INQUEST.

Clutha Leader, Volume XVII, Issue 833, 4 July 1890, Page 6

INQUEST.

Mr Fleming held an inquest, at tho courthouse here on Saturday touching the death of Henry James, who was found dead near Benhar on Friday afternoon, The following were the jury : -^D. T» Fleming (foreman), G. Lousley, J. W, Wilson, James Hogg, and William Guest.

A juryman who failed to appear was fined L2.

The body having been viewod arid other ? preliminaries observed, the* following cvi* '; dence was led : — '

James King, farmer, : residing near Benhar, when passing along the railway on Friday afternoon discovered tho dead body in a surfaceman's hub about a milo and a half beyond Benhar. It was lying on tho face on some blankets above straw, tho right hand being underneath the head. The body had on vest, trousers, «fee, and appeared to bo that of aman about 60 years of ago. He noticed some bread in tho hut. Tho body bo£G no marks of violence, nor was there any sign of a struggle having takon place. Ho at onco informed the police, Joseph Falconer, surfaceman on the railway, recognised the body as that of a man he saw standing at a hut alongside tho railway; boyond Benhar about half- past 9 o'clock on Tuesday morning. The man appeared to bo in good health. Ho spoke to witness and asked him where he could find water, which witness told him. Tho man told him he had stopped at tho hut the previous, night. It was a cold night, and witness told him he would have been belter beside Nelson's brick kiln.

Constable Pratt, Kaitangata, had seen and recognised the body as that of Honry James, who recently had been boots at Gray's Hotel, Kaitangata. He left there on Sunday, and walked to Stirling. Deceased was a native of England, seemed about GO years of age, and apparently was in good health when he left Kaitangata on Sunday.

Constable Christie gave evidence as to bringing the body' from Benhar to the camp. Ho found it lying on blankets above somo straw ; no marks of violence. Searched tho body, and found one shilling, two threepenny pieces, and threepence in coppers ; no letters or papers. Dr Fleming had eXwnined the body externally ; found no marks of violence. Believed the body had been dead for two or three days, and was of opinion that death had resulted from failure of tho heart's action, accelerated by partial exposure to cold and probably want of food. Tho jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence.