THE DROWNING MYSTERY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11141, 3 December 1907, Page 5

THE DROWNING MYSTERY.

IDENTIFICATION OF THE BODY.' (Special to Herald.) NAPIER; this day. ' In response to the telegraphic advice from Gisborne that m the pocket of the man found drowned m the surf there was discovered a slip of paper bearing the name "John. Owens, Enfield road, Napier," the police made enquiries, but 1 found that^Owens was very much alive. It is siiirmised that the body is that of someone coining on a visit to Napier, and had got Owens' address to call on him. (Per Press Association.) NAPIER, last night. It is supposed from the description given that the 'body is 'that of a man named David James Young. Kirk, m the employ of Nelson Bros., Ltd., Tomoana, as slaughterhouse clerk, who left on transfer for the firm's Gis'bome branch on the 26th November, but who had not put m an appearance at the works there. Upon ascertaining that the body of the man , who was found dead oh the Waikaiiiae "beach yesterday morning had come from Napier Sergeant Williams telegraphed ito th/e> police there, giving a description of the man, and received <a reply last night stating that Owens, whose name was written on the piece' of paper, found' m deceased's' pocketj was m- Na~ pier, but that the description given answered tx> trtuvt of David Y. Kirk; who had left the Tomoana freezing works on November 26 on transfer to the,Taruheru works. It was further ; ascertained that deceased had not reported, .himself V to Messrs Nelson Bros, at Gisborne. The vTifficulty of identification lias also been' overcome' 'by it being ascertained that; a man named St. . Urcn -had slept m the same room as deceased at a local lodging house; jaind. h© recognifieS' th© ,'body as that of Kirk. . • THE INQUEST. At the British Empire hotel this after, noon an inquest was conducted by Mr W; E; Akroyd, J.P., Detective Madde,rn, representing the police. ; The following jury was empanelled : Messrs A. Searle, F. Cox, F. W. Eure, J. W. Russell, J, Erskine; and 'T. A. Coleman (foreman). Dr" Coker deposed! that ;he held a post mo«t«m; examination '-.pfj. the, body, yestei'day afternoon and found fr6m all the internal and external^ ap^earaiices' that deceased met his deatE 1 by'drowning. There were no signs of" violence br poisoning. Deceased suffered from bright's disease, which might 'have made" him melancholy. Henry William' St. Urch^ laborer, identified th 6 body as that of a man named Kirk, at least that iwas-.the name der ceased had given him. told him last Friday eVening tßat he came from Nelson Bris.' Tomoana works, that he was a married man and that his. wife had given him a few pounds to' come to Gisboriie with. He was to get a house arid she would follow with the furniture next week. Deceased had -.been drinking and was half m "the horrors." He slept m the same room with witness at Mr Suff's house. He left Tomoana ithei previous Tuesday and. started drinking at tyapier, continuing it on the ! boat and since his arrival. About 2 a.m. last ; Saturday deceased said he I'had a .. . good mind to jump m the tide. 51 ' " Wifetiess added, "To swim out again ?'j'a.vjj^..|» i e" replied^^ "OiH, no.!' Witness had, tgi;, help deceased to dress, and he left about 5.30 a.m. to go to Makaraka.to have a "livener." He ,had no money and witness gave him a shilling. When he had. had a taste, d^ ceased said he would cdme back and- see Mr Dewing with whom 'he had business. He had not seen deceased since. By the Coroner: He first met deceased on Fri-. day evening. r : \ i s ; Walter Howard, painter; identified the body as that 1 of a man he 6aw at 11 a.m. on Sunday last on the Waikana© beach aibout • two miles "beyond the abattoirs. Witness was leading a horse, and deceased/aiskied if the animal 'did not like the water. Presently deceased , wh<^ had a peculiar look on his face> demanded a cigArette, -which witness supplied. Deceased thanked witness,' arid /walked; on. Deceasedi appeared iv hiover round the spot, arid an hour and; a half later he noticed deoeased conversing with Mr Ariderson, who was camped with, witness. About 4 o'clock that afternoon he saw the form of .a" man m. tho water, about a mile away.' Ho watched deceased for several minut«s, and thought the person was tm thing with a dark bathing dress on. H© met several breakers, and was carried ashore, and then; walked out again. Witness thought it was the deceased at the time. His attention was distracted at tlus 6tage, and be really forgot about the man. There was'-no one else on that part of the beach at' the time. Harry Anderson, cyclemaker, said that he saw deceased on the beach at . 11 o'clock on Sunday inorning. He was cycling along on tHe beach, when deceased stepped out m front of him and asked if he had a cigarette. Witness, without stopping,, replied he had not. About 3 o'clock ho was coming from the Abattoirs with a bucket of water when deceased again accosted him and asked for a cigarette, remarking he was dying for a smoke, and mumbling that he had forgotten to get some. Witness kept a distance off deceased as he had a big stick and looked a "bit balmy." Witness said good-day arid left him. Deceased was wandering about aimlessly. Albert Ernest Davy gave evidence as to finding the body of deceased m the surf near the abattoirs yesterday morning.