SEAMAN'S DEATH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22401, 23 April 1936, Page 12

SEAMAN'S DEATH

FALL INTO HAEBOUE INQUEST WITHOUT BODY EVIDENCE OF SHIPMATES COMMENTS BY THE CORONER Although the body lias not yet been recovered, an inquest into the death of Jack McMillan, aged 57. a seaman oil the motor-ship Limerick, who fell into the water between the vessel and the Prince's Wharf about midnight on Monday and was drowned, was opened yesterday before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M.. coroner. Special permission had to bo given by the Attorney-General, Hon. H. G. 11. Mason, to hold the illquest without a bpdy. Detective-Ser-geant Meiklejohn appeared for the police. '*■ The chief engineer of the Limerick, Frank Mowatt. said that when he returned to the ship about 11.35 p.m. on Monday he saw three men, who appeared to be members of the crew, having a drunken argument on tho wharf Two of the men in the argument were Angus McLean, boatswain, and Angus McLean ( able seaman, while witness learned subsequently that the third man was deceased. Seaman Mcl<ean was more or less helplessly drunk, Boatswain McLean was more or less drunk and in a cantankerous mood, while deceased was fairly drunk. Commotion About Midnight

Hearipg a commotion about midnight, witness said, he came on deck and found the two McLeans, and was told that a man had fallen overboard. Ho later deceased s hat on the wharf, where the argument had occurred. He had known deceased for about 15 years and had found him an inoffensive man.

Alexander McDonald, able seaman, said lie joined the Limerick at Auckland, and was a second cousin of deceased, who had a wife in Scotland and a son at Edinburgh University. Other evidence was given that deceased had sent £2O to his wife on the afternoon before the accident. Angus McLean, seaman, said he met deceased in a hotel and they bad several drinks together. They then met Boatswain McLean and a man named Mcßae. to whose home they went for tea and spent the evening there. They took a taxi to the wharf and deceased and the boatswain started punching each other, but witness did not think the blows had any effect on deceased. Boatswain McLean went on board about a quarter of an hour before deceased fell in. Deceased left witness and went in the direction of the ship, hut walked over the edge of the wharf about 30 yards from the gangway. Question by Detective Detective-Sergeant Meiklejohn: Why did you not call out as soon as you saw him? Witness: I believe I did. The Coroner: You didn't, or someone would have heard you. You wero too drunk to know what was going on. Witness said the boatswain MnLean had bumped deceased's head against the corner of the shed opposite the place where deceased went over. Witness told the boatswain he would break every bone in his body if he did not stop. "If he had been sober he would have saved his friend; he would not have let him walk over the wharf," said Mr. Hunt, when witness was being further questioned. The Boatswain's Evidence Angus McLean, boatswain, said the argument Mas merely a friendly talk, and he denied being near any shed. He said he did not strike deceased or bump his head against a wall. "He was my best 'cobber,' " said witness, who added that deceased had had his hands round his neck. Detective-Sergeant Meiklejohn: Did lie raise the skin on vour neck or lips? —No. Do you know how the skin came to be raisod ?—No. "That is all the evidence I propose to call at this stage," said DetectiveSergeant Meiklejohn to the coroner. "The body has not yet been found." The inquest was adjourned sine die.