Sad Fatality at Waitoa

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4383, 9 March 1909, Page 2

Sad Fatality at Waitoa

CREAMERY MANAGER DROWNED

On Sunday morning last the residents in and around Waitoa received quite a shock on being made acquainted with the distressing news that their popular young creamery manager. Mr Alexander Phillips Percy, had passed over to join the great majority. Young Percy was found drowned in the Waitoa River. Constable Mackle, on learning of the sad event, immediately communicated with Mr Wm. Forrest,’coroner, of Paeroa, and an inquest took place at the residence of Mr E. Farrow, Waitoa, at 8.30 o’clock yesterday morning. The deceased’s parents who reside at] Riccarton, South Island, were also made aware on Sunday—through the kindness of Mr Beswick, officer in charge of the local telegraph office—of the loss of their son. A telegram was received from the father yesterday imorning to the effect that the body Was to be sent to Riccarton for burial.

THE INQUEST

In view of the circumstances surrounding the fatality the Coroner (Mr Wm. Forresf) did not consider it necessary to empanel a jury.

The first witness to be called was Hammond J. Hyde, farmer, residing at Waitoa, gave evidence to the effect that he knew the deceased who took his meals at his house and slept at the creamery. He had dinner about 1 o’clock on Saturday, 6th, and left shortly after for the Waitoa Railway Station to put the cream cans on the train. He did not see him alive afterwards. He was a sober young fellow- At tea time he (witness) remarked as to Percy’s absence when the children mentioned that he must have gone in for a bathe, as they had seen ihis coat on a fence near the bathing place in the Waihou river. As ceased was in the habit of going away to Paeroa and elsewhere without saying auything about it, he did not surmise anything had gone wrong. Next morning (Sunday) he took the milk to the creamery. Several others were waiting about. Feeling uneasy he returned to the house, and as a result of a conversation with the children went to the swimming place and looking round found the body about 12 yards below, and with assistance iquickly got the body out of the water. There was a mark over the right eye, which looked as if he had s'ruck a rock or stump on diving in. The bathing place is about 240 yards fr-un the Creamery. The water is about 6ft deep, and the spring board is betwe n 5 and 6ft above the water. There are a few loose boulders about directly under the spring board. He considered that deceased dived off the board and struck his head on one of the loose boulders. The body was in the water till about 8 o’clock on Sunday morning—some :16 hours, Deceased was a very agreeable young fellow, and had no enemies. Henry Charles Jacobson, store employee, Waitoa, also gave evidence to the effect that he knew the deceased, and last saw him betwee'n 3 and 3.30 on Saturday afternoon He invited me to go and have a swim with him, but I replied that I could not do so until 5 o’clock. He said that would be too late. Deceased left the store five minutes afterwards. The next I heard about him was on Sunday momiu" about 8.30 o’clock when I heardlhe was drowned. He was always in good spirits. The verdict of “ Accideutly Drowned ” was returned.

ANOTHER INQUEST

At the conclusion of the Waitoa inquest Coroner Forrest and Constable Mackle drove to the Waiorongomai Hotel, to hold an inquest on the stillborn child of an uufortunate young woman who was for some time employed in one of the '*’e Aroha hotels, from which she was dismissed several months ago. The circumstances surrounding , the case were of a most distressing and painful nature. The young woman, it appears, had been sleeping out in the ti-tree for several nights, and eventuallyfound her way to the Wairongomai Hotel On Saturday last. During the afterno >n she left the hotel, and nothing was heard about her until the next morning about four o’clock, when one of the hotel boarders, who happened to he in the yard. I heard screams coming from the < lirectiou of She ti tree near the hotel. Tin lodger w«nt to investigate and was astonished to find a young woman crawling on her hands and knees through the trtreo. ' She appeared half dead |and stated she had given birth to a still-born child on I the Saturday afternoon. The child wts found in the scrub, covered with leaves, ti-tree and earth. The young woman was convoyed to the hotel and the doctor sent for. Everything possible was done by Mr and Mrs Brunton for (ho unfortunate woman. Dr Axford, in his ovidenoe, stutod the child hnd not breathed. A vordiot was returned accordingly. It is intended to taka the young womun, who is in a very feeble state, to the Waikato Hospital for treatment.