THE LATE CARL MOELLER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4226, 23 September 1892, Page 3

THE LATE CARL MOELLER.

The Cot oner's Inquest The following was the principal evidence taken at the inquest on the body of the late Carl Moeller, held id Wellington, on Thursday:— Constable McGili, stated that he was sitting on the forehatoh with deceased and a passenger named 'Williams as the vessel entered tho heads. He left them for a few minutes in order to get some papers from the purser, and wlien lie returned had disappeared. Williams informed him that he had seen Moeller sitting on the forehatoh only a moment before, The deceased was in good spirits on the voyage across, and he appeared to ba hopeful of being dealt with under the Probation Act, Witness had refused a cabin passage, ai he preferred to remain close to his prisoner. There was no place on board where he could lock Moollerup at night, as every room wsb occupied by passengers. Dr Chappie stated that the cause of death was asphyxia by drowning. He did not think, from the condition of

llio deceased's hands, tliat ho could have clung on the line towing alongside the ship for any length of time. The condition of the heart showed that deccaasr] must liavo uudergono great muscular exer|ion, probably caused by swimming, Eobert Williams, a passenger on tlio Hauroto, staled that he stood talking to Moeller for a lew minutes after Constable McGill left them. Moeller had a grey coat on, and must havo had the lifebelt on llien, ns lie had no lime to go down to his cubin, put the belt on and return, after witness left him, and before McGill returned to the hutch way. To tlio Foreman: It wis surprising to witness that no one saw the deceased go overboard, if he used tlio line toeing alongside the steamer. W. Jesson, brother-in-law of the drowsed, identiliod the body, The deceased had left a widow and one son, A vordict of found drowned was returned, and tlio jury added a rider to the effect that, m their opinion, Constable McGill had taken every caro of tho prisoner, and was in no degree to blame,