INQUEST AT MANGAWAI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9000, 13 March 1888, Page 5

INQUEST AT MANGAWAI.

On Thursday, March Ist, as Mr. James Downey was exercising Mr. Sarah's racehorses, he came across a dead dody lying on the beach at Mangawai Heads. The constable, Mr. Sturch, was soon apprised of the circumstance, and with some help he recovered the body, and brought it to the shed by Mr. Dingwall's old house. Mr. Farrand, J. P., acted as coroner, with the following persons as jurymen, viz.:—Mr. Giffney (foreman), Messrs. S. Prince, G. Ashton, J. Moir, J. Holloway, and E. Cooper. Upon examination of tho witnesses, Mr. Peek, Miss A. Bree, Mr. Miller, Mr. C. Johns, Mr. Kelly and Mr. Deane, it was proved beyond doubt that tho body was that of Thomas Jenkins, late storeman and clerk, who left tho hotel on Sunday, the sth of February, immediately after breukfast, to fish at the Heads undoubtedly, as his satchel was found not far from the body and sworn to. The body was disfigured, but not so much as to prevent its identification by Mr. Peek. The sleeve links, clothing, singlet, and scarf pin were also identified. The jury, without hesitation, returned a verdict of " Found drowned." As the deceased had means, a nice coffin was made for tho remains, and a number of his old friends and acquaintances accompanied them to the cemetery at St. Michael's, Mangawai, where the burial service of the Church of England was read by Mr. S. Tutin. The deceased was much respected for his kindly disposition. He was a native of Wales, a married man, and leaves a daughter, if not a wife, behind to deplore his death, also a brother residing in Chili. The personal effects of deceased left at the hotel were sold by tho constable, and tho funeral expenses defrayed from the proceeds.— [Own Correspondent.]