DROWNING AT OMAHA CORONER'S INQUEST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6051, 9 April 1881, Page 5

DROWNING AT OMAHA CORONER'S INQUEST.

An" inquest was held at Ml". Matthews', Upper Matakana, on the 4tli inst., on the body of some unknown male person, before Mr. M. Angove, coroner. The following settlers were sworn a3 a jury Messrs. Sankey (foreman), A. Armour, J. Armour, A. Croker, H. Vipond, James Meiklejohn, F. Walker, W. Armour, J. Matthews, James Davis, A. Nicholson, and R. Donnison.—Michael Smith, sworn, stated : I found the body on the Omaha beach on Saturday last, and went to Mahurangi and informed Constable McLeod on the following day. I assisted Constable McLeod to carry it across the sandspit, and took it in a boat to Matthews' landing. To Constable McLeod : I saw you search deceased. There was a slip of paper, a pipe and knife in the pocket, and a silver ring on the little finder ■of the right hand. The pockets had to be cut before a search could be made. It was dressed in a white flannel undershirt, dark grey tweed trousers, elastic belt, and blucher boots. It could not be recognised. I passed on Tuesday previous along the same beach, arid the body was not there. It was lying at about highwater mark.— Neil McLeod, constable, sworn, deposed : Last witness gave me information on Saturday of a body being found on the Omaha beach. I went there on Sunday (3rd), and found the body on the beach facing the ocean, about half-way along the beach, and about high-water mark. It was lying on its back, with hands spread out, dressed in blucher boots with nails, dark grey tweed trousers, elastic belt striped red and white, buckle rusted, small pattern, and white -flannel undershirt. The face was all eaten away, and nothing left but the skull and jawbones. A few hairs were on the back of the head, of a light brown colour, and a few hairs -on the chin, as of a beard of a month's growth, of the same colour. Frederick Morgan, of Scow, Pukapuka reported to me on the 2nd of March last that a man called Peter or Charles Black was missing from his vessel. The night previously he was sent ashore for water, and Jiad not been seen since, and from the description given I am inclined to believe that the deceased is the body of Black, who was missed at Big Omaha, near where this body was found.—J. Morgan deposed : I was on my brother's vessel about two months ago, and saw Peter Black. He was of ordinary height, about 25 years old, medium or stout build, wore dark grey tweed trousers. I heard since that he was missing. I believe this unknown body is his.—The jury in their verdict said that there were no marks of violence on the body of the unknown person,- and not sufficient evidence to show how deceased came by his .death. The body was the same afternoon bnried in the Matakana Cemetery, at the Government expense. I was yesterday in-fonned-by a person who k;iew the supposed deceased for many years, and that his name was not Black, but Charles Butcher; that his father resided in Auckland, and was known as a shoeblack, and that lie also sold fish.—[Own Correspondent,]