INQUEST.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1012, 9 January 1869, Page 2

INQUEST.

Yesterday, at 3 p.m., at Te Mata, before T. Hitchings, Esq., coroner, and a respectable jury, an inquest was held as to the cause of death of Miss Mary Bilton Ellison, who lost her life on the previous day, under the distressing circumstances narrated in the subjoined evidence :— Margaret Chambers, being sworn, deposed — I am the wife of John Chambers, living at Te Mata. The deceased was staying with, us. Last evening, the 7th, instant, about 4 o'clock, several young ladies, with myself, went to the river Tukituki to bathe. The four young ladies went in the water first. The deceased afterwards went in. I followed soon after. It was our usual place of bathing for several years. Upon deceased getting in, I cautioned her of a deep hole that there was close by, and advised her to keep where the other children were. The others also cautioned her. She then came down and joined us. She soon proposed swimming up the back current leading to the hole, despite my remonstrances. She went, and I soon saw her floating about in apparent difficulty. This lasted for some minutes. She then was carried by the current into the middle of the river, where she kept rising and falling for some time. We were quite powerless in rendering any assistance. Deceased could swim a little. I saw her sink, and then I rushed away_ for help. I attribute the accident entirely to her venturesomeness. The place itself is quite safe for bathing. She had on a bathing-dress. John Chambers, being sworn, deposed — I am the son of Mr. John Chambers, of Te Mata. Last evening about four o'clock I heard my father shout, and I suspected something was wrong. I got upon a horse and rode down to the river. I met my mother, and heard that Miss j Ellison was drowned. I then went down the river about half a mile, and ssatw t her in the water. I went into the river, jumped off the horse, and caught her. This was aboxit half an hour after I started; she was then quite dead. It was not thought necessary that further evidence should be adduced, and the jury returned a verdict of "accidentally drowned."