CASUALTIES.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15756, 24 November 1916, Page 5

CASUALTIES.

THE SUMNER DROWNING CASE,

An inquest was held yesterday evening, before Mr H. W. Bishop, Coroner, on the body of Samuel Brain, which was found at the tramway bridge at Sumner on Wednesday. Frederick William Dndney, draper, identified the body as that of Samuel Brain, who was his brother-in-law. Ho was 55 years of age, and carried on the business of a confectioner in TTigh street. He had no financial worries. I He had fretted somewhat over his only son going to the front some eleven j months ago, but had been much more cheerfu] of late. He had been attended by Dr. O'Brien two years ago for a rupture of a blood vessel on tne eye, and had been warned against a recurrence wbicb. might occur on the brain' Brain had bicycled out to Sumner against a head windMrs Brain, wife of deceased, deposed that he left his home in Douglas avenue, St. AJbangf at 8.40 on Wednesday morning, apparently to go to business. The sister of witness, however, came np at about 10 a.m., and said the shop in High street had not been opened, and later witness received word that her husband had been found drowned at Sumner. She considered that he bicycled out " to Sumner, feeling the need of fresh air, and that there the exertion had affected him and a blood vessel had brokea. The Coroner read a certificate from Dr. O'Brien that he had attended the deceased, and had found that he was suffering froih a rupture of a blood, vessel on the optic. He had 'warned him to be careful, as a recurrence might ttake place at any time owing to the blood pressure on brittle veins. W. M. Perry gave evidence as to the finding of the body, and the steps taken to restore animation, which were fruitless, though he persisted for over an hour. George M. Lister, motorman, depos-' ed that he had noticed the deceased on previous trips to Sumner sitting on a rock almost motionless- He appeared to be worried, and never looked round. Witness saw him last shortly before 2 p.m. At 2.17 p.m-, as the tram was returning to town, ne saw the body in the water. It was only about twenty minutes between the time he (witness) ■ saw the deceased on the rock and when they found him in some three or four feet of water. The Coroner returned a verdict of "Found drowned," there being no evidence to show how the deceased got into the water, "though," he said, "the evidence of Mr Lister tended to confirm Mrs Brain's theory that deceased had broken a blood vessel and fallen into the water, in which case respiration, of course, could not be indncfed."