THE THAMES. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) April 13.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3352, 14 April 1868, Page 3

THE THAMES. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) April 13.

A ciROtXLAB was issued this morning by Allan Baillie, Esq., Warden, inviting the inhabitants of Shortland to hear an explanation he had to make, in consequence of a paragraph haying appeared in the New Zealand Herald, complaining that timely public intimation had not been made to the miner* and others of the arrival of the Governor. Mr. Baillie read a private letter from Dr. Pollen, wherein it was stated that the Governor may visit Shortland on the evening of the Bfch. An official letter was read, intimating to the Warden that his Excellency would leave Auckland on the night of the Bth, and, after a short stay in Coromandel, would probably be in Shortland about noon on the 9th instant. The Warden stated this despatch was not received in Shortland until 4.40 p.m. on that day, so that he was not in a position to officially give notice that the Governor was about to visit them. Mr. C. P. Mitchell said that the Warden's explanation was most satisfactory. He and others saw an apparent want of courtesy on the part of the Warden in the matter, but it was not yet too late to publicly address his Excellency, and he would now move that a committee be appointed to draw up an address, . At the suggestion of Mr. Baillie, the following notice was issued : — "That a public meeting will be held in the old Court-house, Shortland, on Wednesday next, at 4 p.m., for the purpose of appointing a committee to draw up an address from the inhabitants of this district, to be forwarded to his Excellency Sir George Bowen." — Carried. Mr. Mitchell proposed, " That Mr. Baillie, Mr. Robert Graham, Dr. Sam, and the mover be appointed as members of the committee." — Carried. The tender of Mr. Felix Mack has been accepted for the building of a wharf atTookey's Flat, subject to the approval of Mr. Mackay. I believe that a roadway will be constructed from the debris of the reef* *nd rubble, which will be protected by piles of sufficient strength and size to resist the force of the sea The quartz will form a good false bottom. April 11. An inquest was held this day in the large room of the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel, on the body of John Nolan, found in the Wai-whaka-urunga river, Allan Baillie, Esq., acting as Coroner, when the following evidence was adduced. C. F. Mitchell, Esq., having been chosen to act as foreman, the jury proceeded to view the body, when Dr. Clarence Hooper was requested to examine the body and give evidence as to the cause of death. Robert Leikis deposed: lam steward of the steamer • Enterprise.' Saw deceased on board the steamer yesterday about 4 p.m. He was not quite sober then. Saw him again at half-past 8 p.m. lying down on one oE the hatches asleep. Do not recollect seeing him go on shore. By the Foreman : Heard no alarm of a man overboard. At nine o'clock I went to bed, no one being on board but myself. The stage was taken on board after landing the passengers. During the passage some of deceased's friends were taking charge oE him. Deceased had two glasses of brandy whilst on board. From the position he was in when I last saw him, I am certain he could not have rolled overboard. Dr. Clarence Hooper deposed : lam a duly-qualified practitioner, residing at present in Shortland. Examined the body of deceased, and found no marks of violence on any part of the body. The countenance presented a purplish colour, and there was blood oozing from the nostrils and both ears. I should expect to find blood oozing from those organs when a patient had sustained a fracture of the base of the skull, which would have caused a rupture of one or more of the blood vessels of the brain. Have known the deceased for some years at Papakura. lam satisfied that no violence had been committed on his person before death. By a juror : I did not observe any punctured wound on the he-id. The effuiion of blood to the head consequent on a fracture of the base of the skull would have caused death, independent of drowning, which fracture I deem to be purely acoidental. , „ Charles Stephenson gave corroborative evidence. Charles Sykes, a boatman on board the cutter 4 Annie,' belonging to Captain Porter, deposed to finding the body floating in the creek. He towed the body on Bhore, and remained with it until the police took charge. The jury expressed their approbation of the conduct of this witness in the prompt manner he went to the body. Patrick OHara deposed : I knew deceased as John Nolan, residing at No. 25, Queen-street, Auckland, known as the Orpheus Hotel. The deceased was a widower. Saw him last alive when the 'Enterprise' drew alongside the landing-place, opposite Sheehan's Hotel, under the influence of drink. I picked him up, and placed him on the beach alongside some timber. This took place between six and seven o'clock last evening. The deceased would not tell me what he was going to do, or where he was going to sleep. Do not know if he had any money in his possession. Bv a Juror : There was no one in charge of the deceased when I left him. By a Juror : When I left him on the beach he was capable of going on board the steamer unassisted. Constable George Bond having been examined, the iury returned the following verdict :— " That the deceased John Nolan was found floating in the Wai-whaka-urunga creek on the morning of the 11 ih April, with certain marks indicating a fracture of the base of the skull, but how he came by such fracture there is no evHence before the jury to Bhow. '