DROWNING FATALITY AT HAVELOCK.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14653, 6 March 1918, Page 3

DROWNING FATALITY AT HAVELOCK.

An inquiry into /the circumstances surrounding the death of William Lucena, of Picton, whose body was discovered in the harbour near the Havelock wharf early on Saturday morning, - was held at the Cottage J-Josmtnf in the afternoon before Mr W...H. Smith (Act-ing-Coroner) and a jury 'of four. Several witnesses were examined.- ---■ ■Constable Douglas stated that onj February 28th he saw deceased in com-. pany-with Nicholas Gestro at the Post: Office Hotel. On Friday he saw the deceased in company with Gestro and another man singing and playing the piano | in the same hotel, and on two occasions ) on the same afternoon they were play-! ing the piano and singing at the*<Jom-j mercial Hotel; ' At 7.30 p.m. the same j day he saw Gestro and ,deo*nsed in company with some ladies. They, sLroyfi away in. a motor car towards ''mauuexui. At 9.45 p.m. the motor car with Gestro' and party returned to the hotel. There j was continuous singing and sky-larking; going on till 11 p.m. At 5.45 a.m. on Saturday morning Gestro came to the Police fetation and said his mate was I drowned. He said he did not know how j he got drowned, but he could see the body in the water off the end of the wharf. On going to the wharf witness asked where the body was. C. Q. ■: Harris, who was1 standing' on the wharf, said, "I do not know, unless that i© it," pointing to a dark object in the water. It looked like something floating, and not like a body. Witness then got into Mr Pope's launch and went to the object, and then found it was the deceased.

The jury returned the following verdict:—"That the deceased, William Lucena, met his death on March 2nd by drowning, there being no evidence to show how he got into the water."