A DROWNING CASE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12480, 26 January 1904, Page 6

A DROWNING CASE.

EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST.

LIFE ON BOARD A FISHING BOAT. { Ax inquest was held before Mr. T. Gresham, coroner, at Gleeson's Hotel, yesterday afternoon, concerning the drowning of Mrs. j Bold, wife of James Reid, fisherman, which i occurred in the Waitemata Harbour on > Saturday evening.- Ernost George Ford was | elected foreman of the jury. Sergeant Kelly represented tie police. Joseph Lowndes stated in evidence that he ' went on board the Dolphin (owned by de- '' coased's husband) to get a fishing line. He mot Mrs. Reid and inquired if she had any- ■ thing to drink on board. A bottle of whisky was produced and witness was invited to ; partake. "I seldom take whisky; haven't ; you any beer ?" remarked Lowndes. As there was no beer on board Mrs. Reid gave witness Is to purchase two bottles of beer. These were procured and taken on to the Dolphin, the liquor being consumed by witness and others. Mrs. Reid then asked Lowndes about a parcel of clothes which was supposed to have been left with him. She insisted he had it, and left about halfpast ten o'clock with him in a dingey to get to his boat, the Lorina, about 159 yards away, to see about the parcel. Witness sculled standing up. He noticed water grariu- l ally filling the dingey. In the dark he failed to find his boat, and was about to return to ' the Dolphin. When the. swamping of the dingey was imminent Airs. Reid became terrified, and, jumping up, elutohed Lowndes round the neck. The dingey capsized as the result of the movement. Airs. Reid and Lowndes struggled together in the water and eventually caught the dingey, each hanging on to opposite sides. The dingey was washed from under them, and then Lowndes, ' holding Mrs. Reid, struck out for the Rail- ' way Wharf. He a little later lost conscious- : ness. The dingey was bottom up. He had : two beers and a whisky during the after- ! noon. nil,, vine, P„M„, „C H... -i T • • , .

evidence said ho heard cries of help from a drowning parson, and from No. 4 jetty ran to the Railway Wharf, where lie caught Lowndes just as ha was being washed past in a strong current. Lowndes, on partially recovering, made several attempts to jump into the water, crying, '"The girl ! the girl!" Several people were on the Railway Wharf at the time, and one person on being approached said he had seen the body of a woman washed past. " Why didn't you bring her out ? Can't you swim V queried Baldry. " Oh, yes; but I didn't want to be mixed up with it," retorted the person. The Coroner : Do you know the person ? No; but I would know him if I saw hire again. ! Dr. Moir, who examined the body of deceased, stated there were several bruises o! fresh origin on it. He attributed the cause of death to drowning. John Kenny, a mariner, father of de ceased, identified the body as that of his daughter. She was subject to fits. She lived entirely in the boat, and complainec that it was not a fit abode for her. Witness got her into an Auckland home once, bin her husband took her away again. Willies; was still in possession of a parcel he was supposed to give- to Lowndes for Mrs. Reid .lames Reid, husband of deceased, said his wife had not left the Dolphin from the time of reaching the harbour till Saturday after noon. On Saturday he and a party were drinking in town, and at four o'clock lie tool aboard a three-gallon keg of beer, foul bottles of beer and one bottle of whisky. " 1 was not sober and I was not drunk or returning to the boat," he added. Tin whisky was handed to Mrs. Reid. She expressed a desire to have a drink, so they a! 1 partook. Witness dropped to the floor or taking the whisky and awoke at two o'clock in the morning, when he ascertained his wife had gone ashore with Lowndes to see hei sister. The beer was not touched. The Coroner thought it strange that Mrs. Reid should give Lowndes a shilling to buj beei when there was enough grog on board to start a small shop, but a juryman explained that it was customary to take a kep of beer when boats were going out, and Mrs, Reid would not have touched the keg. Albion Hansen, a fisherman employed or the Dolphin, said be was drinking ashore with others on Saturday. Referring tc Lowndes witness said he brought two bottles of beer aboard, and one was opened. When Mrs. Reid went with him in the dingey he had been drinking. 6 ' Sergeant Kelly: In what condition was he ? u Witness: ,r He as pretty well °"; about half-and-half. Continuing, witness siid Lowndes represented to Mrs. Reid that hot sister Annie was ashore and wasted to see her. He was sure Lowndes made that statement. Mrs. Reid did not drink any of the beer. Constable McCormick deposed that he and Sergeant Drake recovered deceased's body on Sunday floating in the water in Goldie's concrete boom and conveyed it to the morgue. In summing up the Coroner remarked that it was quite evident the parties were not in a condition to take charge of the dingey, but Lowndes had not been wanting in his efforts to rescue the deceased from drowning The jury returned a verdict that death was due to accidental drowning.