CORONER'S INQUEST.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 543, 17 August 1869, Page 2

CORONER'S INQUEST.

An inquest was held ou Saturday, at the National Hotel, Gladstone street, by the Coroner (Dr Giles), on the body of a man found on the north ber.ch on Friday last. Hugh Allison, a miner, gave evidence that he found the body haif-way between Dcadman's Creek aud Beaton's store. He pulled the body above high water mark, and reported the occurrence to the police. Constable Williams said he, in company with the first witness, took the body to "Westport in a dray. There was no property found. He had seen the man about town but could not identify him. Robert Simpson, bricklayer, said that he recognised the body as that of a man he had known in Nelson a year ago, but he did not know his name. He believed him to be a brickmaker, who had lately come from Charleston, and who was about to be employed bv Bull and Bond to mako bricks. His hair was greyish and he had a short beard. Eliza Cato, of the Golden Age Hotel, remembered seeing the man at her house three weeks ago with another named Gordon. The last time he called there he offered to sell his blankets, and he seemed to have had the horrors of drink on him. He said he had been in Sydney some time, and that he had been an assigned servant to a Mr Flood in that country, and that he had obtained his freedom on his station. Gordon was not a mate of his, but had only walked from Charleston with him.

Elizabeth Savage, of the Ship and Castle Hotel, had also seen him in Westport in a state of liquor two or three times, but could not further identify him. Dr Samuel Thorpe had made an examination of the body the day previous. The body was not decomposed, but the head and face were much disfigured. There was no appearance of any marks of violence. It was impossible for him to say what was the cause of death. He thought not more than three days had elapsed since death. The jury brought in the following open verdict: —" That the deceased was found on the beach dead, but there was not sufficient evidence to show the cause of death."