CORONER'S INQUEST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 153, 10 May 1864, Page 4

CORONER'S INQUEST.

An intiiiefct was held ye i< !<•:<> bcl<-rc'L\ M. Philson, | M.D., Coioner, ;;t ti.e Koyai ilolel, on the body ol' liobert Johnstone. A rovpcciai.le jury having been swum, j>rw».f<lo<l to vi.-.w tin: Wiy," when the following witncK.es were examined. William Marsden, swum, lb-posed—T am tlm landloril ol' tiu' Victoria Hi.h i, in Fort street ; 1 knew the deceased, hi-. Taime was lit ljeit ./oluistono, his ago was iilii'iit twenty veals, !;i'\v::s iiiiliiain. d. lie was employed by mi- as kaiinan ; 1 last, saw iiim alive on Satuldav l the itii inst., between 11 and 12 o'clock ; iio was in liis usual lualth and perfectly sober. At the time I spiak o!, ho was in my house. 1 retired to rest, and a; Iced deceased to close the door. Deceased was in company with Captain Holes of the ship 'City of .Meliiae'rn,;.' A Wit 2 o'clock on Sunday morning, J ]:*I my name called l>y Captain li'oles, hi; was accoin) aided by a policeman, and told mo dt cca; ed had ialleit oil the whari. lie aslied me to give him some brandy, which the surgeon ol the ship ileal . l aai was reipnred. 1 came down, and gave the Captain a pint ot bnmoy. J heard nothing moie umii ala ui o o'clock, \Oie:i Captain lioles told me that d. ceased was dead. J have this day seen the dead body of deceased as it lies in the dead hou.-c. 1 do not know of any property belonging to deceased. Jiy tlic ./my: — Deceased had complained of being unwell Oil Saturday lust, and 1 peimitted him to take a walk for the benefit of his health ; the only drinkthat I ant aware of deceased having had in my house was one pint of hall-and-iiall, aiiout ten o clock in the evening. Malcolm Long, sworn—J am a member of the College of Surgeons <> lilaesrow University, and ■ reside at tho Victoria Hotel, Auckland 1. knew the deceased, and was in his company in the Metropolitan Hotel, on Sunday morning at ball-past 1 o'clock. Captain Uol<*s ol' the 'City of Melbourne' was also present. Deceased said he should accompany tho Captain and I down tho wharf; lie was slightly elevated, but not drunk. I saw him drink a nil are of two bottles of champagne. We then walked down tho wharf together. Deceased said to the Captain—Can you let me havo a bed on board ? Tho Captain said—Yes, jump on board. Deceased made a spring on to the rigging, but nutsed lushold, and fell between tho wharf and tho vessel into the water. It was very dark, I could kco nothing, but. T heard the nlunije. 1 said to the Captain—J. hat man is overboard. The Captain immediately jumped on board, and ordered all hands out to endeavour to save deceased. 1 got a light, and Capt. Holes went down on to the stringers of the wharl, and alter the space of about ten minutes, I discovered deceased tloatiii'i- ill tile water, and pointed him out to the Captain, who laid hold of him, and willi tlic assistance of the crew got him on board. 1 put liim into the Captain's bed ; he was in a very weak stale ; ho breathed with dilliculty , lie did not speak, and seemed very unl i iely to nvovrr. 1 stripped oil" hid Avct ciotbcrf. and wrapped hini in warm blankets, and liuirfc uho of nil tills meanr. in my power lor hia recovery, but wit hunt ellci-t. lie dicii abouHi o clock, on Sunday morning. .1 w;i.s not preswit when de;Uh took place. J succeeded in i a hi 1 It* branuv down bid throat. There was rtmie jVoi liinjLj at I he luout li and 1 nave .seen the dead body ol deceased this day. M-nniay, Wh ; llieiv is a. i coTiMderal.'le (juanti;y ol'!i;:bl iVolh lYoiii th< 4 nn«: and lii'Uti h, nod a iilll-' blood. il'ts have brr n drowned ; there are ni» mar. s of violent e , on it. Jie may have Mnnk M>nie ii rd Mih.-dance i;l hilling. I am ofopi/.ion !bat dcccaM-d itied ii'om tho , elfccts of submersion. |'io ihe .Inrv.j Deceased did nol recover any octree ol* scn.Mbiiii \. L Janice l'it/.gerald svv»>rn, r<ai(h: I am a eoi\>labio in Use A rated I'obev, Auckland. On Sunday jnornin/r, May Mb in.-1., aboul o'clock, 1 applied to hvCapl. I.'oj>, of tin-:,hip 1 City of Melbourne/ to with hini and a bottle <Jl* brandy. I was in r»-et, at. tlio » corner of i'ort-sl rt el. \\ e | a hoi lie ol brandy at the Victoria Hotel. J Lidi went with tho ■ -aptui:i , on bo.,rtl of the ut ilk* end of thc_y.iuvn-

hut lonVc:! verv ill. ITediilnot bvenibn well. J lie 'Mr. T iuig. was pve-ent "vv.'h 'lerfascd i'l the ''nhin. Tvc e:;ini il a an hour, '(iie doctor was U.i e! t,/ the and feet of deceased. I did nnt j*-y t»nindy :cliniisi:-tThis morning 1 miiv ili-c ased's dca.l tiody in t'er' dead h'Miio. The ji'l'y tla n returned the fe.Howini; verdict : — " Died on iSunilav, J'ay Sih )"st.. from tiie elleets of having aei*:de!:la!!y 'alien into the har'■("n* M -I ', 1 eoin;r 011 lioui't-l of tin: ship 'City o! Melbourne.'