A BOY DROWNED.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1190, 21 December 1894, Page 29

A BOY DROWNED.

Inspector Pender received a wire from Constable Cruickshank, of the Lower Hutt, on Monday, stating that a boy named Wm. Jones, son of Mr W. Jones, of the Upper Hiitt, had been drowned that day. It appears that the boy, who is about 12 years of attended the Lower Hutt Catholic School; and during the afternoon recess w#t : : tb bhthe in the river with some of his companions. By some means he got out of. his depth and sank, another bpy who went to his assistance nearly losing his life in-the attempt to body was not recovered until about halt an hour afterwards, and all efforts at tation proved fruitless. ; , ~ An inquest on the body was held, at the Family Hotel; Lower Hutt, on Tuesday, before the Coroner (Mr Ashcroft) and a jury, of which Mr J- Cudby was foreman. ,l A schoolmate of the deceased named John Walsh, 11 years of age, described how he saw Jones sinking and swam to. his assistance. He caught hold of him round the waist, but the deceasedseized him round the neck, and they both sank. Witness had to let go of the boy to save himself. Deceased could not swim. A jockey named Harry Peters stated ‘that on seeing the deceased was in trouble he stripped and went in after him, but_he was unable to effect his rescue, hhe Rev Father Lane deposed that he had taken special precautions for the safety of the school children ..while bathing, and had condemned that part of the river where deceased was drowned, both publicly and privately. He bad a special place prepared for them higher tip the river. A few days ago he oaw some boys bathin g in the prohibited spot, and threatened to punish them if they bathed there again. Up to this time no accident had occurred for the past eight years. The jury returned a verdict of accidentally drowned.