MUTILATED BODY FOUND

Taranaki Daily News, 30 April 1931, Page 7

MUTILATED BODY FOUND

EAST COAST ISLAND’MYSTERY. CAUSE OF DEATH NOT KNOWN. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Gisborne, Last Night. At the inquest concerning the death of Edward O’Rourke, a labourer aged 44, evidence was given that he left tile mainland on Monday night to walk a few hundred yards to his camp on Tuamotu Inland, which is accessible at low tide. O’Rourke had no liquor and appeared to be in his usual health. The body was found next night on the si lol ® of the island under an overhanging cliff and almost under a large boulder which had fallen from the cliff. Evidence. was given by Dr. Gunn to the effect that there was no direct evidence of drowning, and as the body was much mutilated, probably by sharks, it was hard to estimate the cause of death. The only solution witness could offet was that the left lung was adherent to the chest wall and O’Rourke had slipped and caught his breath suddenly, tear ing the iung from the chest wall. There was no evidence of a weight having fallen on him. • • A verdict was returned of accidental death.