, but he could not remember having any drink there. When he hoarded the ship he still had his four bottles of heer, and these, with the liquor brought by the other men, were drunk in the donkeyroom. Jensen was the first to leave, saying he would take a look round, and then turn in. Witness first heard that deceased was missing at G. 30 next morning.

The Coroner: Can you tell me »vhy you stopped at Williams' store?—l wanted to get some tobacco, and deceased wished to change his live dollar bill. Percy Jackson, seaman on the Corinna, said that; the crew of the Corinna worked up, till If) p.m. when witness went on duty as night watchman until (1 a.m. on the 13th. Two firemen came aboard about 11 o'clock, and later, shortly after 12 o'clock, several more men went on board the C.S. Holmes. All go.fc on board safely . Again, about 12.30, two more firemen came on board. All was quiet until just after one o'clock, when witness heard a peculiar gurgling noise as if some one was in pain. lie went over to the C.S. Holmes, and all appeared to be quiet; but looking down between the ship and the wharf, he saw a man in the water, under the jib-boom of the .jchooner. Witness threw a rope to the man, and shouted hut received no answer, so lie cried out for help. As no one came, ho went on to the Corinna and roused the crew, and when lie reached the wharf again the man had disappeared. Witness then endeavoured to rouse the men on the C.S. Holmes, but did not succeed. Subsequently ho got the first mate on deck, and a boat was lowered and rowed to the spot where deceased was last seen. Nothing could be found.

The Coroner returned a verdict that the deceased accidentally fell into the harbor and was drowned.