CASE OF DROWNING AT BRIGHTON.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11229, 27 September 1898, Page 6

CASE OF DROWNING AT BRIGHTON.

A sad case of drowning is reported from Brighton, a. settlor living at Kuri Bush named William Meo meeting with his death. On Wednesday morning, 7t!i, deceased left homo to go to the Burnside saleyards, but did not return in the evening. About 7 on Thursday morning- Mrs Samuel Mee (wife of deceased's brother) noticed deceased's horse with a saddle and bridle on, in an adjoining paddock. Mrs Meo became alarmed, and sent her son John to search for deceased, but although he went as far as Brighton, he could find no trace of him. Mrs Mee then went out to look for him herself, and found the body of tho unfortunate man in a creek about a quarter of a mjle away from her house. Tho road at this spot is very narrow, and an embankment 12ft high adjoins tho creek. Mrs Moe procured assistance,'and had the body removed. There were no signs of life whatever. Further inquiries elicited the fact that Mr Mee and a man named Bernard Wasserbronner called at the Brighton Hotel about 6.30 p.m. on Wednesday. The hotolkcoper (Mr Irvine White) states that deceased asked for whisky and the other man for rum. The latter was supplied, but deceased was given a glass of lemonade, Mr White remarking that he had had enough of whisky. He again asked for a drop in the lemonade, but did not got it. The hotelkaopar noticed a bottle in deceased's pocket, and states that he appeared, to bo under the influence of drink, but was not drunk. It is surmised that deceased got off his horse on the way home, ami on passing tho oreek walked too neitr the otlgo of the embankment, and missing iris footing, fell, being stunned in the fall. The watch found upon deceased was stopped at 9 o'clock. Mr Mee was a native of County Cavon, Ireland. He was 65 years of age, and had been 32 years in the colony. At'tho inquest, the jury, after hearing the evidence, returned a verdict of accidental death, and added a rider calling the attention of the Taieri County Council to the dangerous state of the road at the place where the accident occurred.