Inquest at Lyttelton

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5168, 25 November 1884, Page 3

Inquest at Lyttelton

Yesterday an inquest was held in the Mitre Hotel, Lyttelton, on the body recently found in the harbour near Sandy Bay, before J. W. S. Coward, Esq., Coroner. Mr David Wright was chosen foreman of the jury. William Sinclair said : It was last Friday when he found the body floating in the water off Sandy Bay. Gave inforina- ' tion to the police. Afterwards found a ' coat about two chains away from the body, just about highwater-inark. Did not recognise the body. William Thomas Mason, police sergeant, stationed at Lyttelton, said he was told ' a body had been found, and went to the place described by last witness. Found the body floating on the water, and had it ' removed to the morgue. The body had , neither coat nor hat on. Searched the pockets, but found nothing whatever in [ them, neither was there any mark on the clothing by which to identify the body. Found no marks of violence on the body, k which had apparently been about three \ weeks in the water. The face was i decomposed so much as to be almost unrek cognisable. The coat (produced) was given r to the police by last witness, and there was no satisfactory evidence forthcoming which would lead to its identification. It was of ; similar pattern and material to the waist- ' coat found on the body. The boots were not such as are usually worn by seafaring men ; they were more like such as would be worn by a man working in a quarry. The clothes were not of a class such as a seafaring man would wear. A woman living ' in the town thought she could recognise the body, but had grave doubts on the subject. The Coroner, in reply to the foreman of the jury, said that the body was too much " decomposed to allow. of a post mortem being of any service. He did not wish anything , to prevent the fullest evidence being 5 brought forward. He hardly thought, however, that any good could come of a post mortem. 1 Maurice O'Connor, detective, said he had ; seen the body in the morgue ; believed it to be that of a man named TJiomas M'Cleary, of Carlton Place, Christchurch. He had been missing about two weeks. Knew M'Cleary during the last four years. He wore clothes similar to those on the b body. ; Inspector Pender here said he had tele- ; phoned to Christchurch f^r Mrs M'Cleary - to attend. l The inquest was adjourned till -1.30 p.m., I and on resuming the enquiry, Bessie - M'Cleary said her husband's name was ; Thomas M'Cleary. He was a labourer, and had lived for the last 12 years in Christchurch. At one time he drank pretty . freely, but not recently, except a little 3 during the last two months. A week last Friday ho left home, saying he must go - down town. He left at about 11 a.m. r Had not seen him since, but recognised the > body in the morgue as that of her late : husband. He was in employment and was L not short of money. Could not account for his being found in Lyttelton. ; To Sergeant Mason : He had a quarrel , with a friend of his, but there was nothing I to show that he was much depressed. He , was a very quiet man. He sold some [ property about six months ago, but not at i its full value. After some deliberation, the jury found a verdict of " Found Drowned ; but there . was no evidence to show how deceased got i into the water."