FATAL ACCIDENT AT PORT CHALMERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2237, 14 January 1897, Page 17

FATAL ACCIDENT AT PORT CHALMERS.

A fatal accident occurred at Port Chalmers I on Saturday night to James Dow, a labourer, about 42 years of age. It appears that about 9.30 p.m. Dow, with three other men, went to visit a friend named Robert Qunn, who resides < in the upper part of a stone building in Beach street, the staircase to the top being outside the building. After they had been there a short time they all had a glass of beer, and about 10.30 p.m. Dow left. He was shown part of the , way down the stairs with a ligbt by Michael | Ryl, Dow then remarking, " I can find the remainder of the way by myself." About 11.45 pm. James Paris, who was alto at Gunn's place, left by himself, and on reaching the foot of the staircase found Dow lying on the ground with blood running from his mouth and to all appearances quite dead. Dr Cunninghame, who was sent for, arrived immediately, and pronounced life to be extinot. On examination Dr Cunninghame found that the base of the skull w&s fr&otared. Death must evidently have : been instantaneous, geroeanb Geerin had the '<

body, at once conveyed to the morgue awaiting an inqusat.

THE INQUEST. An inquest was held on Monday at the courthouse, Port Chalmers, before Mr Coronet Oarew and ft jury of six, of whom Mr M'liymoot was chosen foreman, vouohing the death of Jarce» Dow, who was found dead in Beach street at midnight on Saturday. After the jury had viewed the body at the morgue the following evidence was taken : — ■ Alfred Larkin, labourer, identified the body at the morgue aa, that of James Dow, who was born in Perthshire, Scotland, and bad been in New Zealand * number of years. He was married, baV> there were no childcen. His ago waa 45 yearn. Michael Kyi, fisherman, nald he knew tho deceased James Dow, and saw him oi; Saturday night at Koberb Gunn's room, on the top -storey of a high »tni\e building near the wharf, about a quarter or half -pass 10. Dow, with two other ineu named Turner ard Youug, came *t the time. Gudii was asleep. He went to bed abouo 8 p.m. Dow deemed dober when he <ume. Witness went for li Od worth of beer, and James Paris returned with him. young was the worse for drink. Witness d:aak nearly the whole of the beer himself, but ha thought Dow hud a cup of ifc. Turner left first, then Young, aad afterwards Dow. Whan Dow was leaving witness showed him down the first night of steos with % lighted candle. Dorr then said, " Good sight, I am going home, and I shall be all right when I gat clear of the light." He waa tnen at the bottom of tho first night. Witness then went inside and to bed. Heard no noiSe. Qunn and witness were in one room and YooDg in another. Thero had been co quarrelling. Paris left about half an hour after Dow. He had known Dow for 16 or 17 years, and had always been ou friendly terms. He only went once for bear. Heard nothing more until Dr Cunninghame and Sergeant Geerin came. Thomas Turner corroborated the evidence of the last witness no far as visiting Gunu's place in company with the deceased was concerned, but said he had not seen Paris there. Witness only wmaiued about half an hour. They were all friendly together, aud Dow wai sober. Witness had a drink with Dow in the early part of tho evening, and also * drink of the boar a£ Gunu's. Dr Cunninghame recognised the body shown to the jary as that of James Dow. In answer to a message at 0.20 a.m. on Sunday ho went down to the stone building in Beach street and saw the body of deceased lying at the foot of the stairs. He was quite dead, and had been probably so for about two hours. Examined the body outwardly and found the base of the skull fractured. The spinal columu had been, driven into the brain. The o&une of death would be fracture of the base cf the skull. Witness examined the staircase alluded to. There was a mark on the rail whioh corresponded with a mark ou the deceased's right hoot coming in contact and sliding off. The staircase was stsop. To the first landing it was 18ft; vertical, and the staircase itself was about 20ft long. The rail part over where the body waa found was broken, and anyone unsteady on his feet would walk over. If the deceasad had fallen from the top baloony he weuld have fallen clear of the rail and not where the body was found. Jamen Paris, labourer, said he knew the deceased. About * quarter to 10 on Saburday night he went up with Ryl to Gunn'e place. Ryl had with him Is 6d worth of beer. Witness left again about half-past 11. The night was very dark. He bad no light, and when he gob to the bottom of the lower landing he trod on the body of a man. He saug out to Charles Anderson, who was inside Gunn's place: " Thero is a. man lying here, Anderson ; come downstairs." Witness struck a match and saw it was James Dow, and he appeared to bo quite dead. The head was lying towards the stairs and the legs near the doorway. Witness then went for the police. Whan Dow left he was pretty muddled with drink. When Anderson saw it was Dow, he siid, "I passed Dow on the stairs as I was coming up." In answer to one of the jury, Witness said Anderson came home a minute or two after Dow left. Ha had been out buying things. At this stage the jury considered it was necessary to hear the evidence of Anderson, and thai inquest was adjourned until Saturday morning at 11 o'clock.

Six men have been searching in and around Lake Thompson for two days withoafc finding any trace of the body of the man Beanie, a member of » survey party, who is supposed to have been drowned in the lake. The search has been carried on under the direction of Constable M'Keuzie, of Lumsden, and, two men will continue the work. The remains of the late Captain Cardep, of the ship Soukar, were buried at Karori on the stb, and there was a large attendance of captains and officors of vessels in port ag well a» of representatives of shipping and mercantile firms. The body waa buried close to the remains of Captain Kelly, of the ship Nelson. A strange ooinoidenoe is that Captains Garden and Kelly were both in charge of sailing ships of the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company, and that) both died in Wellington— Captain Kelly on January 3, 1893, and Captain Garden, on January 3. 189JL