THE PORT CHALMERS FATALITY.

Evening Star, Issue 9581, 29 December 1894, Page 4

THE PORT CHALMERS FATALITY.

An inquest was held at Port Chalmers yesterday afternoon before Coroner Carew and a jury of six (Mr Andrew Thomson, foreman' touching the death of Carl Carlson, who was found drowned off the Bowen pier on Thursday morning last. Samuel Wilson, laborer, residing at Port Chalmers, stated that the deceased was a Norwegian, and, witness thought, was between forty and fifty years old. He was a single man. He was night watchman "for the Union Ship Company, and had been so for twelve or thirteen years. He lived by himself on board the hulk Cincinnati. Witness heard on Wednesday night that the deceased was missed. Between uine and ten o'clock on Thursday morning, after there had boen some talk about Carlson, witness went down under the Bowen pier. The Cincinnati was moored to the wharf. Witness saw the body standing in the water perfectly upright underneath "the stringer. There would be between two and thtee feet of water over the head. Witness saw at once it was Carlson's body I floating. The water was quite clear. There was nothing to keep the body in the upright position in which it was found. Witness reported what he had seen, sent for the police, obtained a boat, and got the body into it, and when the police camo put the body on the upper steps. The police then took possession of it. The bqdy was fully dressed, excepting a hat, Witness worked mostly on the Cincinnati, and there was not more than the ordinary difficulty in going aboard. There was a gangway and a rope between the wharf and the hulk Witness did not think Carlson could swim. The last time witness saw Carlson was between 8,39 and 8,40 on Wednesday morning on the end of the railway platform-, by the Union Company's Ollice. He was sober, so far as witness could see. To Detective Henderson: At low tide there would be a depth of 9ft or 10ft at the place where the man was picked up. When witness took the body out he noticed' there was ono cut on the head and another over the left eyo. If he fell overboard at low water witness could account for these cuts by his coming into contact with a block on top of one of the stringers. David Leisk, foreman for the Union Company, saiil he did not think that the wound over the deceased's eye would be caused in the way spoken of by the previous witness. The stringers under the whaif did not project at all. If the deceased had fallen off the wharf and struck against a stringer witness would havo oxpected the head to be burst rather than to have suoh a cut as was over the eye. l)r Cunninghamo stated that he had seen the body shown to the jury, and made an outward examination of it. It was that of a well-nourished, middle-aged man. The attitude in which he saw the body was peculjar, The body was stiffened, and if placed upon the feet would, give one the impression of a person standing in a dazed condition and groping, about with his hands, the arms heiiig oxtondod slightly forward, as though searching for something, The only marks of injury were upon the head and face. The cuts and bruises, he was of opinion, had been produced during life. He should think that the immediate cause of death was drowning. He did not think the cuts had been produced by a sharp instrument. The deceased probably was stunned from the effects of his injuries, and on regaining partial consciousness might have been attempting to find the pillars of the wharf and been drowned in the attempt. The cuts certainly might have been inflicted by some blunt instrument. The injury upon the loft eye-ball and the bruising of the left ear and the cheek were possibly done by the body falling almost vertically from the edge of the wharf against the stringer. When witness saw the body about one o'clock on Thursday it had apparently been dead from twelve to twenty-four hours. To Detective Henderson: It was not an uncommon thing to find a body stiffened in the attitude of last exertion, and it was probable that the deceased had clung to a pile as long as he had the ability.

Michael Dillon, night-watchman for the Uniou Company at Port Chalmers, deposed that he worked in conjunction with Carlson. The deceased was a quiet man. On more than one occasion he expressed to witness fear of a man who, he thought, had a down upon him. He said he was not afraid of the man, but he thought the man would do him an injury if ie could. The deceased could not swim.

Harry White, seaman, deposed that he last saw deceased alive between ten and eleven on Wednesday evening at the foot of the Bowen pier. Witness spoke to him about the regatta, and Carlson replied. No one else was there, and witness then went down the wharf on board the Poherua. At that time Carlson, who was perfectly sober, was standing close to the lamp post. Robert Morrison, a seaman, and Peter M'Gregor, night watchman at the railway station, also gave evidence. The last witness stated that during the night of the 26th he was frequently about the wharves, but did not see Carlson or hear any scuflie or disturbance.

After a quarter of an hour's deliberation the jury returned the following verdict:—"That'deceased was found drowned, but there is not sufficient evidence to show how deceased got into the water." The Jury veeommended that all gangways be provided with a netting, and that the railway authorities be requested to light the wharves as formerly.