GREY RIVER FATALITY

Grey River Argus, 20 August 1934, Page 7

GREY RIVER FATALITY

DEATH OF RICHARD SKELTON. An inquest concerning the death 'Of Richard Skelton, of Runanga, whose body was found on Cobden beach on Wednesday last, was held on Saturday at. the Greymouth Courthouse, before Mr H. Morgan, Coroner. Sergeant Isbister conducted proceedings for the police, and Mr T. F. Brosnan represented the m-idonv. Charles Henry Lemon, a miner, of Cobden, gave evidence of identification, deceased having been his stepfathe’.t and a miner by occupation, residing at Runanga, ft was nliout a mouth ago since witness saw him alive; he was then at home and appeared to be in his lies! health. He took a drink., lie had never, :iU any time, expressed any suicidal intentions to witness, and as far as wit ucss knetwj, he hail no worries

Elizabeth Skelton, widow of deceased, said that she had been married aboait. -three years ago. Tin* deceased was born at. Cumbola nd. England, and had been in New Zealand for about six years. Witness had last seen her husband alive at ll a.m. the previous Saturday, but did not speak to him. She had nut boon living with him for a fortnight-, having had a disargeement with him. Deceased had a ‘periodical drinking bout, but never lost any twOL-k on ac- < ount of that. He enjoyed good health, and never said anything about committing suicide. To Air Brosnan; Witness had found deceased’s u,nemployment- levy book in the house, and it showed payment on Saturday, August 11.

John Duggan, a co-operative coal miner, of Runanga, stated that on Sunday, August 12. he saw deceased in Mackay Street, at about. 5.50 p.m. lie had asked witness what time the bus was leaving for Runanga, and witness told him that it had jus* gone. He had asked about witness’s ear. but (witness had his family twitli him. Prior to that he had said that ho had missed the bus through having something to eat. He then lei < witness and walked down Alackay Street. Witness had known deceased for some time, and in witness’s opinion, he was sober on Sudnay afternoon. Witness did not particular’v notice h : s dross other than ilia’, he had a collar and tie on. Ta Mr Brosnan* Witness did not knoiw iwhether deceased knew anyone on any of the boats jn port.

William Smith, a seaman on the s.s. “Gabriella.” stated that on the mo.’ining of August 13 he was nightwatchman on the vessel. At about

3 a.m., he saw a man coming across the railway lines towards the bow of the ship. Witness could see him fairly distinctly under the floodlights, lip appeared to (walk towards the end of a ’inc of trucks and came round the bow end. As he did so he made straight across towards the bow of the ship, which brought him under the bow., and out of sight of witness. A second Or tiwo after lost sight of the man, he heard what he thought to be a splash. Witness immediately rushed to the bow and call out. He then reported the matter to his chief officer, and together they went along the wharf, but saw nothing more, and the matter was then reported, to the police. To Mr Brosnan: “I thought the man \vn.s coming towards our ship, until he cut. straight towards fhe bow.- The trucks extended the full length of the ship, on the second line of tracks from the edge of the wharf. The splash resembled the splash of a body.” Witness did n«»i know the deceased, no*' did he know of anyone who difl on any of the boats.

To the Coroner: The wharf was woi] illuminated by the floodlights. Witness first of all saw him on the street, and then he came across the wharf and around the trucks. There was nothing in his walk to indicate that he might be drunk. He seemed Io walk quite steadily. Witness did not knoiw- /whether the man had come over the seeond set of rails when he lost sight of him. As far as witness knew there was no shadow there. There was a fair current running in the river at the time, and it iwou'd have been a very difficult matter to find the body. It Iwas possible for a man to trip on the uneven surface of the wharf where the edges of some of the boards wer.e worn Constable T. Kearney stated that on Wednesday afternoon last, as the result of information received, b.e went to the Cobden tiphead, and on the rocks about 50 yards from the end discovered the body of the doceased. On the crown of the head there -was a slight abrasion and a slight scalp Iwound, which might have been caused through hitting against the roc.ks. The body was fully clothed, and there was a 10s note in the imouser pocket, but nothing else.

To Mr Brosnan: Witness had know Hie deceased about three vears. and would sav that he was the noinmi Working man. To the Coroner: There was n-o sign of a. b'ow. the marks in the hea 1 being ’quite superficial. The state of Hie body was consistent with it being in the water since Mondav morning.

The Coroner said that it was quite clear from the evidence that the deceased was th’o person seen by the seaman Smith, on the morning of August 13, and that the deceased, by some means, got into the river and

was drowned. There could be 'only one finding in the circumstances. There was no evidence of violence or foul play, and Smith says there was no one else about at the time. Whether the deceased got into the river by accident or jumped in with the intention of committing suicide, was not e’ear on the evidence. It might easily be thought that a man who lived at Runanga, being on the wha-f at that, time, had the intention of committing suicide, but it did not necessarily follow. He may have been there for some -other purpose, which was not clear. The finding would be that the deceased, Richard Skelton, was drowned in the Urey River, at about 3 a.m. on August 13,

the evidence not stating whether he got into the river accidentally or intentionally.