Sad Drowning Fatality

Thames Star, Volume XIX, Issue 5822, 27 September 1887, Page 2

Sad Drowning Fatality

A. lad arrived on horseback from Kaua« eranga to-day and informed Sergt. Mnrphy that a man bad been drowned in the J£auaeranga river, near the Orphanage. The Sergeant therefore immediately dei« patched Constable O'Brien on horseback to make inquiries into the matter, and give all necessary assistance in recovering the body. Up to the hoar of our going to press the constable had not returned, but we bare every reason to beliere that the body is that of a man named Claud Murray, a carpenter by trade, and aged about 50 years. From what we can learn he left town about 7 o'clock this morning in company with Mr Wm. Laurie (turncock) for the purpose of assisting in the work of repairing the pipes damaged by the flood tome time ago,.which conveys the wateracross the Kauaeranga rirer to the Orphanage, and which Mr Laurie .was requested to undertake by the Charitable Aid Board. It would appear that they were engaged working on the northern side of the rirer, where there is a steep declivity, when by some means Murray accidentally fell into the well known deep pool just underneath, which is said to be of a considerable depth, and was drowned be* fore assistance could be procured, , , The deceased is a well-knowa resident, and has a grown up family, while we are given to understand that his wife residesin Auckland. He is said to have been at one time a circus proprietor, and was afterwards a prospector in the Una mine.