JUMP INTO RIVER

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 June 1932, Page 7

JUMP INTO RIVER

GREY CHEMIST’S SUICIDE I EARLY MORNING TRAGEDY With only seven weeks intervening since a young man ended life by drowning himself in the Grey Riyei-, another tragedy under somewhat similar circumstances, occurred at an

early hour this morning. On this occasion the- victim was a young married man, a resident of Greymouth. Although the body has not been recovered from the river, there is strong evidence that it is- that of. Thomas Phelan, aged 32, whose wife, and two children, reside in Boundary Street. Phelan, who was an unemployed chemist, left his wife at about 2.15 o’clock yesterday afternoon, Mrs Phelan having to attend a meeting of the Women’s Institute. She has not since seen him, and he did not return home. Mrs Phelan stated this morning, that a hat found on board the steamer Kaimiro,, from which Phelan is stated to have jumped into the river, has been identified by his father, as that of the supposed drowned man. The police have also evidence from Mrs Roberts, wife of the licensee of the Gilmer Hotel, that Phelan, and a seaman named John-

son, left the hotel together last night. William Halcrow Johnson, able seaman ph the steamer Kaimiro, has made the following statement to the police: —

“About 9 p.m. or 9,30 p.m. last night I was in the Gilmer Hotel. I met a short fair man in the hotel, and had a couple of drinks With him. He told me he was a chemist and that he was a married man with a family of five. He told me he was unemployed and had been working on the No. 5 Scheme. He-said he was up against it. I invited him over to my ship-to have a meal. On the way over to the ship he spoke of throwing himself into

the river. I told him not to be crazy. “We went aboard the ship and had a drink of tea and something to eat. xxc remained with me on the ship for about half an hour. During the time he was in my cabin, he was telling me of his family trouble (worrying about being out of jwork). When he left my cabin he went up on the poop deck and called to me saying that he was going over the side. I thought he was joking. He came back to my cabin and told me again that he was going over the side. I told him not to be crazy. I went up on -deck and was talking to him. He then went to the starboard side of the ship and hopped over the rail into the river.

When I saw that .he had gone overboard, I called the bo’sun of the ship, and he got lines ready to throw if there were any signs of the body appearing on the surface. As far as I know it did not come to the surface. I cannot say whether this man was wearing a light hat. He was wearing a hat, but I qannot say what colour.

I did not see a hat on deck after he had gone over :the side. I cannot identify the hat shown to me at the police station. I did not know this man’s name. It was the first time I had met him.”

It is understood that the tragedy occurred somewhere in the vicinity of one o’clock this morning. The police at that time searched for the body, but were unsuccessful. A pre-

liminary enquiry was to have been held this morning, but as permission had not been received from the Attorney-General, it was adjourned.

SIR M. POMARE’S SON SHOT.

[per press association.] FOXTON, June 10. A shooting accident, resulting in the death of Tertaere Pomare, single, agtd 26, the eldest son of the late Sir Maui and Lady Pomare, of Lower Hutt, occurred at Devil’s Elbow four miles up the Manawatu River from Foxton, this morning. The deceased set out in a bpat with a shot gun, to pick up eel baskets. Later a Foxton resident, who was collecting firewood, discovered'his body alongside the boat,- which was pulled into the bank.

The deceased had evidently been in tbe act or pulling the fully-loaded shot-gun from the bottom of the boat, when the hammer of the right barrel caught, and discharged the cartridge. The pellets entered his chest, throat and face. Death was instantaneous. Pomare was visiting relatives here.

FOXTON, June 11. The Coroner returned a verdict that death was due to the accidental discharge of the gun, when being drawn from the boat. ' LORRY KILLS CHILD. AUCKLAND, June 10. Fatal injuries were received by June Lillian Draper, aged six years, who resided with her parents at Nelson Street, as the result of being knocked down by a motor lorry in Nelson Street this morning. The accident occurred near an intersection. With another child, the girl was playing near wooden railings. It is stated that the child ran under the railings as the motor-lorry was proceeding north. She was struck by the back wheels, ‘and death was instantaneous.