CORONER'S INQUEST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume IV, Issue 941, 19 November 1866, Page 4

CORONER'S INQUEST.

As inquest was held on Saturday at 2 p.m. before T• M. Philson Esq., Coroner, on view of the body of a man name unknown, which was found in the bush near Lamb's mill, (Waitemata mills) on Thursday last.

John Lamb deposed: I am a miller, residing at the Waitemata Mills Hiver Head. The deceased came to my house on Tuesday week. The deceased is unknown to me personally, but I have no doubt about the body. He came to my place in the afternoon of November 6th. There was another man with him. He asked for a night's lodging and some food. The other man made the same request. Food was given to them and a place appointed for them to sleep in. I did not see them, I only knew from Mrs. Lamb; I never saw the men at all. I was told that two men had been there and that one of them exhibited indications of insanity having left during the night and being heard making a noise on the opposite side of the creek. The other man remained till four o'clock when he went • away, and was not afterwards heard of, in the morning one of my sons saw deceased nearly naked near the creek. On Sunday afternoon I found a quantity of clothing. They were trousers, vest, a red crimeau slurt with, black spots, and a pair of ammunition boots. The boots are odd ones, belonging to the 57th Regiment. (One boot was numbered 830, the other 838.) The clothing was a few yards from the creek. There was no cap found, but the deceased came to the house with a cap. On Thursday, I had occasion to go to a reservoir for the mill, about a mile from my house, and a good distance from the creek. My son came to me and said that he found the dead body of a man lying in the ti-tree. I went to the spot, which was about half-a-mile from where I was. I found the deceased lying on his back in the ti-tree dead. The body was in an advanced state of decomposition. The features were not distinguishable, and there was nothing about the body to lead to its identification. It was 14 or 15 yards from the water. There was no water where the body was found. It was lying dry in a sheltered spot. The deceased appeared to have been walking through the scrub for he was all scratched with the briars and scrub. I saw no wounds or marks of violence except those superficial scratches. The distance of this spot from where I found the clothes would be about 700 or 800 yards. My son exclaimed " there is the cranky man lying dead in the ti-tree ." We are all satisfied that it is the same man. The man must have been dead a week or we would have seen him, for we were looking for him. I sent the lad for some clothes to cover the body. I ordered a coffin to be made but I countermanded the order thinking it necessary first to inform the police. I came at once to town, and arrived at the Police station about 4 o'clock on Friday morning. I have heard of the other man since. He is at Kaukapakapa. I have heard that the other man met deceased on the road at Henderson's Mill, where deceased appeared to be known. When we searched for the man after finding the clothes we must have passed within two or three yards of him.

John Jervis, deposed: lam a sergeant in the Auckland "Water Police. 1 received information yesterday morning of a dead body having beeii found. I went to Mr. Lamb's house ("Waitemata Mills) yesterday. 1 found the body about half a mile from the house, as described by the last witness. It was lying in a thick ti-tree bush. The height of the body was about five feet seven and a half. I should judge by the appearance of the limbs that deceased was a young man about thirty years of age. He could not be distinguished by the features, for the skull was completely bare, I observed no marks of violence. There did not appear to be any fracture ; neither did the body appear to have been under water. There was no clothing on the body. Mr. Lamb's son showed me some clothing, which I produce. They are a dark tweed coat and vest, Crimean shirt; pair of ammunition boots (odd ones). I have made inquiry at the barracks respecting the boots. The The boot marked 838 belonged to a man of the 57th Regiment who had lost his swag coming down from the Waikato. The man is at present in the W aikato. I sannot say where he was when the boot was lost. I was not informedNo soldier was missing that the authorities at the barracks were aware of. They said they would make inquiries throughout the barracks. It was stated the body was that of Laughhn Raffiii, but that person is in the Provincial Hospital. lam quite unable to identify the deceased. I brought the body to Auckland this day (Saturday). , The jury returned a verdict that the deceased was found dead, but how or by what means he came by bi« death there was no evidence to make it appear.