INQUEST AT TEMUKA.

An Inquest -Was- held on- the body of Bobert Hannah, fouud m the Temuka River on the 3rd in»t., at tho Crown Hotel, Temukn, on "Wednesday morning; the sth iusfc.j before B. Woolleofns-, Esq., Coroner, and the following jur» : Messrs W. Massey (foreman). j Bracefiold, Mason, Mcßae, Mendeison, Hyam, Marshall, Markham, : Denorn, Wareing Mcßratney, Mutch, Giddes, and Miller. Thomas Boss, said he was a constable at Temuka. About 4. o'clock oirMonday evoning last he. received. some information and went to the Temuka river near Holloway's, whore he found the body of deceased, and had it removed to where it now lies. He noticed several braises on the head. By the Coroner : The body wat lying m the Temuka river m still water with the head up stream. He saw deceased on Tuesday evening, th« day after the eleotion. He identified the body as that of Robert Hannah. In searching the body he found no money or valuable*. The last time he saw deceased he was slightly under the influence of drink. James Spratley said he had aren th<> body i lying there, and identified it a»thVt of Bb'iert Hannah. He last saw him in' The township on the bvening of the 27th December. He was then going m the direction of the river, and did not appear to. bo very muoh- under the influence of liquor. By a Juror : Ho did not go home that same night. They hadbeen drinking together. By the Coroner : The deceased complained to him about losing a watch on Christinas Evo, and asked him to go back and hare a search for it. ■■- Stuart. M'Donald Gumming said he was a duly qualified medical practitioner, residing m Toimika. He made a post mortem examination on the body lying there. The body was .decomposed, and appoared to have boen m tho water at least four days. The under lip was bit through by teeth. There were contusions on the forehead and bruiseß. on the left ear and hand. . The clothes were not disarranged, and the noektio had hot been, interferod with. He opened tho head and found the bruises beneath thescalp corresponded with the external marks. They , had tho appearance of having beferi received during life. There .was no> fracture of the skull. «0n : examining the cheat he found the hoarf; healthy, but full of black blood. The liings were congested, : and the "stomach alsb contaiued a. quantity of. water.. , Hir opinion was that death was caused by suffocation or drowning. None of the wounds m the head were sufficient to have caused death, but might have Tendered him insensible. .. ;.. . By tho Coronor — He must nay that he believed that the' injuries on the head occurred before [ death, it was possible that theßa bruises; might have been caused by the deceased falling on to a stone, and immediately aftorwards being drowned. Edwin Carr Said he was m his father's house at Temuka, on Tuesday night. ■He caw deceased going towards the bridge on .that evening, thero were two men with him then. He could' not identify them. The deceased left his fatherVhouse. about eight o'clock. He was not sobpr.. • . By. a : Juror.— The two' men wont on, and deceased .remained at his father's, and then went on to the rivor by himself. Spratley was m hie father's house, he was drunk. This was on itho 28th of December. ' James Spratley being recalled, said hewas m Carr s. house on the 28th ult., m the : evening. Ho was sober. .Three- peoplo were* present Michael. G-ueirin was thero. ' ■-■ ■ ■John Smith I said ho: was., a blacksmith m. Temukp. Ho saw deceased .qnTuesdaynight,: It was, late; ' He' was wishful' to stay, but witness^ could not accommodate • him, and told him to go to Carr's, he went,.inrl he (wilne«s) heard a row botwoensome pernrms there; /He thought there was a, fight. .The doeeawfl was drunk. ; Ho heard the voices. Ono of Micrh was a strange voice to him. ■ Previous fo this he had iseen no, strnngors near to Carr's. „. ■ . . Dr Cummings being re-cull^, said ' the bruises ; were apparently caused by violence; they might havo beon done by faWng on a heap of stones. . : . ; .■ Mary Carr said she wns the wife of. Owon Carr, sind saw deceased about; 3 : o'clock on Tuesday, .the ; 28th; He wag ,at : home on Tuesday night. Late on that night she heard Bomoporson knock at the door, but. did not open it! There- was no noise that she heard. Bno could not tell what time this was. It was nof; jmorning. She thought from the voice iti was John Barnett, as she lent Mm a few shillings, and thought he had come back to pay her. Bpratley told her tho next morning that he heard the knocking at tho door. He was noVeober on the evening m question. No further evidence being adduced, the jury asked for an adjournment until Thursday, the 13th of January, and tlio jurors woro then bound over m (heir own lvfoguisam-eB to appear on that date. • 'ADJOtrBKED INQUEST. An adjourned inquest on tho body -of' Eoborfc;Hannnh was hold ye?rerHay~ (Thursday), January 13th, -at Temuka, before' B. Woollcombe, Esq., Coroner, and the same jury as at the prerious inquest.- . ■ -. . : . John Smith said he was a blacksmith living m Temukai On the nir.htof Tuesday, the day after th'e election, he h^Ard a row outside, of Carr's house. ... He heatd-two-or-three voices Hannah's amongst them;; ;jH.e could jnot distinguish any other voice. He -had lived near Carr's house about nine months/andhe heard' row* and quarelling before at their place. He had been m the house. Ho" did not hear any cries for help ' • ■ -'■ ■■■'■■■■■■■ Edwin Evans,- a wheelwright; at Temuka,; said ho' remembered the Tuesday when the. body of Hannah was found." He was speaking to MrsCarr'bri that evening,".and' said to ' Mrs. Carr, '{ It was a had job . for poor. Bob"— meaning deceased. She said, "1 had been down tj> the river before the body was : found and ■ had Been nothing." He saw Hannah at Carr's Soar abont a month 05 so before his death, i Mi's Carr pushed hiiri away. He (deceased) |tlieh Baid, " To hell with the Pope. and. Popery * ' After that Carr's boys threw Eton ca 1 at him. I Hannah was drunk at" the time. Ho saw him fall; but did nofrknow fiom what cause. 'He did not see Mrs Carr throw any stoneß. i •■■■-•/ •':.'.■ - : ..■.•■•-'■• i:'.'.\, i-. :.-.; George Edgier, a garclencr, Temuka, said he lived near thp river and remembered Sunday, the 2nd ' January. He saw Mrs Carr and daughter on that day this eide of the Temuka river.- ; They were ., walking along, and went on to th'e' footbridge,' "and were looking down the river. Mrs Carr bid him gbod day. ; Hemy Holloway, a farmer afe- Temuka, remembered the Wednesday after Boxing Day. He was going to bury a horse. It was about a quarter . past ? .' f ouri i o'clock ' . in . :the , morning. He passed,- Garr's. house. He Baw a man, who asked him For 'come tobacco ; it was below Carr's house, and the man walked with f hiin and then went into fcarr's house. Tho door was partly, open. . He,, and another irian rame out witK" a swag 1 , btit he (witness) had seen neitHer of ■them-sinc^, and did not think h^ should, be? able to recognise either of them. Qn .Bunday,_2nd.January, he saw Mrs Carr on; the bridgeTlooking up ; and down the^ river. | g|By a juror: The -man helmet was going In' the direction of the bridge, and turned back ind went irito Carr's." ■■ '-■ • : | Robert Matson, a laborer, at Temuka, said he found the hat produced, on the 30th Dee., 200 or 300 yards bslow the bridge. It' was about a foot from the bank m the water. He took the hat homo.;, It. wns .token from; therb by somoond. He noticed some spots, undo* the rim. He bniehod it to xnake l it

clem sb ho thought to wear it. The spots would not come out, Stuart M. Gamming, a medical practitioner at Temuka, said ,-the spots "on the hat had all the appearance of blood, but he could not swear that they were blood. If the spots were blood it was nothing more than he would. have expected from , the ; wounds he saw on the deceased's head. Mr Bobert Upriehard, s draper's assist- ' ant, at Tomuka, said he know deceased, Eobert Hannah. Lust caw him mMr Velvin'B store on Tuesday, the 28th December. He purchased thp hat produced between 12 and 2 o'clock on that day. The hat was similar to ' ■ those m the store. He . could not swear to that particular hat. Deceased purchased a new Buit of olotb.es at the same time. Dpnnis Barrett, a laborer living near Ter muka, »aid he remembered Tuesday, the day after the eleeidon, Ho wai not m Calif's house on that day. He left TemuH nt about eleven o'clock to go home. He p.wed Carr's. His did not go m. Ho «aw n» light. He got home at daylight. He slept on the road. ' Thi shirts produed were his. He was locked up on the night of (he election. He had a bit of a row that night and bled at the nose, and the shirt was stained then He did not know who he had the row with. He could not cay whether he was struck or not. ■ Ho was bleeding at the nose. He did not wash bit face m the" lock-up. He did net know whether he had blood on hiß fa c next morn* iDg. Ho was. the worse of liquor. Thomas Boss, a constable of police, stationed at Temuka, said he arrestocf Oarr and his wife on the 6th instant, the day after tho inqueafc. Carr said nothing. Mrs Carr Baid " b»d Ihok to the Cook of the North, I wish ' I hal nerer seen him." Ho examined their pl*cc, and found' tome olothei ' m a tub of water. There were stains oh the waistcoat resembling blood. There was a razor and a • letter m one of the pockets. There were ■tains resembling blood alio on the trousers. Ho had seen the waistcoat on O»rr lately. j By the Coroner : The last witnesi had nd' ■: blood on him, either on his face or clothea He was not drunk on the night I arreßted him. , . . .. ; By a Juror i He saw no blood on, the Inst -ivitnoas just 'previous to his, leaving the: lock-up. Hugh Bowmant, a constable stationed at. . Temuka, said he remombered D. Barrett being locked up on the 271h of December. He had struck a man, but lie was not hit hjmself, ho waß not bleeding. Did not observe any blood on his shirt. Did not see auy thing peculiar about him the next morning. Ho was at the Court when Barrett was charged for "■'■ breach of tho peace ; lie pleaded guilty. Did ' not produce his shirt on that occasion. ■ ' ■ ' '■ '• ... By Mr Perry : Ho did not perceive B.ny ' blood on the other prisoners who wore looked up' that evening ; there wore two of them; '' . •■. '£ Donald MoQillivray, a roadjeontractor re- . , aiding at Temuka., said he saw Barrett on tho . morning. ha came out of the- prison. He. saw ,:■ a ttain of blood on his shirt ; ho had his coat „ on. He did not, see him. ia tho lock-up. ■ ;■< Cross -examined by Detective Walker: jßarnett came home with him on Tuesday after , ; the election, and left again the same evening, and came back next morning.' He did not perceive'ihat hit clothea were dirty. ■The Coroner having briofly reviewed tho' "' evidence, the. jury had a long- discussion ulfci- ' i: jnatclyj arriving : at ; tho ' following yerdict .— ;: "Found drowned m the rirer Teihukallbut- ■ ' not sufficient -evidenco has been adduced to show cause how deceased came m the rivor, '■ ; but the jury are of opinion that the circum- ' stances surrounding ... the case are very buspiciouß." :. ,i^