DEATH BY DROWNING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 September 1939, Page 9

DEATH BY DROWNING

INQUEST ON F. J. BOWDEN. The inquest on the body of Francis John Bowden, aged 73 years, which was discovered in the Ruamahanga River yesterday, after he had been missing from his home in Hope Street, Master ton since September 13, was held in the Masterton S.M. Court today. The Coroner (Mi- E. G. Eton) presided, and returned a verdict that deceased met his death on the night of September 13 or 14, 1939, by drowning in the Ruamahanga River, there being nothing to show how he came to be in the water. Walter Roland Walker, Masterton, stated that he knew Bowden. On Friday, September .15, he was informed that Bowden was missing. On September 22 he called at the Masterton morgue and there saw a body which he identified as being Bowden. Frank Milne, 13 Hope Street, Masterton, stated that he last saw Bowden at 6 p.m. on the night of Wednesday, September 13. “At about 8 p.m. I heard him moving about his rooms which adjoin mine. I heard him say, ‘Turn out that searchlight’.” stated witness. “He then started saying, ‘You mongrels.’ There was no one else in his bach and he was speaking to himself. To my knowledge he had mental turns for many years but of late he had got worse in that respect.”

Constable C. H. Reardon stated that on September 22, in company with Constable Hollis, he proceeded to Gladstone and there recovered the body of the deceased from the north end of a gravel spit in the middle of the Ruamahanga River. Inquiries showed that the body had not been on the gravel bank the previous day. The body was later conveyed to the morgue. “In my opinion there were no suspicious circumstances and the appearance of the body was consistent with death being due to drowning,” said witness. "There was nothing to show how deceased came to be in the water. An examination of deceased’s room revealed a Post Office Savings Bank book in the name of Frank Bowden which showed a credit balance of £846 18s 9d. There was also a £5 note and some papers of a personal nature.”