AN EXTRAORDINARY OCCURRENCE.

New Zealand Times, Volume LIV, Issue 9867, 25 March 1893, Page 6 (Supplement)

AN EXTRAORDINARY OCCURRENCE.

DROWNED IN THREE FEET OF WATER. The Melbourne Argus reports that an extraordinary occurrence in Albert Park on the 6th inst. attracted pedestrians. Cries for help were heard from the direction of the island in the lake, and a number of young men took boats and quickly rowed to the spot, to find a man struggling in the water very much exhausted. In an instant an overturned outrigger skiff was also discovered; and later on, at a distance of 60 yards the body of a woman. It appeared as if the woman was dead, and attempts made to restore life were unsuccessful. In the meantime the man ■was sufficiently revived to be able to briefly state the circumstances leading up to his plight. He gave his name as John Woodhead, said he was a tailor, and lived at 21, Victoria avenue, Albert Park. The woman was his wife, her name being Clara, and her age 19 years. They had been but three weeks married. He hired a boat on the lake at half-past 7 o’clock, and pulled backwards and forwards until halfpast 9 with his coat on. Finding the exe. ”ise too heating, he rose to take off his coat, and at the same time his wife, who weighed between list and 12st, leaned over the side and capsized the boat. As the boat turned over his foot was caught in one of the outriggers and he fell into the water, his head for a few moments being under the surface. When he extricated himself he could not see his wife, and cried for help as stated. The fact of anyone being drowned in two feet three inches of water—for that was the depth where woman’s body was found—seemed so strange that Detective-sergeant Cawsey was instructed to make full enquiry. It then appeared that Woodhead was not the man’s name merely an assumed name under which he and his wife had been living since their marriage. Woodhead was his stepfather’s name, but his own name, he says, is John Alexander Manton, and he claims to be a descendant of the Manton family who at one time owned considerable freehold property in Brompton, London, and who, but for having parted with their interest in the property a good many years ago, would be now fabulously wealthy. He is 26 or 27 years of age, and a native of Ballarat, where he lived until two years ago with the rest of his family. His father was a tailor in business in that city, and he was brought up as a tailor’s cutter. After the death of his parents he came to Melbourne, and for the past two years he has resided in lodgings in various parts of the city. During that time he has not done any work, but has supported himself ‘on his means.’ About six months ago he made acquaintance by chance with Clara Ible, a girl of 19, daughter of a widower, and they were eventually married by Mr Kinsman. Manton had at this time about £4O. They went Into lodgings, and appeared to live very happily together. Mr Manton was quiet and reserved, Mrs Manton chatty and pleasant, and while he gave little or no information concerning himself to any of the people in the house, his wife only explained that they were living upon the husband’s private income, which would be ample to support them comfortably during his lifetime. ‘At his death, she said, these means of support would fail, and he had therefore as a precaution against the contingency of his death, insured his life for , £7OO. This assurance, however, was not upon his life alone. It was a joint policy upon the lives of both, made payable at the death of one to the survivor. Thus, if she died he would receive £7OO, but if he were to die first she would become entitled to the money. The risk was proposed by Manton on the day after his marriage, to the Australian Mutual Provident Life Assurance Society, and was accepted, and after the usual formalities had been complied with and -the first quarter’s premium of £5 15s had been paid, the policy was registered as complete. Though it has not yet been issued, it is, nevertheless, good and binding. So far as could be learned there were no quarrels during the brief matrimonial experience of Manton and his wife, and the most of their time was spent together, excepting last Saturday (when Manton went to the races and lost £4 15s) and Sunday. Both days he spent with friends, for reasons which were made known by him to his wife. ,On Monday afternoon he returned home* He left the table saying he had an appointment to keep, but his wife followed him, and they went out together for a walk and then on to the lake. Manton states that when the boat capsized his bead stuck in the mud at the bottom. The account which he furnishes of the fatality conveys the impression that he altogether lost his wits when the boat upset, for the lake at the spot where the fatality happened, or where he and the boat were found, was only 3ft Sin in depth, and yet he cried for assistance ; and when Bichard Ward, a boathouseI keeper, pulled out to the scene he was clinging to the boat as if his life depended upon the tenacity of his grip, and he was pretty nearly exhausted. When the body of his wife had been recovered Manton went to his lodgings, and without informing anyone in the house of what had happened went to bed. In the morning early Miss Young remarked that his clothes were wet, and he apparently had a good ‘ ducking * overnight. He replied, ‘ Yes ; and something more serious than that, 1 mbt with an accident, and Mrs Woodhead is dead.’ The post-mortem examination of the body made by Dr Brett revealed no marks of violence, and showed that death was due to suffocation by drowning. Mrs Manton is said to have been free from fits but easily frightened, and, when in that state, quite incapable of action. [We learn by cable that the coroner’s jury has returned a verdict of wilful murder against the husband.—Ed.]