FOUND DROWNED.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 261, 28 July 1908, Page 8

FOUND DROWNED.

— s—;5 —; ' CORONER'S INQUEST. A QUESTION OF IDENTITY. The adjourned inquest on the body of a man which was found in the harbour in an advanced stage of decomposition, having been'in the water for a lengthy period, was concluded, at the Magistrate's Court yesterday, afternoon,- before Mr. AV. G. Riddell, S.M., District Coroner. Station-Sergoant Dorby appieared for tho police. • Evidence was callcd with a view to tho identification of tho remains as being the body of Arthur Shapcotfc, fourth engineer of tho s.s. Ruapehu, who was reported missing from the ship on July 3, having last been seen on July 4.

AN ANTE-MORTEM A\ T OUND. Dr; AV. Kington Fyffo deposed to making a examination of tho body, which was in an advanced stago of decomposition. Thero was a largo ante-mortem wound, from five to six inches long. and three inches broad, along tho left sido of the jaw, from tho tip of the chin to the forehead. ■ Tlierowas no,fracture of-tho chin bone,' no 'injury to tho brain, or fracturc of tllo skull. AVater was present in the trachea and bronchii, but none in the . stomach; It was impossible to distinguish any marks. which. mignt faeilitato identification. In .his opinion, death was duo to drowning, but. he'was fully convinced that deceased was unconscious boforo he fell into the water, as there was no water in the stomach. A wound such as lie had described would cause unconsciousness, and might have resulted from a fall from a height on to somo projection, but would not, in itself, bo sufficient to cause death. -

SHAPCOTT'S DISAPPEARANCE. Wm. Guilland,. third-engineer of the Ruapehu,' stated that he went ashore with Shapcott on July 2 about 8 p.m. After calling at tho Pier Hotel and na'ving a drink of beer they"went for a- stroll, and returned on board.the ship at 10.30. ■ They had visited about three hotels during tho. time they were ashore, and had.fivo or six "medium, beers" I during .this time. Shapcott was "merry" when ho went on board, but it was not noticeablo that he bad been drinking. After getting on board both , witness and Shapcott went to their rooms. Witness entered tho room, but' Shapcott stayed on deck. About three minutes later witness, who was about to turn in, saw him standing looking over the side-of the vessel. Shapcott, who was a married man, about. 30 or 31 years of age, was well liked on tho ship, and' had a good charactor. Witness described the chain and match-box worn by Shapcott. Tho chain and match-box (produced) and stated t-o havo been discovered on tho body found in tho harbour, were not thoso worn by Shapcott. Witness, on re-examinitig the watch and box, thought ho recognised. tho box, but would not swear to the chain. Shapcott was in tho habit of carrying keys. Witness identified one of tho keys found on tho body as being identical with ,tlic key of tho cabin in which lie and Shapcott slept. Wm. Thos. James, chief steward of the Ruapehu, stated that Shapcott obtained £1 from him on tho ovening of July 2, when ho was in 'his usual state of health. This was the last he saw of him. CHANCES OF PALLING OVERBOARD. Wm. Charles Read, quarter-master on the Ruapehu, was on duty at the gangway on July 2 between 8 p.m. and midnight, and saw Shapcott coming on board. He was followed about fotir minutes later by the third engineer; both,.ho thought, wero quite sober. Witness' saw or heard nothing further of. either officer that night. It would not have been possible for Shapcott to have gono on shore up jtill midnight, without being observed. Three minutes before midnight, witness left the deck to call the relief watch, returning on the stroke of twelve. It would bo, quite possiblo for a man to fall overboard at that hour without being seen; if lie,fell overboard on the land side, he would striko the wharf beforo reaching tho water. Shapcott. was-dressed'in his ship-uniform and wore his. cap. The buttons on his suit were similar to the* one shown in Court as attached to uniforms of employees of the. New Zealand Shipping' Co.

William. Robert Wall,, quartermaster on the s.s. Ruapehu, said that ho was on duty from midnight until 4 a.m. Until 2 a.m. ho was continuously at tho gangway. At that time a passengor camo on board, and lie left the'gangway to see him aft. Soon after, he pulled the gangway .up. He saw no one else while on duty. . ' •

INITIALS ON WATCH. CHAIN. Norman Grant, electrician on the s.s. Ruapoliu, said that Arthur Shapcott had made threo trips on the vessel as his cabin-mate. The watch-chain worn b.v deceased was a lady's, about nino inches long, with a.small charm (a small bunch of gold) and a silver rhatclvbox attached. Sergeant Derby: "Is this the chain?" (produced.)' Witness: "No, rfcelcertain that that is not tho chain." Shapcott did not carry .a watch, continued witness. Ho was unablo to identify the nmtjch box. Tho initials "A.S." wcro stamped on one portion of tho chain. On further examination the initials "A.S." wore discerned by tho witness. This was all the ovidcnco. The coroner reviewed tho facts of tho case, and indicated to the jury that the issues involved wcro. first, tho identity of tho corpse, and, second, tho cause of death. There was strong presumptive ovidcnce that deceased was identical with Arthur Shapcott, fourth engineer of the s.s. Riiapohu, who had been missing. from the vessel since July 3 last. As to tho cause of death, there wasno cvidenco'to show how deceased fell into tho water, or how ho became unconscious heforo reaching the water. Tho wound itself might have been caused hy deceased striking somo projection during his fall.

The jury, without retiring, returned a verdict to the effect, that the deceased, Arthur Shapcott, was accidentally drowned 011 tho .evening of Juli 2, 1003.