INQUEST.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 292, 10 December 1868, Page 2

INQUEST.

An inquest was held yesterday afternoon at the Ship Hotel, at the Port, before the coroner, Dr Squires, and a jury, of which Mr Calder was foreman, on the body of Thomas Lake, carpenter of the barque John Bunyan, who was drowned , on. Tuesday night whilst going on board tbe ship. 'The juiy having viewed the body, the following evidence was taken. Charles William Waller, chief mate of the barque John Bunyan, identified the body, and said he saw the deceased last at 8.30 on Tuesday evening at the Ship Hotel. He was then quite sober. Witness having gone on board and turned in was called by the -boy Sam, an apprentice, who told him that the u carpenter had .fallen overboard. He then went on deck. There were several of the ship's company on the wharf and ship, who had. been drinking. After calling for the carpenter and receiving no answer, he procured a light, and with ifc saw the carpenter on the top of the water. The lifebuoy was thrown to him, and witness and the second mate went down by a rope, with another the captain had handed down with a running bowline on it. He then got hold of the deceased by the hair of his head, and held him while the second mate put the bowline round his body. 'Just when the second mate had pronounced the rope to be rightly fixed, some one came down the rope on the witness' shoulders, knocking him under water, and thus causing him to let go of the body, which he never saw again until it was discovered on Wednes-" day morning alongside the Government Wharf. The night was very dark, and there was no light either on the wharf or on N the ship, The witness thought that the deceased was dead when he got hold of him, and that he had not been in the water more than three or four minutes before he saw him first. There were two Frenchmen and the sailmaker with the deceased on the wharf, aDd they were not quarrelling.

The boy Samuel Sheard and the sailmaker, Charles Farrer, together with Capk Allen, having -been examined and, their evidence entirely corroborating that given by the principal witness, the jury returned a verdict of Accidental death.