DEATH OF WALTER OCKENDEN.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4628, 23 January 1894, Page 2

DEATH OF WALTER OCKENDEN.

Inquest,

An inquest on the body of Walter Ockenden, of; Maeterton j who was found in the.Lansdowne dani on Saturday evening last, was held before Mr'T.'..Hutchison, R,M,, and the following jury, yesterday morning:— MessrsE. H, Eton (Foreman), .AVile, J. Muir, J. Hood, H. Pearson, andP.Hyder. Bertram Ginders gave evidence that be bad seen the body now lying at the morgue, and identified it as that of Walter Ookenden, carpenter, of Masterton. Had not seen deceased previously for three or four weeks, He was then apparently in good health. He was 56 years of age on Christmas Day. .;./' \ : , ,fe ; ' ; Dr. Douglas gave evidence that ho had examined the body, which showed that deceased must have been dead at least a week, and M evidently been lying in the water for some time. Could net say positively that death had been caused by drowning, because of the present condition of the body. In all probability, from'general appearances, the cause of death was drowning. He Should say.'with the present weather, tbat the drowning took place, from four to eight days prior to Saturday last, Jane Bennington, aged 14, gave evidence that ahe last saw Walter Ookenden dive on Sunday, January 14th, He was then in the scrub below the Lansdowne dam, Was talking to the deceased when a buggy came along and he hid himself in the scrub, coming out again after it bad gone 1 past, Was quite close to Ookenden,only a fenoe between them, Had found a little bird and wished to put it in a tree, . Ookenden asked witness what she was doing and when told said he would put the bird in a tree for her. This was alUthat passed. Was quite Rure Ockenden < was not drunk, Mentioned the matter to her mother when 1 she got home as she thought Ockenden's opnduct in hiding from the buggy rather, strange, but her mother was busy and did not tako much notice of this. The time was about half-past four in the afternoon.

Margaret Bennington, aged 12 years, corroborated the statements of last witness.

William Crombie, labourer, stated that he corning from his work on the upper side of the Lansdowne dam, at about half-past five o'olook last Saturday, Ho noticed a man's hat on the embankment, and looking round saw a body in the water, floating face downwards, about ten yards out. Reported the matter at once to the police. There was very little slope on the dam side, an,d a person slipping must fall into the water. A small bag, like a Bugar bag, was lying beside the hat on the embankmont. It appeared to have been lying on the ground 'for weeks. Constable Joseph G. May deposed that on Saturday evening last between six and seven o'olook, in oompany with Coustabb Stewart, he was instructed by Sergeant MoArdle to proceed to Lansdowne dam and recover a body. Found it floating about 40 feet from the embankment, Threw a. lino out and drew the body ashore, Reooemsed it as that of Walter Ookenden. The visible parts were quite black being muoh decomposed, and witness identified the body by the olotliing and hair, The hat lying on the embankment had evidently been lying there for some days, the underside being splashed with small particles of clay splashed np by rain, Was positive that tho bat belonged to tho deoeased. A warrant was out for tho arrest of the deoeased for non-appearance when Biifflipned to attend the Court, Had last Been the deoeased on Friday, the 12th inst, He appeared then'quite sane and sober.

This was all the evidence, and the* ijury after a short deliberation returned a verdict of "Found Drowned, there not being sufficient evidenoe to ishow how, or by what means, the said Walter Ookenden oame by his death," A rider was'also added calling attention to tho necessity, of supplying the morgue with disinfectants, and better sanitary arrangements,