SWEPT TO DEATH

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 227, 24 April 1933, Page 2

SWEPT TO DEATH

Caught in Flood Waters

GEORGE JOSEPH ASHLEY'S DEATH

Inquest at Stratford

A verdict that George Joseph Ashley was accidentally drowned in the Waitara River, near Huiroa, on August 16, 1932, as a result of the horse he was riding rearing and throw ing him into the flooded, river, the treacherous nature of which prevented recovery of the body, was returned by I lie district coroner, Mr. W. L. Kennedy, at an inquest held at the Stratford Courthouse on Saturday.

In attempting to ford the Waitara River beyond Kiore en August 16, 1932, Ashley, a farmer who resided on the Tarata side of the river, was swept away by flood waters. Frequent searchers failed to produce any sign of Ashley or his body, and it was generally presumed that he was drowned. The matter has never been satisfactorily cleared up, and recently the coroner, Mr. Kennedy, was authorised to hold an inquest under an amendment to the Coroners' Act, which permits an inquest being held in certain cases though no body can be produced. Before hearing the depositions, Mr Kennedy read the amendment under which the inquest was held. "Cogent reasons were submitted to the At-torney-General as to why it was necessary that an inquest should be held," he said. "I have therefore been authorised to hold this inquest and to inquire if, when, and where, Ashley came to his death. I may say that I believe, and it is the opinion of the police, that this is the first time since the Coroners' Act has been amended that an authority has been given to hold an inquest when the body has been unrecoverable."

Witness of Tragedy John Thomas Jacobs, a farm labourer resident at Douglas, stated that on August 16 he was visiting George Ashley and Mrs Ashley at their farm at Huiroa. Witness had arrived the night before and on August 16 about mid-day, George Ashley left his farm on horseback to go to Huiroa for household provisions. To get to Huiroa he had to cross the Waitara River, which formed the boundary line to the farm. Witness saw Ashley ford the river after leaving home for Huiroa. The river was high, but the horse had no difficulty in crossing, and did not have to swim. Ashley said he would be back about 2.30 p.m. and asked Mrs Ashley and Jacobs to meet him at the rivsr, which they agreed to do. It was a showery day after Ashley left home. While awaiting Ashley's return, Jacobs noticed the river rising. At this point the stream was a little over a chain in width.

"When Ashley reached the river at about 4 p.m. I told him that it had risen," Jacobs said, '"but he said he did not think it had and with that he put the horse straight into the water."

The river was deep, but the horse did not have to swim at first. Ashley had a big bag of provisions on the front of the horse when he came to the river, but before entering tbe water he put it across his shoulders. Ashley was wearing an overcoat and gum boots. About 12 feet from the side of the river on which Jacobs was standing, the horse had to start to swim, and he saw her striking out. The current took the horse a little down stream from the usual fording place, and she was carried into a hole. Thrown from Rearing Horse The horse reared up on her hind legs to make a jump for the bank, and as she plunged Ashley was thrown off into the river and carried down stream with the current. Ashley struck out for the bank, but was swept towards the bank from which he entered. He lost the provisions when he was thrown from his horse, but had another pack tied to his back. When he was thrown off his horse, he seemed to drift away to the bank under which he sank. The animal swung round and turning up stream came out at the ford where Ashley entered the river.

As soon as Mrs. Ashley and witness saw that Ashley did not reappear, they went to her brother-in-law at Huiroa. They did not cross the river, but went by another route, and on reaching Huiroa reported the matter to a neighbour, who informed the Stratford police. In company with Constable Hughes and others, Jacobs returned the next day, and a search of the river was made, but without success. No trace of even the provisions was found. "1 Am Done" "From the position I was in at the time Ashley sank, I could render no assistance. I am not a swimmer," concluded Jacobs.

Florence Elizabeth Hall Ashley, the widow of Ashley, stated that her husbad was farming a property at Huiroa situated on the banks of the Waitara River in inaccessible back country. To get provisions it was necessary to ride to Huiroa, a distance of about eight miles, and it was the usual practice of Ashley to ford the river on horseback and proceed via Kiore. She was of the opinion that the river rose between the times of deceased's departure, and his return. When Ashley was drifting down stream at a point about 30 yards before his disappearance, Mrs Ashley heard him say, "I am done." She and Jacobs waited a long time, but Ashley did not come up. At the time of entering the river Ashley was wearing a rain coat and a pair of thigh gum. boots. The package was strapped to his shoulers over his overcoat. The river was not dangerous to cross when it was low, and Mrs Ashley stated that she had made the crossing when ill. The entrance on the farm side of the river, however, was bad, as the bank was IS inches to 2 feet off the water. They had been on the farm for about two and a-half months, prior to the accident, and Ashley had crossed on occasions. Though she lived near the river and had since been in swimming she had seen no trace of either Ash-' ley or the provisions. No Trace of Body Constable Hughes said that on the morning after the accident the river was in very high flood and there was no trace of the body of Ashley. On account of the high flood he decided

that the search should be abandoned for two days. The Waitara police station was advised of the tragedy in case the body was washed up lower down the river. When the river subsided two days later, with an organised party he searched the river for a long distance down stream daily for four days. Continuous dragging of the river was carried on. At the same time the Waitara police kept a look-out for the body. On the ninth day following the disappearance of Ashley, the constable and settlers searched the river and continued dragging operations. A continuous look-out over the area for five miles from the scene of the tragedy was kept, until August 26. In reply to the coroner the witnesses stated that altough Ashley was a good swimmer, under the conditions it would have been impossible for him to have swum out.