COROMANDEL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume II, Issue 322, 23 November 1864, Page 6

COROMANDEL.

[_I*ROM OUH OWN COKRESPONDENT. J

November 15th, IRR4. On hiiday night infrmati' n was received here tl nf n turg nan i aired Hopkins, )u»d thot l.im. k C-If, at Kcrrnly's 1 ay, n h w days pievionslv. llr l.awlor. <re of tie colon'is of the district. »i)aind a' dawlawji Ibithei.fitd found the i»poi! to he hut too tine. The unfoitirate f'rcnsid wait the n• f a hlwkMniih. at tl o Tiki, in tin'distiii t, l am-d I'r ec Ibplins. familiarly known hv thr f < i 4J r ck tln- hhn 1-;t-noth a'l matter l -' c rcer' ii>L- '1 *• hum n'>«Me » c< tnrci'cc ri rv h. g!« arrd hv a ])(rn al of "he following dejosition lalun at the inquest A eoronrrV irC]ue>-t was held at Kennedy's Pav, Coi'n nndel, mi vi« wof thoh'dv of, James ll.pkins, (a I >i!f-ca«-?c) formerly mate of tho cutter * Kmina,' on the l*?th dav of Novi niher, .Tujy of twelve mm, whcioof Jamoe Ciuictslumlc wns fornn n. James 11eri*»t, 1 icing sworr, st des : T am tnaster of the cutter 4 Fnnna,' which trades betwe-n this ami Auekh'iid. 1 kmw the deccasrd .htincs Hopkins, and up to tho time of his death, ho was mate of the ' Paima.* f J he dree-a-cd ai d invsell lande<l on tie point opposite whoie the cutter lie?, for the purjios. of cuttinj; firewood, we cut. srnno (itewood, and put it into (he boat I told him as he had the gnu he could go and get some piireons, an,) that J would no mi board. 1 took tho firewood on hoard, and this is all 1 know. The above took on Thmvdav morning, the l"th inst.- When evening eanio on, about live oYlo k f became uneasv, and asked alum: him, hat. could receive no satisfactory icplv ; ah«>ut (our o clock the following day, I was informed hv Mr. i\lc(*reL r or that the body of deceas/'d had been f< und. 1 then went and saw the body, and assHul to bring it. to tho set tb'iuent. I found deceased lyin ■ on jiis belly and should think ho had shot, himself c-i.ientlv. lm wa* perfectly sober, and had not taken spirits when I la-t saw him. J cannot heliovo lahad committed suicide. I have known him about nine years, and he will have been with ine about four '""ntbs 'Jin.* body of tho deceased was found at Rangitdii.

liy Lin; Jurv : I heard two shots while or hoard. Alexander McGregor, on his oath, st:il• I am oil., of the proprietors of „ saw -mill, and Ilt Kennedy's Hay. I knew the deceased Jas. Hopkins It. was only two o'clock on Friday, 7 was tod bv Mr. Oonard that ho had gone away shortlv, and lmd net yet bee. heard of. 1 i.HVred natives a ivwaid ol t wo pounds if thev would find him, and after ofi'crinu to reward, I wont in search myself in company will, Mr. McLaughlin, and Mr. Gille, we prore. ded up the R:iiifrit»ho srnllv, and after proceeding about t-m hundred vards, T discovered the body, I turned r nnd tf> Mr. McLnunhlin ami said " there ho lies." I also ailed out to Mr. Oi;]o that we had found the body ; eventually we nil went up to tho body, and found if with its face down, anil 1 told Mr. Mclaughlin, I •h'Mijfht lie had fallen out of a tree, as T coidd see'iio marks on his body ; there was a pun layiii»- beside him, with a portion under him, tho inuzzlo was under the body ; Mr. Gille, and Mr. McLaughlin then ' urncd the body over to examine it, and we found a wound under his left jaw. To the best of mv belici we left Mr. (;il!o ill chupe of die bod y, while Mr. McLaughlin and myself wont to take" mc tsures for emoval. We litou<;h.t the body to the settlement !• l-oin the po-itiou of the v'uu, I should think tho deceased had shot him-ulf aecidentallv. 1 have \i town deceased f..r sixteen years, and havu eon■ldered bun a quiet well behaved man. 1 think 1 last 'iiw him alivo on Wednesday, ho was of temncrate habits, and J have to oilier belief bit that leceased came by liis death bv tho accidcn al discharge of his p;un.

Ij\ the foe nan : To the 1 o*t of mv be!ie : it was n !iu ishot wni.nl I saw ; t-io body appfu:c.l tj lay whuru it full. ~

"Vlfir* "MVT**neVlir, dnl v "wnni, ntr***: 1 !-rr * fanvo**. «>r< a r*t TVn toitoi.nvd *m at rr<* «ppfc <">7l r» v* it In Kerned vV Pnv' T Tomrn'hor th' on vh'oh tho hndv of dooensed wjis found, it wn 4 Eiidnv. Mr. MoPrpp-or in my prptpnep found thr hodv. It was Ivirfr on ifa faoo with n pun nndor it. with tho T*"U7.vlp pointing nnwnrd«, and T havp rpnson 1 o l>o]i'ovo ho m* t vifh hi* :itli hv tho o v ♦Hp mm, it va'« a nirede fnw'm** pioee. T exnminpd the mm. imd it fli-'rhnrcoil. T pnw a mtn<hr\ nnrl or tho r»uht inw. ard holiovo ho ivot h' c rlorith in T thon rotnvn f d to tho •»<■*! t-lo" ont with IVTrn rr Tho last time I saw w»« r»n r rni»««h\v

T ? /-»hrvf hoino- stnto® : J nm !»!*"*nlr«m?th tn fho s-nn'-mill lit. Krnnod v'p r ß?n-, nnd Ti^iilr KoT'rrflv'p VftY. T hfivo lirjpd Oio hipt wit*"pppo-- • tot* n'ont. mn no f\jvtl'or li"ht nn thrT tho f.->r pn«t ivnn vi v nre. jum] him n ptoadv lad. T havo r»o hflirf }nif. tliat died from tho of the mm. Tho inrv rctinnrd n vrrdi<''t tn tho following ottort-. tho nn.*t Ins death by tho accidenta' discharge of his pun.