INQUEST.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11400, 18 April 1899, Page 2

INQUEST.

An inquest was held at the Normanb? Hotel yesterday afternoon, before Mr1 E. 11. Carew, S.M., touching the death of a man whose name the police have been am - able to ascertain, . and whose body ■ was found in the bush near Mount Oargill on Saturday mornini;. Mr Vv'. ivlitchell: was chosen foreman of the jury. Wilhelmina Wicneke, kindergarten teacher ■ residing at Hillside, recognised the body "as that of a sailor who arrived in Dunedin by the vessel Norwood about three months ago. Witness did not know his name. Ho ran away from the ship before it left port. He could not speak a- word of English. She was told at the Sailors' Rest that-he had run away from the Norwood, that he was ■ for some days without food, and came back to the ship. They said that tlie captain was kind to him, but she gathered that tha men were rather rough to him because they could not understand him. He ran away the second time just before the ship left. She saw-him twice since then, but she did .not think he had got any work. He was ,a Spaniard or a Portuguese. He was. about 40 years of age. She had not seen him since six weeks ago, and he had never been seen at the Sailors' Rest since then.

Johu-Buttar, farmer, residing at NorthEast Valley, near Mount Cargill, stated that on Saturday last, between 10 o'clock and half-past in the morning, he started to repair a fence on his properly close to Mount Cargill district road, and ho went into his bush a few yards to cut down a rail. While going through the bush he came upon the body of deceased. The body was ; in. n, kneeling position, and the head was leaning baok resting on a slight elevation or bank. Witness saw tho remains of- iv fire, which deceased had evidently lighted. ..The bush was very dense at the spot. The body was fully dressed. Witness did not. touch the body, but sent his boy on a pony for the constable. Constables Lynch and Hickey like deceased in tlie vicinity of his place six weeks before.

To Dr Martin: Thero were no signs of provisions about.

Dr Martin deposed that he had made ah outward examination of the body, and could find no external cause to account for death. There were no marks of violence nor signs of poison. He was of medium build, and in fair condition. Ho was not, emaciated. There was no appearance of death from any other than some natural cause. Ho appeared to have been dead for some eight or ten days. He was of medium hoight, and of a dark complexion, and had a small dark moustache. He was about 35 or 40 years of age. Exposure and want of food might have been contributing causes of death. Constable Lynch gave evidence as to having examined the body. Thorn was nothinp in the pockets, but deceased had several framed pictures of tho Madonna and child suspended from around his neck.

A verdict was returned, "Found dead thero hemp; no evidence to indicate the cause of death."