Death from Exposure.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 44, 13 May 1875, Page 5

Death from Exposure.

In last issue we briefly announced that the dead body of a man had been found o n Cairn station, between Otaria and the coast line. The body was taken possession of'by the police, r and brought into Clinton on Thursday. Mt turned out to be that of a young man seemingly about 23 years of age, whose identity has not yet been established. The body, was carefully examined, but no trace of violence of any description found upon it, so that the surrounding circumstances^ point undoubtedly to the fact that death was the result of exposure. A magisterial inquiry was held at the Royal Hotel, Clinton, on Friday, before Dr-J. G. Smith, and a jury, at which the following evidence as to the finding of the body was adduced. Henry Davis, a shepherd, employed on Cairn station, deposed, he was out on the run on Tuesday, 4th instant searching for cattle. About half a mile distant from the home-station, he came upon the body. 1 1 was lying on a ridge wrapped up in a blanket with a shirt and pair of trousers rolled up for a pillow under the head. The condition in which deceased was found led him to the conclusion that he had lain down to rest, and that in that position he had met with his death. The weather at the time was cold and boisterous. It was about 11 a.m. when the body was discovered, .and he concluded . it could not have been lying where it was found many hours, from the fact that he (witness) was at the same place looking for cattle, late the preceding day^ The witness further gave it as his opinion that deceased had come from either Catlin's River or Mr Brugh's station. He was strengthened in that opinion by the fact that had he come from either Popotunoa or the Mataura, it would have been necessary to cross the Wyndham and the Waipahee, both of which streams had been swollen for some days previous, to such an extent as to render them utterly impassable. There was no food found in the swag carried by the deceased, and as he must have travelled at least thirty miles over a rough broken country, it may be readily surmised that when he lay down, he must have been weak and otherwise pretty much exhausted. The body which, as we have already said, appeared to be about 23 years of age, was 5 feet 5 inches in height, with dark brown hair, small whiskers, and a small fair moustache. The body was of a stout build. The third finger of the left hand bore a blue ring mark, and on the left arm there was a tracing of a "ship with letters resembling the words ** William." The drees worn by deceased consisted of a short black cloth jacket, a light tweed vest, moleskin trousers, with a red brown stripped Crimean shirt. Qn his .feet were a pair of -water- tight boots, with the tops cut off. He had a Balmoral peaked cap on his head. The swag consisted of an old blue blanket and old pair of black trousers and a shirt. From the dress . and. general appearance, deceased is supposed to have been a late arrival, and to have been a sailor. The Coroner's jury returned a verdict in accordance with the evidence, after which the body was interred in the Clinton cemetery ; the funeral service being read by the Rev. Mr Connor.

We are indebted to the acting Coroner, Dr Smith, for. the information, that on the Saturday previous to the finding of the body, a man answering the description of the deceased, called at the house of Mr James Esler, . Owake , Flat, , Catlin's Biver, soliciting wpr& Frpm that it would appear that the surmises that he came from the direction of Catlin's River is tolerably well. founded. It is not improbable that some of our Catlin's River readers may be able, to throw further light upon the identity of the deceased. ' y