THE COURTENAY PLACE TRAGEDY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3084, 5 January 1909, Page 5

THE COURTENAY PLACE TRAGEDY.

INQUEST ON VICTIM.

EVIDENCE AS TO IDENTIFICATION.

JURY'S VERDICT,

By Telegraph —Press Association WELLINGTON, January 4.

The inquest on the body of the man found murdered at Courtenay Place early on the morning of December 27th was concluded to-day. The evidence was mainly in regard to the identity of the deceased.

Sydney Millott, seaman on the Waikare, said he was formerly on the ship Dartford. He knew a member of the crew named McCormack. Witness did not know Jiis Christian name. He was usually called Mac. The clothing in the morgue he recognised as being the property of the man McCormack. At the police station he saw a bag which belonged to McCormack. In it were two ties which witness had given to the man when he sailed with him in the Dartford about three months ago. Witness saw McCormack in Lyttelton. He recognised the photograph (produced) as that of McCormack. (The picture was a photograph of the dead man). Charles Grant, seaman on the Mararoa, formerly on the Dartford, said he identified a body in the morgue on Saturday evening as that of a man named McCormack, who was at one time a seaman on the Dartford, Three days after witnesa signed off the Dartford. On the 9th October last he saw McCormack going to Lyttelton by the Maori. A week later witness saw the deceased in Wellington. He had arrived by the. Ripple. In reply to Inspector Ellison, witness said he had no doubt whatever about the identity of the body. John Brodelius, seaman, now employed on the Maori, but formerly on the Dartford, gave similar evidence. Edward Morrison, A.B. on the Maori, stated that he was formerly on the schooner Annie Hill. The body he saw at the morgue on Saturday was that of a man named McCormack, who was paid off the Annie Hill on Christmas Eve at Lyttelton. McCormack was forty-three days on the Annie Hill, and would have received £7 10s when paid off. Witness stated that the deceased left the Dartford about October 15th. He saw McCormack several times in Lyttelton. After staying there for about two weeks he joined the stearrer Ripple for a trip, and hler worked on the Annie Hill, trading between Kaipara and Lyttelton . On Christmas Eve the deceased left Lyttelton and came to Wellington as a passenger in the Maori. Witness saw him aboard in company with a shipmate named Braidford. Witness knew they left their bags on the wharf, but he never heard further of them. Braidford had, however, mentioned to witness that he intended going to Auckland. The deceased took liquor freely when he had money, and when he was under the influence he was very "soft," and could be led anywhere. McCormack once mentioned that he belonged to Liverpool. William Mullin, A.B. on the Aotea, formerly on the Dartford, gave evidence of identification similar to that of the last witness. Witness knew a seaman named Braidford on the Dartford. He saw Braidford on the morning of Boxing Day in Manners Street before 7 o'clock. He hailed witness and said he was going to Auckland that morning if he could get his bag from the left luggage office at the wharf. In the meantime Braidford said he was first going to see "Mac" (meaning McCormack) to say "good-bye," and indicated that he was going in the direction of Courtenay • Place, saying, "We are living down this way."

Detective Cassels gave evidence concerning the bags which were left at the wharf. He ascertained from a shipping office that a sailor named McCormack was discharged from the Dartford on October 15th. He gave his age as 32 years. The jury returned a verdict that the deceased came by his death by violence at the hands of some person, or perons, unknown.