THE OPAWA FATALITY.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 270, 16 November 1909, Page 5

THE OPAWA FATALITY.

THE- INQUEST,

An inquest was held at the Courts f house yesterday afternoon, before; the . i ■Coroner (Mr. T.,, ScottrSraitE)", witfibart., a jury, Mto the circumstances surr* rounding the death, 'of' Brown, who was diiowned m th©;; *Opawa River yesterday morning. ■ Sergeant Dart conducted the proceedings in behalf of the police, and ■ ! called

Eugenic Emily Bartlett, who said that she lived in Budge Sti'eet. Little* Elsie Brown came to her about 11.30? a.m., and said that her mother waa catching whitebait for "daddy" and had fallen into the river. The witness went along to Brown's house and asked a painter working there, to come with her to the river. She 000-eed tothe neighbours, and Mr Washington and Mrs Eyles came with them. The^painter and Mrs Eyles got into a boat and recovered the Irody from the'bottom of the river with a boat-hook ancf brought it to the bank, whence- it wasafterwards removed to the house. Witness then left and summoned Drr Adams.

Dr Adams said that he was called in a little before 12 o'clock, and found the body lying on the bank. Life was then extinct. It would, have boen> quite useless to endeavour to use artificial respiration. The deceased was between 30 and 40 years of age. There> were no marks of violence visible oa the body. In his opinion the deceased died from drowning. . \ . Charles Candey said that he was a' painter,, and on the day of the death! of Mrs Brown was employed in^painting the house where she resided. Mrsfc Bartlett told him that Mrs Browii was in the river, and he went down tof the river with her- He and Mrs : Eyles got into a boat and with a rake* - got the body from the bottom of thd> river, and brought it ashore. "Wit- > ' ness last saw the deceased' about 9" • o'clock, but could hot say when shs* ; went down to the river. She was inrthe habit of fishing for whitebaife almost ©very day. Dr< Adams arrived 1 about six minutes after the body waa- > brought ashore. The witness did nob; attempt artificial respiration.' He1- . .. "- .-'^riiiSb'-'Wplav■/■''■;'•'*' -v' y'^ t -: ?■ ■■ .;;„■■./ ■.■{..?\\ . ,';i ' '•'v,J^^s.B^o^itf^«t-that,the'cl'eVea'sect-.':";.'' ■'^ia^^.^H^ia^r^ffif'Si .!''s She wasMaturalfyof fright, happjrr; " disposition.. : She\ freciuently. ;w^ii€ ; ; whitebaiting along the river bank. He had never known her fc> have a fitt of any kind.' The little girl was jnsfi turned/four years old.^ The deceased! could swim, and in bis,opinion she must have struck herself when she fell.

Sergeant Dart said that it would! be, very difficult for a wojnan.to swint when fully clad. He (the Sergeant) had examined the ledge from which! she had fallen,, and found it very; slippery. ~-.,.■■'■, The Coroner returned a verdict thati^ the deceased met her death by drowning, by accidentally falling into the> Opawa River. \{: '