THE CORINNA SUICIDE.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 9991, 22 March 1898, Page 6

THE CORINNA SUICIDE.

An inquest was faefct yesterday at the Mitre Hotel, Lytfeelton, before Mr R. Beetham, coroner, and a jury, of whom Mr L. Graham was foreman, on the body of William John Oilpin. David Spence, captain of the Corinna, deposed that at 10.45 on Sunday morning, when south of Kai- , koura peninsula, he heard the alarm " Man ♦overboard." He at once rushed out, and found that the officer of the watch bad stopped the ship. He then went round as quickly as possible to place the boat handy tor picking the man up. In about six minutes they had the man in the boat. The officer in charge at once started to restore life, meanwhile making for the ship. They worked for nearly two hours, when the man was on the ship, trying every possible mode to restore life, but without success. In the evening of Saturday, before leaving Wellington, the chief officer told witness there was on board a man a little fanny in his ways. Witness saw the man, who spoke rationally, and paid for his passage. At midnight witness told deceased, who had not gone below, " I allow no man on deck at , night." The deceased went to bed and rose in the morning, apparently all right and sensible. The deceased was known to the witness as a coal lumper at Wellington since 1890. Sydney Gilbert Stringer, chief officer of the Corinna, gave corroborative evidence. The deceased told witness that the Knights of Labour were threatening him. Deceased picked up a parcel on board and implied that it was something to do him mischief. As a fact the parcel contained a pair of boots. Witness described the precautions that had been taken in consequence of deceased's strangeness of manner. Witness had charge of the boat which picked the man up. The man was insensible. Francis Naylor, third officer, saw the deceased jump overboard, saying, "Good-bye." Witness stopped the engines, and took all the usual steps. Joseph Grenville, a passenger, saw deceased jump overboard. The man previously was speaking quite rationally. The jury returned a verdict of " Temporary insanity," adding a rider commending the officers of the ship for the prompt manner in which assistance was given by them. The Coroner said he would forward the rider* to the Union Shipping Company. The captain said that, had a person accidentally fallen overboard and made the slightest effort to keep afloat, the time taken in rescuing him would have been amply sufficient to save his life.