NAKED BODY IN HARBOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 305, 21 December 1912, Page 5

NAKED BODY IN HARBOUR.

SEEN AND THEN LOST. CLOTHES ON THE SHORE. The naked body of a man floating in the shallow water of the harbour off North Head attracted the attention of Sergeant-Major Bryce and Sergeant Mulholland, of tbe Permanent Artillery, yesterday morning. They had a good eicar view of the body, and at once ma<l<: for the nearest telephone and conimunioated tbpir discovery to the police. Ser geants Rowell and" Baskerville lost no time in procuring an oil launch and proceeding to the spot, but no body could then be found. The spot is one that is caught by the swirl of the tide currents, and it is believed that the body had been caught by the current and carried into deep water with the sweep of the tide. Investigations were continued, and a search of the shore resulted in the finding of a suit of clothes on the rocks not far from where the body was reported to have been seen. Police inquiries further elicited that on Monday a small boy found a white cotton singlet on a section close to where the suit of clothes was discovered. Pulled through one of the buttonholes of the singlet was a slip of folded paper, on which was written: "The one who finds this vest may keep it. for it is too much bother for mc to take it back to Auckland." The note was signed '•V.Y.Z., ,, or "X.Y.Z.," and no importance was attached to it. In view of the fact that the tide currents t-et in several directions frnm the North Head, and also that sharks arc at this season haunting the harbour, very little hope is entertained of the body being recovered. The adjacent beaches were searched this morning at low tide, but without result. Xo clue n? to the identity of the owner could be found in tbe clothes found on the rocks, and the only chance of ciraring up the. mystery appears tn lie in the clothing it-self bein-r reco<mi.-rd. The Garments inclurio blue sorgo coat and trousers, of "medium size, grey vest, brown and white tie, and a pair of black cashmere, socks. The clothes all bear signs of hard wear, and the sea-t nf the trousers is stained with paint and tar. The letter V is worked in white cotton on one of the socks.