INQUEST

Southland Times, Issue 19898, 17 June 1926, Page 5

INQUEST

MATAURA DROWNING TRAGEDY. A Coroner’s inquest was held before Mr A. Martin, District Coroner, at Mataura yesterday touching the death of Mrs Jessie Ann Smail, who was missing from her home on Monday last, and whose body was found in the Mataura river yesterday afternoon. The evidence of Robert L. Smail, husband of the deceased, was to the effect that he left home to attend his work about 8.30 o’clock on the morning of Monday. His wife was then in her usual health. He returned home about 5.30 p.m., when his youngest boy’ told him he could not find his mother and did not know where she was. The boy told him the last time he saw his mother was when she was taking some ashtins to the river about 3.30 o’clock. Witness made inquiries from his neighbours, but none of them had seen his wife. Fie found an empty ashtin near the river bank He then informed the police. His wife sometimes emptied the ashtins into the river when the ashman was missed. On this particular day the tins were not put out in time for the ashman. There were f° u Y ashtins, two of which were emptied and returned to the house, one was on the river bank and one was missing. Dragging for the body was continued until a late hour and continued next day. Walter A. Smail, son of the deceased, said he spent most of last Monday at home. He had lunch at home, this being prepared by his mother. When he left home to go on duty at the Mataura Post Office at 4 pan. he noticed his mother carrying tins of ashes towards the river. She appeared all right and in her usual health. This would be about 3.30 p.m. He returned home shortly after 5 o’clock for tea. His mother was not at home, and he concluded she had gone out somewhere, so he made his own tea and returned to work. He was called home shortly after 7 o’clock and was told his mother was missing. He assisted in the search. A. H. Chamberlain said he assisted for several hours on Monday night in the search for the body. He continued next morning. After lunch he, with a ma)i named Henry Dickson, continued dragging the river, and about 1.20 p.m. they got the body about 30 yards from the river bank and about 100 yards down stream from where it was believed Mrs Smail got into the river. He believed she had fallen into the river near where the ashtin was found. The body was fully clothed. Constable Murphy corroborated the evidence of the previous witness, and gave evidence as to searching for the body. He had no doubt Mrs Smail fell or slipped into the river near where the ashtin was found. He wished to express his appreciation of the assistance given by the Paper Mills and Freezing Works employees during Monday night. The Coroner returned a verdict that Mrs Smail met her death by drowning as a result of falling into the Mataura river on Monday, June 14, 1926.