CORONER'S INQUEST AT ONEHUNGA. (FROM OUR OWN REPORTER.)

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 3123, 20 July 1867, Page 5

CORONER'S INQUEST AT ONEHUNGA. (FROM OUR OWN REPORTER.)

An inquisition into the cause of death of Joseph Turner, w»* held yesterday afternoon at two o'clock, at the Royal Hotel, Onehung*, before T; M. Philson, Esq., M.D., Coroner, and a respectable jury, composed of the following gentleman : — Thomas bharps (foreman), Charles Conch, William Kant, Irwm Hurst, James Sid'ey, George Codlin, John howe, James McPike, Joseph Hayes, John Bowlin, William. Thompson, and John Forbes. The jury having viewed the body, the following evidence was called : — George Spray, being sworn, said : I am a constable in the Auckland armed police, stationed in Oaehunga. On Monday lait, July 15, a woman named Hands came to the police-station at Onehung*, and reported that deceased was missing since Sunday, July 7. On that day he had left, she stated, Big Muddy Creek to go to Onehunga ; that he had been heard of at Mr. Pierce's, Big Muddy Creek, where he had had dinner, and had complained of feeling ill, and that, since that time, he had not been heard of. [ immediately made inquiries in the neighbourhood, but could hear nothing of him, until Wednesday, July 17, when I went in search for him in the vicinity of the Whau block-house. After looking for about two hours, I found the body of deceased lying in the tea-tree scrub, about 10 paces from the track, and about » mile and a half from the block-house, at a distance from Onehunga of seven miles, and six miles from Mr. Pierce's. The body lay on the back ; the head was bare, the rest of the body was clothed ; decomposition had begun, and the features were somewhat defaced. I had not known deceased {personally, but Mr. Albert Moore, of Ouehunga, who came to the place soon after me, identified him as the missing Joseph Turner. I examined the state of the body, but was unable to discover any marks of violence. His clothes were not torn in the least, and his position seemed to be that of repose. I found no money on his person. There was an empty sack lying beside his body. There was no sign of footmarks near the spot where the body lay. I saw some dark-looking stuff about his mouth, as if he had been vomiting, but there was no blood on or about the body. I think he had been dead upwards of a week. There was no house nearer the place than the block-house. The same night I removed the body into Onehunga. Albert Moore, being sworn, said : I am a carpenter, and live in Onehunga. I was acquainted with deceased over twelve months. He was a bushman, and used to work at Henderson's Mill, and latterly at Big Muddy Creek. His age was about 45 years. I last saw him alive three or four weeks ago. He was then in Onehunga. He was not in good health, and complained of headache. He was not much addicted to drink. I never saw him the worse for liquor. Ever since deceased had been missed, I have been searching for him ; and at the last search I fell in with constable Spray, who discovered the body. I saw no marks of violence about the body, nor blood. I have no suspicion that he came to his death by violeut means. Deceased had no money about him. &arah Hands, being sworn, said : I am the wife of Patrick Hands, who, I believe, is an inmate of the Lunatic Asylum. I have not been living with him for the last eight years. I live in Onehunga at present. Deceased stayed at my house when he came to Onehunga. I last saw him alive on June 30th last. He was then in Onehunga. On that day he left town to go to Big Muddy Creek. He complained of his head when he was at my house. Know nothing of his movements afterwards. On last Saturday, July 13, I heard a report that deceased left Big Muddy Creek, intending to come to Onehunga for provisions, but had not been heard of since. I immediately went to the police-office, and gave this information. I have seen a dead body in an outhouse of the Royal Hotel, and recognise it as the body of deceased. This was the whole of the evidence taken, and the jury returned the following verdict : — "Found dead in the Whau scrub, on July 17th instant, without marks of violence appe«ring on his body ; but how, or by what means, he came to his death no evidence thereof doth appear to the jury."