THE DROWNING CASE AT KAIAPOI.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8596, 25 September 1893, Page 3

THE DROWNING CASE AT KAIAPOI.

THE INQUEST.

An inquest was held on Saturday at the Courtenay Arms Hotel, White's bridge, before R. Beetham, Esq., Coroner, and a jury, of whom Mr J. Newton was chosen Foreman, touching the death of a man, name unknown, -whose body was found on the 22nd in the river below Stewart's gully. Alexander Pateman stated that he resided at Belfast. His father was an engineer. On the day named he and his brother William were whitebait fishing in the river at Stewart's gully, 300 yards below the railway bridge. They came on the body of a man viewed by the jury. The body was below high-water mark, but the tide had left the body where it was found. Went home and informed his father. Witness found a hat (drab hard felt) produced. Fouud the hat near the Stewart's Gully bridge. Had not been there before. In the evening returned with Chief-Detective O'Connor. The body was in the same position. The hands and feet were tied. Witness did not know the deceased, and had not heard of any one beiug missing.

To the Foreman—Found the hat higher up stream from the body. It was below high water mark and above low water mark and half buried in the saud.

To Mr Broham—Left it till the ChiefDetective came.

Maurice O'Connor, Chief Detective, stated that the last witness pointed out to him the body of deceased at 10.15 p.m. on Friday night. It was lying 300 or 400 yards below the railway bridge and 3yda from high water mark. The hat was lOOj'ds nearer the Stewart's Gully railway bridge. The hat was 7yds from high water mark. It was half buried in the . sand. The body was lying on its face, the hands underneath. The head wae inclined towards the water at an angle of 45deg. The hands and feet were tied with pieces of small rope. The feet were about 2ft apart. Tlie hands were tied to within 4in. The deceased could have tied both hands and feet himself. The body had been apparently about two weeks in the water. Should say the deceased's age was about sixty. His hair was brown, turning gray. His face was cleau shaved, except moustache, which was turning grey. I could not decide as to his profession. His feet were small, and had light' shoes. The body was dressed in a dark gray tweed sac suit. There was a Crimean shirt and an under singlet. Searched the body and found Is 6d in money and a silver Geneva open-faced watch, No. 8442. The watch was full of water. There were two shirt studs, one with a red stone. In the pockets were a railway guide and tram guide, both for August, 1895. There were also some writing paper and envelopes in the pockets, as well as a pocket knife, pipe, matchbox, and three white cambric handkerchiefs. On one of these was a name — E. M. Betts, the M. Betts being distinct, the E. being indistinct. In one of the trousers pockets lie found a piece of rope, part of which corresponded with that round the deceased's hands and feet. The hat bore marks like s>hot marks. The marks were in the part of the hat not buried in the ground. It seemed as if the shots had been fired down at the hat from aa elevation. The hat had received shots both from the front and behind. Some of the shots seemed to have passed from the back through the front of the hat. On the body there was a mark in front of the left ear. The right eye was swollen and black; in fact, the face was generally discoloured. There were some papers on the river bauk, within a chain from the body, dated August, 1888, and might be cancelled forms. A solicitor of Wanganui, named' F. M. Betts, was reported through the police as missing last June. Witness knew of no one missing hereabouts. Persons were in the habit of shooting rabbits in the neighbourhood. Witness thought deceased might have thrown himself from the railway bridge. The foreman suggested that identification might be obtained as to the watch from some of the watchmakers, who might have cleaned it. Sergeant E. Wilson deposed that he knew F. M. Betts, solicitor, of Wanganui. He was about fifty-eight years of age, about sft 7iu, slender build, with black hair iutermingled with grey, used to wear a long moustache and shortly clippsd beard. Wit-ness-had-seen the body, which answered the description of Mr Betts as to height, build, complexion and age. He thought it was the body of that gentleman, but as the face was so swollen he could not swear positively to identification. To Foreman —Witness thought deceased coald have tied his hands and feet.

B. M. Moorhouse, a duly qualified medical practitioner residing at Christchurch, stated that he had made a post mortem examination of the body. It was well nourished, and that of a man approaching sixty year 3of age. The hands and feet were tied. There was a mark on the left side of the face, near the eye. After carefully examining this, he could find no injury to the bones—it was simply a flesh wound. There were no marks of violence. He examined the head and skin carefully, but could find no marks of shot or scratches, or indication of violence. On opening the chest and examining the lungs, considering the state of the lungs there was every sign of death having been caused by drowning. The body had been in the water at least a fortnight, and might have been there six weeks. The cords on the hands and ankles could have been tied by himself, and were drawn very tight by his struggles in the Mater. The shot marks on the hat were on the right side, whilst the abrasions on deceased's face were on the left side.

The Coroner briefly reviewed the evidence, pointing out that the shot marks in the hat had nothing to do with the cause of death. The fact that the cord in deceased's pocket was the same as that which tied his hands was an important point. As to identification, it was for the jury to decide, on the handkerchief and Sergeant Wilson's evidence, or return an gpen verdict without evidence of identification.

The jury returned a verdict that the man had been fouDd drowned,-but there was not sufficient evidence to satisfy them as to his identification.