MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT AT PORT CHARLES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 117, 25 March 1879, Page 2

MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT AT PORT CHARLES.

<v Mil AND MRS OTTO DROWNED,

By the arrival in town of Mr Bridges Kensington we are, says the Auckland Evening Star, in receipt of the melancholy news that Mr and lira Otto have been drowned at Stoney B.iy, Po/t Charles. Mr Kensington, brother of Mrs Otto, informs

us that lie saw the deceased at about halfpast live on the evening of the 11th inst., when they were standing under the verandah of their house at Stoney Bay. Mr Kensington was on his way to visit his mother, and Mr and Mrs Otto made some remark about going themselves. On his return to Stoney Bay, at about half-past six o'clock, Mr Kensington missed his brother-in-law's boat from the beach, but conjectured that Mr and Mrs Otto had gono out for one his customary pulls in tlie Bay, but as he noticed a roll in the Bay, ho remarked to his brother Cecil that, Mr and Mrs Otto had bettor be careful in landing on their return. Mr Kensington went home; but finding, on the following morning, that Mr Otto did not turn out to work, lie went in search of him, put found that he and his wife had not returned, Ho supposed that they had stayed the night at the house of Mr Kensington, and his brother Harry and took a dingy and went to Port Charles in search of them, but oil their arrival found that Mr and Mrs Otto had not been there on the previous evening. Becoming alarmed for their safety. Mr Kensing ton returned with all haste to Stoney Point, where he found the bodies lying together on the bench near high water mark. Information was given to Mr Wright, manager of the' A.L. and Go's mill, who had the bodies removed to their mother's house, Tlie tea things were found on tho table in Mr Otto's house, leading (o the conclusion that they left homeshortly after they were last seen alive. Thebpdies were found about 100 yards from the place where the boats were kept. Mr Henry Kensington corroborates tiie above statement, and says the deceased were commonly in the habit of making pleasure trips to their mothen John A. Rhodes who, with two others, removed the bodies from the beach, says life appeared to be extinct for some time. They were much bruised about tlie head and faces by being washed about on'tlie beach, which is very rocky, full of boulders, and exposed to the swell of the sen. ' The melancholy accident has cast quite a gloom over the settlement at Port Charles, where the deceased were much rospected by a large circle of friends, Mr F. Kensington came to town this morning for tlie pur-1 pose of giving information of the accident I to the authorities.