DROWNING OF MASTER OF OTTER HOUNDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13277, 8 September 1906, Page 2 (Supplement)

DROWNING OF MASTER OF OTTER HOUNDS.

' A SAD TRAGEDY.

Br the drowning of the master of the pack in full sight of his friends the meet of the Hamilton Otter Hounds on July 19 was brought to a sudden and tragic end.

The hounds met at half- five a.m. at Hoxne Mill, on the River Waveney,, near the border'of Norfolk and Suffolk, and were sent upstream. . All went well till they reached the junction of the Dove with the Waveney, at Hoxne, at half-past six a.m. Mr. Bertram Edwards, the master, was standing on the Norfolk side of the river and, wishing to cross, took off . his coat and inquired of Mr,. Percy Read, with whom he had stayed the night before," whether there was mud in. : the river. Mr. Read replied that there was none on the Suffolk side. Mr. Bertram Edwards then entered the river, which 'at this joint is wide and thick* ly-grown with weeds. - To onlookers he appeared to be in difficulties from the start.. He was swimming on his back, and in turning round to breast the water in midstream shook bis head, sank lower, and putting up his hands disappeared without a cry. A cry of "The man is drowning was raised. ( ~ Mr. Percy Read pluckily swam to the spot, but Mr. Edwards never rose again. Efforts" were made to find the body with ropes and a drag extemporised from the branch of a tree without result. A boat then arrived from Hoxne Mill, but only after an hour's search was the body recovered at a-quarter to eight. A doctor was present, and artificial respiration at once applied, but unsuccessfully, and the body was taken to the Swan Inn. The hounds were, of course, at once called off, and the pleasurable outing ended in gloom. - Mr. Edwards was a bachelor, and this was his first season's mastership. • ' At the inquest the whip said they had been hunting about an hour when the hounds spoke to the line of the ot'Cer. Mr. Edwards, taking off his coat, proceeded to cross the river, first by walking, then by swimming. In midstream he sank without uttering a word. Dr. Brownridge, on the recovery of the body an hour later, tried to restore animation in vain, and believed that Mr. Edwards was seized with cramp. The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death." . t . '