INQUEST OTAMETE.

Bruce Herald, Volume XI, Issue 1081, 24 January 1879, Page 3

INQUEST OTAMETE.

An inquest was held at Q'Kane's tlotel, Otamete, on Saturday, the I.Bth inst., before Dr Macaffer, J.P., aciiiiig Coroner, and a Jury, of which Mr J., ; Keam was chosen foreman, 'touching the dfeath' of John Morrison, 1 'a 1 i»bbitter. 'the jury, after being swonij having viewed the) body, the ibllowiug evidence was taken^T— ; y , tJ ,-.^ ._.,, John Kichard said— l. know the decewed who waa employed by ma'ai » rabbitter.i: JSesi]efc-^me on the j^th December. I pai4 him £8, and BUpfilied him with a pair .of boote. He left me to go to Benmore Station.' 'On his return, after 12 days' absence, I understood from him 'that he ihadi'beeri'ait the Benmore Hotel. He left -me during the -Tuesday night tor Wednesday morning follqwing his return ?'I cannot give the exact hou^.- 7J' Phpr^tly afterwards, left him, at y the Waritwood Station. I appear, aripe indicated that he had been drinking bird, -and was suffering lirdraj delerium tremenS: l R& w *s locked? up in the coach ■ il» tobk' him" from' 3 th|rt s J to, my ; liuiy %kere ; he arrived^ at. about T^rvo'clo^k. ' 'J' was quite satisfied that he wast suffering from the i effects of drink. « An-thour after at my hut, we" removed to another distant about 1| miles, ■: arriving there, after removing some thipgs, .about 9 o'clock. ■ 'We had su pper ■ together, • both of us eating heartily; we went to bed almost immediately afterwards The uext dayi shifted dogs, liloirison was.: frequently addressing himssrlf tdan imaginary audience—^tbis wasf jon Wednesdayi He otherwise slio^ecl ' hithSelf 3e]iriiuß.r He thought Detective Farrell was. after him About two cheques. He left me about noon that day ; I did not see him alive again that day; I next saw him about 4 p.m. on the 17tt in, the Otamete river ; -he was lying on his chest on a stone. Saw his scarf round his neck. His legs from the knee downwards were under water. I gave information M*, M'Caughah's homestead, y and at th^ of" the manager (Mr Bourke),! proceeded to Gore to giyftjinfortnation : to police. ; jl assisted on the 18th to take the body outjof the river. ' I did not 'see a stone round hi 3 neck. He told me he had been" drinking for, some days at Mr Benson's Hotel, Benmore. He walked the: way across country from Benmore to my. hut. I believe he" has a mother v arid brother living in Scotland. He told me he had spent all his mdney. On the Thursday I made enquiries at the station but could learn nothing of him, I thought, he -had-gone } to the EdendaJe Hotel. I had no suspi- 1 cion he would commit suicide. The deceased thought; -he ) had been .chloroformed by detectives at the Benmore Hotel. By a j uror : . The length of time occupied in ; going fLom hut to hut was taken up in 'removing my traps. J John White, who had known deceased for two years gave evidence substantiating., that of the former witness r about Morri£spri. The deceased said he had been in a row' at the Benmore.* He spoke of shooting a woman, and wanted a horse either to give himself up for , shooting or as a witness. He took a hearty breakfast on thesmorning of the 17th. H? was afterwards locked, up in the coach-house. v He waß undoubtedly suffering, from the effect! of drink. When in the coacthouse he called fori brandy. He was kept, in the. coach" house for about eight hours ! before Bichards came for him. Be raved about guns and shooting. Witness next saw./ him in the Otamate river on the evening of the 17th in the centre sf the stream. Would imagine ; )he had .been there. two or th feedays. He was, of witnesses' knpwledge, addicted'tq ;, tliink. He had a bag round his neck tied at the mouth with a scarf or handkerchief which was found the deceased's- neck. ; : >'; ? ■ X Samuel DicksQn sworn said— l saw: the deceased taken out of the Otamete river on the 18th. Three quarters of a milefurther up the river I saw on the banks a pair of old moleskin trousers, a shirty and one sock, six sticks ' of tobaccb, and a small piece of soap. I also saw that' a stone had been removed from Ithe banks of the river. The river .at ,, this place, is from ten to twelve feet deep. 7 . Wm. l^letizies said — I knew the deceased. I saw him taken but of the Otamete" river. i '•' I saw soihe' clothies three quarters of a mile up the river; ; i I believe that the trousers found belonged to. the i deceased. There were , no indications of a struggle at the pa ce where' the Lrousers were found. On the 17th I found a pair of red blankets and a rag in gome scrub a quarter -of a mile- below the placed where the body :was found— X found the : things about.B pirn, the, day he \vas locked up. They were not concealed. It appeared that after seeping there he had left them. The jury returned the following verdict—" That the deceased^ John Morris-" son, committed suicide ;by^ drowning^ whilst in a fit of temporary insanitythrough excessive drinking." ■ £ ihe body was found in a most inacces- . able place, making it of considerable difficulty to get it out. It was in an adyancedYsfete of; decomposition . : ;T.he deceased was apparently about 30 to 35 yeara^ of^ajgei - r ■•'"•- f/ ' ;: ' '^; •/;--" *' a l * ]i; ' .