THE DROWNING OF CHARLES DAHLGREN.

Colonist, Volume LIII, Issue 13143, 27 June 1911, Page 2

THE DROWNING OF CHARLES DAHLGREN.

A ROUGH NIGHT IN THE BAY.

THE INQUEST.

A verdict of accident al'.y 4rflwne4 at the Wstßorn Etftraneo near the Moutere Bluffs on Tnursday> JUn* 2Q*Hj was the Verdict returned at the inquest held by the Coroner (Mr; J. S. Evans) yesterday on ttfe body of Charles Dahlgreii, a fisherman, whoso body was found on the beach of tlie Rabbit Island on Saturday. Constable Tonkin, who searched with Constable McGregor, gave evidence as to finding th« body at 11 o'clock on Saturday morning. Dr. Johnston deposed that he had made an external examination of the body. The bruises and contusions on the face were post mortem. There was nothing inconsistent in the appearance of the bo<l; with death by drowning. John: Henry Heed:, a fisherman, deposed thai he knew aeceaied; He saw him leaving Nelson ori Tuesday morning last in an oil laiinch. ABout 3.30 the same afternoon he saw deceased about five miles off Astrolabe. Tiro weather was thick and a big sea making, and he thought deceased intended running for Astrolabe for shelter. Shortly after witness passed deceased the wind came down like a clap of. thunder ,and he could neither see nor hear anything. A tremendous sea came up and" he fan. for Nelsoll, Witness reckoned that deceased may liave tried to make towards 'Nelson, but got a few points out of his reckoning and got near tlie western entranfce..Witness' brother told him -that bath anchors, had been oiit. It wa^ p,robable -thai deceased turned th<? switch of the engine oh when he found he was in the breakers. Jn .his opinion deceased was struck by tlie Bcd.iri; and knocked overboard. He knew deceased was a smo.rt man and a capable navigator and carried all appliances with"him. He had been 23 years in the Bay and Tuesday night was the worst he had ever experienced. Phillip Randells Miller, foreman carpenter of the New Zealand Railways, stated that deceased was a native of Sweden, about 39 years of ago. He was a married man, and his wife resided at Greymouth. There were no chi'dron.

This Was all the evidence.