Drowning Fatality at Waimate. THE INQUEST.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 89, 27 December 1900, Page 3

Drowning Fatality at Wai mate. THE INQUEST.

An inquest -was held on Monday -c the Waimafce Hotel by Mr G. H. >Graham, J.P., into the death of Denis Murphy, which occurred on Sunday, the 28rd inst. The following were Bwora in as ,-a jury : Messrs Crawshaw, Williams, W. Manchester, A. Inkstor, Fl. George and Doekerell. Me Crawgbaw was chosen foreman. After the .jury had viewed the tbody, evidence '-was taken as follows: Patrick Murphy, labourer, living tat -Upper Hook, was tiia father of deceased, Dennis Murphy. baw ~-hhn last on Sunday morning, ortly before nine o'clock, at his : nirfe. He left with his mother, ,sfcer and brother to go to Waimate 3 eleven o'clock mass. Never saw din alive afterwards. Next saw •lim dead at the Waimate Hotel at jine p.m. Deceased enjoyed good aealth and did not drink. His life tais insured for J6200. He was "eighteen years of -age on December 14, 1900, and was unmarried. Lie liVod with and worked for Mr -T. Englebrechfc, Upper Hook, and did not come home at night. Witness -could not say if deceased could swim. He appeared in good health -and strong -when witness saw him last. Tj&wrence - Pogarty, the next resided with his parents at .Norton Settlement. Ho was nearly » seventeen years of age and knew " deceased wall. Saw him at St. . Patrick's church on Sunday morn- - ing at eleven o'clock and again at 12.30 p.m., when the two left the • church together. They went to Martin Hick-'y's house, on the Timuru Road, and had dinner. After dinner, about 12.45 p.m., they left for witness' parents' house, *waere Dennis Murphy's mother was to meeb him. On their way ! over, Murphy said it was a hot day, >■ - and witness suggested a swim. There were iive present — deceased and witness, and Phiiip and James Hickey and Edward Murphy, and all agreed, going to a waterhole in Turners section, Norton Beserve. Witness and deceased theh'weni -into f.he water in -a dam. Deceased coaaed tha dam, which was half-a-*ohain wide, twice, and, coming back tlid tnird tiur/i, he went down. Thought he had dived and took no notice. When returning, witness saw deceased's head above tht> W:»fcer, about a yard f rozu him. On reaching the bank, Jamea Hickey -slid there was something wrong ?*& tb Dennis Murphy, Witness s vain to where deceased went down,' and dived. Felt him with his right foot. He was lying on the bottom. On rising to the top witnesb struggled to the bank with difficulty. Was a poor swimmer and i could, do nothing to help Murphy, who was lying in -9ft of water. "Hickey suggested going to fetch Mr Hoskins, who lived nearest. Mr Hoskins brought a rope, which he 'fastened to his own body, entering the water, while witness held tbu rope. Just at this time, W. Turner came, stripped and got into the water as soon as possible. After a time he recovered the body and brought it to thB bank, where he* was assisted by witness and Hoskins. 'The police were sent for, and they ■liook the body of deceased away. The dam was four or five chaius long. The water was warm, but " ihe sun was noi very strong. % In anbwer to questions, witness -said deceased wiB a very poor -swimmer. He did not c-> 11 out in any way. Before going into the water he complained of a pain in -his side. Ho took a run ot about -eleven yards befoie entering the nvater The deceased made a poking remark about having for--.gotteu the way to swim. When he got out of the water, after -feeling deceased with his foot, it was a quarter to two. Was never •in the dam before. It was about -a quarter-of an hour before the J body was taken out. Turner and Hoskins tried to restore life, but *there was none -remaining in the «body. James Hickey corroborated the jpravious witness' -evidence. Deceased had attributed the pain in •4iis Bide to boxing. They ran a ..good' distance before getting into :tne water. Herbert Clifford Barclay, duly medical practitioner, 'Waimate, deposed to having made -external examination of the xbedyof deceased on Sunday. The -appearances were consistent with death from drowning, but there was a complete absence of any *Bigua at a struggle for self-preser--vation. From the examination -and the evideuce given he formed the opinion that deceased was overtaken by serious sickness in the water. It might have been sunstroke or a convulsive attack, *or general cramp, not due to the 'Coldness of tire water, but to -exhaustion, He had suffered from diphtheria some five months ago, and was therefore liable to a convulsive attack, and the loss of* consciousness in the "water rendered him helpless. The •cause of death was, drow,ning. "TJaere was no sign of violence. James Hoskins deposed to >having'been asked by a boy to go <k) tie help of a boy who was

drowning in Turners Sain. Got a rope and a rakwand ran off, sending the boy to Turner's for farther help, as he himself could not swim. Arriving at tlie hole, he put the rope round his waist and the boy held it. Walked into the water up to his neck and felt about -with, the rake 'in tho direction indicated, but could not \ feel anything. William Turner then came and recovered the body, which was pulseless and cold. Tried to restore life for some time. There were no weeds at the bottom, although the water was nofc clear. Did not know deceased. William Turner corroborated the previous witness' evidence, referring to the time he was on the scene of the accident. The body was lying face downwards on the bottom of the dam. Constable O'Halloran gave evidence as to having brought the body to town, where it v?as examined by Drs Barclay and Oruickshank. Went to Norton Reserve in company with the Rev. Father -Regnault. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death, adding a rider coininandutory of the promptness of Messrs Hoskins and Turner in attempting to recover fcno body.