AN EXTRAORDINARY THAMES STORY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 130, 3 June 1899, Page 5 (Supplement)

AN EXTRAORDINARY THAMES STORY.

DRAMATIC SCENE IN A CORONER'S COURT.

A riotous scene occurred at the Coroner's Court at Southwart, London, on April 10th, when an inquest was held on the body of Richard Henry Neville, a waterman and lighterman, who, it was alleged, was left to drown by a ship's crew, after the boat he had been rowing in had been swamped. Richard Bush, a lighterman and waterman, of 57, West block. Peabody's Buildings, Shadwell,' deposed that in the early hours of March 15th he was near the Nordcap, off Billingsgate fish market, in a rowing boat with Neville. A man named Clancy, on board the Nordcap, who represented himself to be the pilot, agreed to give them 5/ if they loosed the mooriug as they were 'shifting/ Witness and Neville did so, and then rowed alongside the steamer, Neville clambered on board to get the money, but no sooner had Ik? done so than Clancy called out 'Full steam ahead." The wash from the steamer swamped the boat, and in a moment witness was struggling in the water. He heard a wailing cry for help from Neville, and just caught a glimpse of him as he was hanging near the after port hole by a rope which was greasy with herring1 scales. Witness remembered no more as he became unconscious, but the Thames police rescued him. The Coroner: When you heard the order, 'Full steam ahead,' did you say anything?—l shouted at the top of my'voice to the crew on board, 'For God's sake, ease up until we are safe away.' No notice was taken.

Why do yoxi think the order was given? —I thought the idea was to bilk us of our money.

Thomes James Clancy, who stated that he held a master mariners certificate and had 3G years' eperience of coast piloting, living at 45, Morantstreet. Poplar, was next called. The Coroner: How came this about? —Witness: I told the captain to give him 5/, but he parleyed with him for quite a quarter of an hour. Were you going full steam ahead? —No. how could I? I was going- under the Tower-bridge.

Did you know the boat was swamped? —No. not until I got back from Gravesend the same afternoon.

Did you hear the cry for help?— No. They were only trespassers. What Jo yon mean?— The job had been given to someone else, but they sneaked it. They were trespassers on the steamer, and as such had a right to look after themselves. (Cries of 'Shame!') Mr Kent: Are. you licensed as a pilot?— Witness: lam a pilot. But yo\i have no certificate to pilot on the river?—l have a master mariner's certificate and 3G years' experience, also hundreds of thousands of testimonials in all the latest languages (laughter). _ Mr Kent: Do keep cool; don't get cross. —1 can't help getting cross. I am summoned by enemies. I would have brought Sir Charles. Russell here to defend me had I known (loud llaughter). Mr Kent: Very well; you hold no licence, then, do you?—l won't answer you again, so that's flat.l have been a good friend to the deceased and all his friends. The last thing I did to deceased was to give him a brother's hand-shake.

Inspector James McSweeney (Thames police) said that, hearing cries for help, he rowed to the spot with his galley and picked up Bush in an unconscious state.

Mr Kent: Yau heard the cry distinctly?— Witness: Oh, yes. Mr' Kent: Then they could have heard it on the Nordcap?—Witness: I should have thought so. Mr Kent: But they did not attempt to stop?—No; they went right straight on (cries of 'Blackguards!' and Cowards!') The Coroner: I suppose you will say it was an accidental death? Several Jurors (rising up excitedly): No, no. no; we protest (loud cries of 'Hear, hear'). The Coroner: Please keep quiet. At this point several men who had been sitting at the back of the court g-ot up, and, with clenched fists, said they would see that the' rig-ht thingwas done. For nearly 10 minutes they raved at Clancy. The coroner and the officers of the coure were powerless to stop the uproar, until nt last the ringleader of the affair was singled out and forcibly ejected from the court.

The jury then retired. On returning into court the foreman said that their verdice was 'That the deceased was drowned through the gross negligence on the part of the ship's company in not trying to save either the deceased or Bush.'

The coroner said he could not accept a verdict of manslaughter against a ship's company. The difficulty was got over by deciding to forward the verdict to the Board of Trade.

At the close of the inquiry an excited crown waited outside for Clancy, and he had to be escorted to a safe distance by the police.