ALEXANDRA. (FROM A CORRESPONDENT.) February 12.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXII, Issue 2683, 21 February 1866, Page 5

ALEXANDRA. (FROM A CORRESPONDENT.) February 12.

The painful duty of communicating the untimely death by drowning of one of the most promising settlers in this township, has again fallen to my lot. The unfortunate young man's name was Henry Michin, an only son, whose parents reside in Panmure. He came into the regiment as a substitute ; and was on his road to his future home, well provided by his parents (with farming implements, seeds, &c, necessary to carry on farming, on a large scale), who intended to join him as soon as a place had been prepared for them, in which to reside. As far as I can gather, it appears he was riding one of his horses, and leading the other, from Te Rori to this settlement, and arrived at the Mangapiko river about half -past seven p.m. on the morning of the 25th ultimo. Not knowing the ford he plunged into the river about fifty yards above it, and in the descent was pulled off the horse he was riding by the unwillingness of the other animal to take the river, when, being encumbered with his clothes and heavy boots (although a good swimmer), together with the fearful rate at which the current runs at this spot, he went down, and wasjnot again seen unti dragged out about two hours subsequently. An inquest was held on the following morning, before Edward Waddington, Esq., M.D., District Coroner, and the following jury, viz : — Messrs. Turner, Burns, Edwards. Holt, Caty, Walsh, Squires, Ridlay, Rowe, Brittan, Whitehead, Burdett, and Duke. Patrick Taylor, being sworn, said: I am a private in the 2nd Regiment, residing at Alexandra. I have seen the body of a person lying dead at the Hospital washhouse, and recognise it as that of Henry Michin of Panmure. His age is about 25 or 26 years. Nathanial Weston, being sworn, said: I am a private in the 2nd Waikato Regiment. I was informed yesterday morning, between six and seven o'clock, that a man had been drowned in the river. I went down to the river with the intention of diving for the body, but I found the current too strong, and the water too deep, besides the risk from the snags. I therefore put a boat-hook on a pole, and after three hours succeeded in finding the body in sixteen feet of water. lat once recognised it as the body of Henry Michin, of Panmure.^ I was present when the body was searched, and assisted the constable in doing so. The deceased was about twenty-five years of age, and a single man. < Hugh Thompson, being duly sworn, said : lam a corporal in the 2nd Waikato Regiment, residing in Alexandra. I have seen the body lying at the Hospital, and know it to be the same as that taken out of the river yesterday morning. Ido not know the deceased. Yesterday morning, about six o'clock, I heard some person calling out as if in the water. I at once awoke the men who were sleeping in the tent with me. I ran out and just saw the head of a man just above the water. By the time I got down to the bank he had disappeared. There were two horses standing in the water. The depth of the river where deceased was is about nine feet. George Lock, being duly sworn, said: I am a private in the 2nd Waikato Regiment, now residing in Alexandra. lam working at the new bridge at the Mangapiko river. About six o'clock yesterday morning I was lying in my tent, at a distance of twenty yards from the river, when I heard a splash in the water and a scream. I and my mates ran out of the tent and saw a man struggling in the water. We all ran down to the bank, but when we arrived there the man wasgradually sinking, and was then under the water. He never rose again. There were two horses standing in the river with only their heads out. I helped to get them out. Upon one horse there was a saddle and bridle, but no stirrup irons. After getting out the horses, I went up to the camp, and reported the case to the officer commanding. William Kelly, being sworn, said: I am a private in the 2nd Waikato Regiment, and the constable attached to this settlement. I was present yesterday when the body of a man was taken out of the river, where the bridge building is now in progress. 1 did not know the deceased. I assisted in pulling the deceased out of the water. I searched the body and found upon it the following articles and money, viz : — A purse, two pipes, a comb, a locket, watch, keys and guard, also eleven shillings and four-pence in silver. The deceased had on two coats, pair of trousers, long boots and spurs. The finding was, " 'JLhat Henry Michin came to his death by drowning on the 25th day of January, 1866, at Alexandra, in the river Mangapiko, casually and by misfortune and not otherwise. " I have a few remarks to make on the manner in which the deceased's property was neglected, and which resulted in a further severe loss to the parents of the young man, by having the two fine draught horses, mentioned above, stabbed by some vile miscreant, one of which is since dead. As far as I can learn, the officer whose duty it was to see the property of deceased taken care of, neglected such duty, and the two horses got into some person's acre, both of which, as I have said, were stabbed. I refrain from saying anything more on the subject, as the case will come before Sir George Arney in the March sessions, further than to urge the necessity of a pound and pound-masters, which would tend to lessen this kind of crime. This is the fifth case of stabbing and maiming horses, which had been found trespassing, within the last eight months, not to mention pigs, poultry, &c. I must not complain about pig-stabbing, for one of our worthy J.P.s. has openly stated there is no law for pigs. The consequence can easily be seen, _______________