THE WAITANGI FATALITY.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 9291, 19 July 1901, Page 4

THE WAITANGI FATALITY.

Body Identified. . — - , . T _- The Inquest. j (OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Uk An inquest was held at 3.45 p.m. yesterday at the West Clive Hotel on body of the man found drowned in theWaitangi river. Mr M. Lascelles, deputy coroner, presided, and the inquiry was conducted by Inspector O'Brien. Mr Arch Mc<iill was foreman of the jury. ; William McKee, laborer, residing at Clive, deposed that he., saw abody on Wednesday, July 17th, at 1130 a.m. It was in the water and was fully dressed. He was about twenty feet from the Waitangi traffic bridge. Saw that it was quite lifeless. Had never seen deceased previously, or known anything about him. Had examined the boots worn by deceased and found the toe of one broken in a peculiar way and the heels were worn on oneside. Had seen footmarks on the Hastings side of the railway bridge. Witnessthought it quite possible that deceased/ had fallen through the railway bridge. By,the Inspector :• The body was not floating, the feet being caught in the J silt. V/itness assisted the constable to remove the body to the public hall. George Wells, fishmonger, of Clive, de~ : posed that the body he had just seen in the Clive Ball was that of a man he had ' seen near Thornton's store on Wednes- '; day, July 10th. Deceased asked witness to give him a drink, which witnesß refused to do. Deceased was fairly sober. ISaw him again on Friday at Clive, when he was quite sober. Was of opinion that deceased fell from the railway bridge. • .

William Milligan, laborer, residing at Napier, identified the hody as that of a man named Jack Prior, who had worked for witness at Patoka about two months ago. Deceased was a native of County Waterford,- Ireland, and so far as witness knew had no relations in the colony. Witness believed deceased was a single' man. Had paid him £3 and some silver at the conclusion of the Patoka work. He was at times addicted to liquor He often complained of feeling ill. In his(witness's) opinion deceased was not quite right ii his head. ' • • . Stephen Pell, butcher, Clive, deposed 1 to seeing deceased in his shop on Fridaylast. Sold him 3d worth of meat. He was at the time quiie sober, and appeared to wiitness to be a very respectable man. - " •

Constable Montgomery deposed to* conveying tho body to tho Clive 'Hall. Examined it and found no, marks of] violence. Only a few trifling things were in the pockets," and no money. 1( Detective Benjamin deposei t« speaking to deceased a few weeks ago on the Inland Patea road, and subsequently conversing with him in.Napier. The jury returned a verdict that deceased was accidentally drowned whileendeavoring to cross the river. i ■>-