A BODY FOUND IN THE I HARBOUR, THE MISSING SEAMAN M'DOUGALL.

Evening Post, Volume LVII, Issue 21, 26 January 1899, Page 6

A BODY FOUND IN THE I HARBOUR, THE MISSING SEAMAN M'DOUGALL.

Shortly before 12 o'clock to-day some men on the s.s. Mokoia saw what appeared to be the body of a man floating in the water in tthe direction of the Railway Wharf. The body, as it unhappily proved to be, vas bi'ought to the shore* by one of the men-o'-war cuttei-s, and was taken to tho Morgxie by Sergeant Shirley and Constable Byan. There is little if any doubt that it is that of the unfortunate man Robert M'Dougal, a seaman on the Haupiri, whose inexplicable absence (as reported in last Saturday's Post) from that vessel, which he left to go ashore on Thursday last, has occasioned grave anxiety. The police have since been endeavouring to ascertain his whereabouts, but unsuccessfully, though only a day or two ago '<t was reported that he had been seen with some friends. Deceased was found dressed in his working clothes, and it is assumed that he tried to board the Haupiri, which was moored ot the Railway Wharf last Thursday night, and that foiling pverboard he wt\s drowned. It seems he was seen on the wharf by Constable Pearce about 12.25 that night. Deceased then stated that as it was a dark night and the wharf was rom/h (alluding previously to the rails, etc.), ho would not go on board, but •would go up town. He went off in the direction stated, but must have returned, •with the fatal result now chronicled. Deceased (whose face is badly disfigured) ■was 34 years 6t age, is said to be unmarried, and has no relatives in this colony. The discovery has been imported to the Coroner, who has fixed the inquest for 11 o'clock to-morrow morning.