INQUEST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 287, 13 October 1864, Page 5

INQUEST.

An inque?f. was held yeeterd.iv afternoon, beforo T. M. Vhilscm, Ksq., Coroner, at. Palmer's Koval Hotel, on tho body of a man unknown, who was found drowned near the Queen-street Wharf. The jury lirst proceeded to view the body, which was lying in a alied near the Wynyurd Pier. The corpso appeared to be the body of a man about 40 years of age, and presented a revolting Bpectacle. The flesh was eaten half oil' the face, and the hands decomposed. John Stone, sworn, stated : I am a boatman, plying in the harbour. About a quarter to 12 this morning I saw something floating up the river. I was on the wharf at this time, and the object floating at tho lower end of the wliarf. I waited till it came under the wharf. Tho tide was coming in. I jumped under the wharf, and found that it was the body of a man. Tho corpso was in a putrid state. I and

smother man viewed the body—tho other man is not •present. With hiit assistance t drew the corpso towards the wharf, and made it fast to a stringer. I lclfc the "bodv there until a Custom House boat took away. 1 sent tho other man for the Custom House crew. 1 saw them take it down the river, and afterwards tho police boat come and conveyed tho body to the rruorguo. I cannot identify tho deceased. His face was very much destroyed and the flesh eaten away, apparently by fishes. I cannot say how long tho body was in the water. ■Tohil tTarvis deposed: T am a constable in the Borneo of tho Water Police. I received tho body of tho deceased at about half-past 12 o'clock this morning from tho Custom Houseboat. L hud just come ashore in the police boat, froui a vessel in the harbour. 1 received information that the body ot a man had been found in the harbour. I immediately put oft' towards tho Custom House boat, ancl took charge of tlie corpse, and conveyed it to the deadhouse, where it now lies. I cannot identify tho man. From tho general appearance of the body, 1 should suppose it had been iu tho water about nitio days. Tho features are completely destroyed by putriiaction, and tho attacks of fishes. Tho deceased was apparently about 40 years of ago, and about 5 feet i) inches in height. The front, teotli were gone. I •should imagine they woro lost before his death, 'the cheek bones were very broad, and wide apart, 'l'he hair was dark brown and rather long. llis trousers were mixed tweed patched on both knees, and fastened with a leather strap. The shirt, a fancy calico one, and outside that ho had on a blue guernsey jumper, he had no soelcs and wore Mueller boots. The pockets of the smock seemed as if they had been out oil'. There were no papers, pipe or anything of the kind. There appeared to have been pockets at one time in the shirt, hut had been cut oil'l should infer from a knife, tho cut edgo being somewhat .By tho Foreman : I should think tho teeth wero lost some time before his death, from the sound state of the gums. (Tho Coroner remarked that tho teeth had evidently dropped out after death, or the sockets would have been filled up) John llooper, sworn, deposed: I am employed in the Custom House boat. 'This morning about twelve o'clock, 1 was in the Custom House boa t near tho ship • Glendower,' when somebody called out a man overboard. Wo then rowed up to the end of the wharf, where wo saw a body lying between the 'Lochnagar and the wharf. I did not examine the body, and connot identify it. No one else would help me, so 1 took the corpse in tow and afterwards handed it to the police. I did not examine the deceased's clothing. 1 should think tho corpse had been in tho wataer from eight to nine da\ s. Sergeant Chrystal stated : he had some knowledge ■of the trousers, but could not identify the body. Thorn were several persons missing at present. A man of the name of Mullins is missing, and I have a slight recollection of seeing him wear some short time before his death, a pair of patched trousers. At tho same time I do not believe that tho deceased is the person I mejui. The witness Hooper, remarked that a man named Callanan had been missing for some days. The Coroner wanted to know if Callanan had not a broken leg, as he believed he remembered him.

(The witnesses Hooper ami Sergeant Chrystal proceeded to review the corpse with the object, of seeing •whether the deceased's leg bone had heen fracturcd. Upon their return they were unanimous that the corpse was the body of Callanan, as there was a fracture of the left leg by which they identified him.)• Sergeant Clirvstal deposed: I first saw the body of the deceased about twenty minutes to one o'clock p.m. this day. X was in OUicial Bay at the time the water police arrived with the body, and I assisted them to convoy the corpse to the dead-house. I was present and assisted the last witness to search the body. The evidence of Constable .Tarvia is correct as far as it goes, respecting the clothing of the deceased. The body had also a black and red woollen comforter round the neck. On examining the body of deceased at the desire of the jury, 1 found a fracture of the left leg, about two or three inches above the ancle, which had evidently happened nt a distant period. There are two men now missing from Auckland and tho vicinity—one named .Michael Callanan, "who resided at Newmarket, and the other, ,Tohn Jlullius, attached to 0110 of the Waikato Kegimenta stationed at Alexandra. I believo there is a third missing, but I do not know his name. John llooper, recoiled, stiUed : That from all uppearauces lie believed the deceased was the missing man Callaimti, who wna a road contractor, and resided at Xewmarket. He has been missing about seventeen or eighteen days. He understood Callanan had his left leg fractured some years ago. The appearance of deceased corresponds in all material points with that of Callanan. By the foreman : Callanan was married, and had a family. The foreman suggested that Mrs. Callanan should lie sent for in the course of the evening to view the liody, with a view to the identification of the corpse. The jury, after a short consultation, returned an •unanimous verdict, "That the body of the deceased, unknown, was found dead oil' the Queen-street wharf, without marks of violence, on October tho 1 I't.h instant."